Blog


How to Have a Successful Tag Sale

May 30
12:22
PM
Category | General

We’ve written before about decluttering your home. Why not take the stuff you no longer have use for and try to sell it? A tag sale (or garage or yard sale, depending on your location) can seem like a lot of work to set up but turning your extraneous items into spending money makes it worthwhile! Plus, you’ll know that your old belongings are going to a new home instead of a dumpster. Follow these tips to help run a successful tag sale: 

Pick a Date 

Pick a date well in advance to allow for advertising your sale. Typically, an early morning start on a Saturday works well. 

Coordinate with Neighbors  

Reach out to your neighbors a few weeks in advance to see if anyone else on your street is interested in hosting a tag sale. Coordinating all sales for the same day or weekend is a great way to increase the turnout for everyone involved. 

Check on Town Permits 

Some towns may require advanced notice or a permit to hold a tag sale. Check your town/city government website or give the clerk a quick call to see if this is required in your area. 

Have Weather Plans 

Consider where you plan on holding your tag sale. If it is outside, you’ll want to think about having two dates for your sale, either on consecutive days or consecutive weekends. This gives you some flexibility if there is poor weather on day one. However, if you have a large barn, garage or pop-up canopy tent, you may have more flexibility regarding the weather.  

Advertise on Facebook 

Use the power of Facebook’s social network! You can make a post or event for your tag sale, as well as create a listing in Facebook’s Marketplace. Also, if you belong to any town or community groups, be sure to post your tag sale details on each one. 

Use Price Tags? 

This is a point of contention among many people who have had a tag sale. Here are some pros, cons, and our advice for the best method. 

  • Adding price stickers 

  • Pro: shoppers may prefer to know your asking price on each item without approaching to ask 

  • Pro: knowing an item’s price could result in multiple shoppers creating a “bidding war” over a desirable item, offering to pay over the written amount 

  • Con: it can be time consuming, especially if you have many smaller items for sale 

  • Not adding price stickers 

  • Pro: less set up work 

  • Pro: shoppers may offer to pay more than what you would expect to make on an item 

  • Con: people are more likely to try to bundle multiple items into one offer price which may come out to less than you are hoping for 

  • Our recommendation: Don’t put price stickers on each item, but do keep a master list of all the items for sale (with a short description if there are multiples) and your desired price. This gives you the upper hand as the seller when fielding offers on a particular item and helps you to determine if you should accept or reject the offer price. 

Clean Your Items 

The items you are trying to sell should be considered “move-in-ready" for any potential buyer. Remove dust that has settled, wipe off smudges, and check that any furniture drawers are empty. If you are selling upholstered furniture, give it a gentle clean and make sure it is free of any odors. 

 

After your tag sale ends, you’ll have a good bundle of cash that you can use to treat yourself to a refreshing iced tea, or perhaps use what you have earned to start the savings for your next down payment. Reach out to your Norcom loan officer today to talk about pre-approval and learn what you’ll need to save for your next dream home, now with less clutter!