It may finally be time to start thinking about hosting a garage sale! As Ontario opens up and we try to figure out how we’re going to be spending our summer, garage sales feel like a safe bet. Not only does it give us the opportunity to continue the great purge of 2020-2021 but we can reconnect safely with neighbours outside.
A month before the garage sale
Decide on a date
Check to see if your local residents' association or local charities are organizing a community garage sale. You may want to piggyback off that or avoid those dates altogether. Think about an alternate rain date, just in case the weather doesn’t cooperate.
Check your community’s rules & read up on local regulations
In the city of Toronto property owners can have two garage sales each year.
-One garage sale can last two consecutive days.
-Once the sale is over, all signs advertising the sale must be removed.
Right now, Garage sales are permitted as long as gatherings do not exceed 5 people.
Collect what you want to sell
Clothes? Books? Old furniture? Knick knacks? Toys? Puzzles? Board games?
How are you going to display what you have?
Card tables? Outdoor table? Blankets? Boxes and crates? A rolling rack if you have clothes?
Can you borrow what you need from a friend or neighbour?
Two weeks before
Organize everything
-group items together
-set prices (often pricing everything in one category makes it easier to manage) i.e. All books $2 each
- start collecting change and small bills. You may need to get some from the bank.
-collect some shopping bags and paper to wrap any fragile items. If you’re like me I have a TON of reusable bags that I would be happy to pass on if need be.
-Think about what you are going to do with the stuff you don’t sell. Sell online? Donate? Keep a box or two so you can easily pack up what’s left and have it ready to go.
Advertise
-Create signs and put them on telephone poles
-Post on social media in local groups
-Post signs on community boards in shops, the library, & the local community center
A couple of days before
Prepare the items
-Wash any clothes
-Dust of books, knick-knacks and old toys
The day of the garage sale
-Seasoned garage salers start EARLY! Get an early start, in the before times shoppers showed up as early as 7am, so be prepared! Have the coffee brewing and slap on a smile!
-Post some signs on your street and around the corner with your address.
-Be flexible about pricing. Remember your plan is to get rid of all this stuff.
After the sale
-Take down any signs that you’ve posted.
-Sit back, relax and count all the money you’ve made
Hopefully this guide will help you have a successful garage sale. Good luck & ENJOY!
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