How To Hold A Moving Sale

Why Hold A Moving Sale?
You're about to relocate. Now's a good time to sort through the items in your home to determine what will or will not be going with you. You'll reduce the weight of your shipment — which could save you money on your moving costs — and provide yourself with some additional funds as well.

Look for goods you no longer use, have outgrown or could easily replace at your new home. Remember, what may seem worthless to you is another person's treasure.

Ask each family member to list eligible items, then compile a "master" list. If there aren't many items, you may want to ask some friends or relatives to participate in your moving sale with you. Sometimes neighbors get together and schedule a big "neighborhood" sale.

Shoppers love this type of sale, so, expect a good turnout! And, with others sharing in the cost of the ad, it makes it cheaper for you, too.

And, who knows. If you haven't sold your home by now, having a moving sale may even bring the right "buyer" your way!

When To Have A Moving Sale?
Set a time, date and place as soon as you can. Fridays and Saturdays are usually preferred days for sales. Try to avoid holiday weekends. Establish a rain date if you think it is necessary. Determine the hours for the sale. For example: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., or 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Or, choose an earlier starting time. But, beware, many shoppers like to come early.

Where To Hold The Moving Sale?
Select the location (address) for the sale. Check with local authorities about restrictions for sales in the neighborhood you choose. Decide if the sale will be in the garage, yard or basement. Be sure there is ample space for both parking and people movement when making these decisions.

Publicizing The Sale
Contact your local paper to post a classified ad.

Find out:
How do they determine cost — by "X" inches? Number of lines? Number of words?
What is the cost to run the ad Friday and Saturday vs Saturday only?
What is the additional cost for a bold headline?
How soon should you send or call in the ad?
Be sure to mention the most popular items in your ad to attract people to your sale: furniture, appliances, tools, electronics, etc.

If you live in an obscure area, you may want to include your phone number in the ad so interested shoppers can call for directions or for information about items being sold.

Another publicity technique is to display fliers in neighborhood stores, noting in large letters, the type of sale, time, date and place.

Telling your friends and neighbors also is helpful. You may want to contact a public-service radio or television station to see if they will promote your sale as well.

Finally, you'll want to place signs in high-traffic spots on the day of the sale with the general information above and arrows giving directions to the sale.

Preparing For The Sale
Look at your list of items for sale. Visit secondhand shops, retail stores, etc. to determine prices for each item.
Record that price on a tag or sticker and place in an easy-to-see location. Use different colored stickers or an identification code on the tags if more than one family is involved in your sale.
Start saving shopping bags and cartons to make it convenient for customers to buy in quantities. Have tissue paper or newspaper on hand to wrap glass, knickknacks and other fragile purchases.
Bundle or package all sets, groups, or units together so customers know what they're getting. Put loose game pieces in a Ziplock bag and secure to the inside of the box.
Set up the yard, garage or basement so that all the "For Sale" items will be separated from those items not for sale.
Display items in groups according to type. For example, kitchen utensils, sporting goods, tools, etc. Hang clothing on a clothesline or rack for easy viewing whenever possible.
Set up a cashier's desk (a card table will do fine) with a calculator, scissors, tape, string, markers, a cash box and plenty of change.
The weather can change suddenly. Be prepared. Have several large sheets of plastic handy to cover everything quickly for that sudden, unexpected rain shower.
To keep the kids busy, buy a few varieties of soft drinks and bottled water. Ice down in a cooler the night before. Tell the kids that the money they earn selling drinks is their reward for helping. On a hot summer day, a cold drink will be a welcome relief to shoppers.
Assign everyone a responsibility for the day — cashier, clerk, sacker and carry-out.
Now You're Ready.
Have a successful moving sale!