Turn Your Clutter Into Cash With 7 Proven Garage Sale Pricing Tips

CheapismMaxwell ShukuyaUpdated April 4, 2023, 7:33 PMGarage sale yard sale old unwanted items and utensils.Basya555/istockphoto

The Art of Garage Sale Pricing

There are few things in life as satisfying as a garage sale. By the end of it, you’ll have purged your closets, decluttered your storage, and earned a sizable cash bonus. That is, if you host a successful garage sale.

The key? Pricing. Price your knickknacks and junk too high, and you’ll scare away bargain hunters.

Set the bar too low, and you’ll end the sale with peanuts. Let us take the guesswork and stress out of the equation with these seven pricing tips. Related: What Is an Estate Sale — and How To Find One Near You

pile of household things, various dishes and decorative objects at boot sale for second hand, recycling or over-consumption society at outdoor welfare Studio Grand Web/istockphoto

Use the 50-30-10 Rule

A good rule of thumb is to sell new items at 50% of their retail price, used items in good condition at 30%, and well-worn products at 10%.

Just remember that you want things to sell, so err on the side of pricing things low. Related: How To Make Money in One Hour (Without Breaking the Law)

Family having an Easter yard sale in their garden in the North East of England. They have hand made easter crafts on a table and chocolate snacks. /p pOne of the sellers has down syndrome. SolStock/istockphoto

Peep Other Yard Sales

If it’s garage sale season, start surveying the competition.

Observe how they’re pricing their CDs, antiques, books, etc., and think about how successful their sale is. After you check out a few, you’ll start to get a sense of your neighbors (aka customers) and their spending habits. Related: 7 Things You Should Never Buy Used, According to Redditors

Interior Of Charity Shop Or Thrift Store Selling Used And Sustainable Clothing And Household Goods Daisy-Daisy/istockphoto

Check Local Thrift Stores

When you’re selling stuff at a garage sale, you want to undercut local thrift stores like the Salvation Army and Goodwill, or else your tchotchkes won’t sell.

So take a look at nearby secondhand shops to get an idea of the upper-end of pricing, and then sell your products for less. Related: 8 Thrifting Tips You Need To Know, According to Redditors

A young woman is checking her laptop and writing on her notebook. She is the owner of an online clothing chop. FilippoBacci/istockphoto

Follow a Pricing Guide

If it’s the night before your sale and you’re running out of time, consider following a garage sale pricing guide. This printable pricing sheet from My Frugal Home provides reasonable ranges for everything from stuffed animals and dolls to power tools and large appliances. For more tips to make some extra cash, please sign up for our free newsletters.

Young girl handles the cash register at suburban yard sale David Sacks/istockphoto

Price To Sell

In thread after thread, garage sale veterans on Reddit remind readers that decluttering your home should be your first priority. “Expect less than eBay prices.

Your goal is to move your stuff, not get top dollar,” one top comment reads.

Adelaide, Australia - August 18, 2013: Browsing the ebay webpage on an ipad. eBay is one of the largest online auction and shopping websites in the world. ymgerman/istockphoto

Peruse the Internet

Speaking of eBay, you can use sites like eBay and Craigslist to price rare antiques, books, and other speciality items. And when it comes to clothing, sites like Poshmark and Depop can give you an idea of what people are willing to pay.

Shot of a fashionable Southeast Asian woman looking through second-hand clothes hanging on a clothing rack while visiting a local charity bazaar. Kanawa_Studio/istockphoto

Leave Room for Haggling

Another strategy: Price your items high so that there’s a tiny bit of room for haggling. Just be prepared for savvy shoppers who’ll never pay the initial price.

close up shot of garage sign sale Kameleon007/istockphoto

The Bottom Line

The art to pricing yard sale items is maintaining the balance between affordability and profitability.

When in doubt, price things to sell quickly, or else you might be stuck with a yard full of junk.

Originally published April 4, 2023, 7:28 PM

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