Tips For A Perfect Tag Sale

Susan Koeppen Offers Some Good Practical Advice

(CBS)  Want to have a tag sale that's just perfect? Consumer correspondent Susan Koeppen has some words of wisdom on The Saturday Early Show

This is actually a fitting weekend to offer advice about tag sales, because from Aug. 3 through 6, the 19th Annual "World's Longest Yard Sale" is happening. It's 450 miles long, composed of four days of bargain hunting that spans four states. It begins at Covington, Ky., and runs south to Chattanooga, Tenn., then switches to the Lookout Mountain Parkway, continuing to Gadsden, Ala.

Here's just a few of the tips that Susan offers:

Make signs and advertise. Let people know you are having sale. Put an ad in the newspaper. Advertise on the Internet. Make sure your signs are big and visible, with arrows pointing to the sale. Check with your town to make sure there are no restrictions on when you can have a sale and whether or not you can post signs, and ask your friends and family if they want to join in. Then, you can advertise that it's a "neighborhood sale" or "huge sale," with lots of big-ticket items)

Organize your items. Make sure you clean everything and then group them. Set them up in a nice display. Put clothes in one spot, electronics in another, and line up your books and CDs and DVDs. Put your big-ticket items out front to attract attention, and if you have something like a vacuum cleaner for sale, make sure you have an extension cord and bring out a carpet so folks can test the merchandise and make sure it works.

Price your items. You want to make sure people know how much things cost, so make sure you label everything with a price. So there is no guesswork, you can put individual tags on everything or you can have a big sign that says: "All books 25 cents." And price to sell. Clothes don't sell well, so make them a great deal.

Be willing to bargain. People want deals when they go to garage sales, so be flexible with your prices. The last thing you want to do is put all this stuff back in your house at the end of the day.

Make sure you can make change. Have a fanny pack and fill it with about $100 in change.

Have boxes and bags on hand for folks to cart away their goods after they buy them.

Check the pockets of coats and purses for cash before you sell them.

Sell bottled water and soda. You can make a lot of money if folks on a hot day are eager to get a drink.

Make sure you take your signs down when the sale is over.

©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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