When it Comes to Garage Sales, Display is Everything

You're having a garage sale to get rid of your clutter, but it should be displayed and presented in a manner that is as attractive as possible.

Here are a few tips on how to best display your garage sale merchandise whether it be for Billings' Biggest Garage Sale or a garage sale that you're hosting yourself.

• Cleanliness is next to “buy-me-ness." You wouldn’t sell your car without washing it. You wouldn’t sell your house without running a vacuum throughout the home. Likewise, you shouldn’t put your garage sale items out if they are dirty. Give your merchandise a quick scrub job and make it presentable. You’ll be surprised how much faster they sell.
• Get on up. No shopper wants to be on his or her knees, rooting through boxes full of disorganized clutter looking for treasures. Get your merchandise off the ground and display it on tables. Hang up articles of clothing. If you don’t have enough tables, use two sawhorses and a slab of plywood. Use a tarp to display items on your lawn.
• Kick things off with a bang. Got some awesome furniture or a nicely decked-out bike you’re trying to sell? Put it out front. make sure you put your most exciting items closest to the street. People will keep rolling by if they see tables full of clothes or magazines. But they will slam on the brakes if they see something spectacular.
• Organization is good thing. Put similar items together: kitchenware with kitchenware, electronics with electronic, etc. Make sure you set up electronics so customers will see that they work. Radios should be playing, TVs should be on and computers should be running. Make sure you have spacious aisles, with plenty of room for shoppers to maneuver.
• Take that and that, but don’t take that. Keep anything you don’t want to sell far away from your sale area. If that’s not possible, rope it off or cover it with a tarp. Mark your tables and chairs with signs that clearly say “Not for sale." You don’t want to go mow your lawn only to find someone bought your mower.

Remember the phrase “buy-me-ness” when setting up your display tables. Make it easy for shoppers to find the items that you want to sell. Happy shoppers make for happy sellers.

Billings' Biggest Garage Sale will be June 11, 2016 at the MetraPark in the upper parking lot.