On any given Friday or Saturday from spring through fall, Judith Kean of Two Harbors, Minn., likes to hit the garage sales. It's been taking a whole lot longer to hit them all since the economy tanked.
"There used to be six to eight sales every weekend," she said. "Now there are 15 or more."
While the number of sales are up, the quality of the merchandise has taken a dive, Kean said. She and other experienced garage-salers attribute that to newbies, who are looking to make money by trying to sell possessions they might have thrown away or donated to charity in the past.
But you can avoid that pitfall if you know what you're doing. So, for buyers and sellers new to garage sales, here are tips from Dollars & Sense, as well as from readers.
IF YOU'RE SELLING ... Price low. That should be the goal if you want to get rid of stuff. For pricing guidelines, visit thrift stores, not eBay.
Use plenty of signs. Keep signs on every other block and every corner where a turn is required in the city (a half-mile apart along longer stretches in the suburbs). Make sure the address and sale dates are large and easily readable. Add balloons to attract the eye.
Sell with others. Doing it alone is too much work.
Sell to early birds. But charge extra, say a $10 "tax" for a purchase.
