My neighbor, Tania, had a yard sale on Saturday. I stopped by to say “hi”, see how it was going, and–naturally–pick up a few super cool items (a tapestry from Africa, a pendant from Zimbabwe, and a nice looking heater register grill.) While I was there, I saw stuff just flying out of her driveway with their new owners. It was in part due to the high quality of stuff she was letting go, but also due to her yard sale philosophy.

Here’s what I heard from her:

• low ball the price to move, move, move! the merchandise
• you’ll make about the same amount of cash by selling more things at a low price than fewer things at a higher price. Plus, that’s less stuff to pack back into the basement or haul to the thrift store.
• know your non-negotiables and don’t budge on those prices.
• put the high priced non-negotiables out in the driveway for appeal factor (some people want to see big stuff to know it’s a serious sale)

She also had her stuff well grouped and laid out attractively. There was very little stuff on the ground. She was attentive to her visitors and didn’t make them come find her to get a price on anything.

With all the labor intensive energy that goes into a yard sale, you definitely want a successful event. All the above factors contributed to making Tania’s a space clearing success!