It's yard-sale season: Here are some tips from a pro

What is the one way you can make money and clear clutter at the same time? Have a yard sale or garage sale. Not just any sale but one that will clean out your home and fill up your bank account.
When I was 7, my mom helped me with my first garage sale. Back then, I thought it was amazing that you could put stuff you didn't need or use out on the lawn, and people would give you money for it.
We did so well during that first garage sale that we ran out of stuff. So when Mom left to make lunch, I went back in the house to hunt for more things to sell!
I've held more than 50 garage sales since then. So I can attest to the fact that, especially during the summer months, yard sales and garage sales are easy to host and can make you some money.
And that's just one reason people such as Randy Mason become garage-sale junkies. The Denver finance executive says he's been hooked on these events for 20 years, and not just because of the bargains.
"It is a very social affair," Mason says of the garage-sale scene. "It is a great way to meet people that you would have never met."

Tips from a pro

First, pick a date. My experience is that the most effective garage sales are limited to just one day. And that day should be a Saturday.
Determine your hours of operation. The old school of thought was the longer the sale, the better. But I recommend beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m. Just remember: Some shoppers will arrive before your posted start time. The hard-core garage-sale junkies are always out early to get the best picks.
Go room to room and closet to closet to find anything you don't use. My rule of thumb: If you haven't used it or worn it for a full year, you probably don't need it. So sell it!
Make at least 20 signs and place them around your neighborhood. Great locations for signs include library parking lots and exits, grocery-store parking lots, and busy street intersections.
Go viral. A week prior to the sale, invite all your friends on Facebook and LinkedIn, and place a detailed ad on Craigslist. There's also a new free website called Tag Sell It (tagsellit.com) where you can advertise your garage sales and see other sales happening in your neighborhood.
Enlist sale volunteers. Ask friends and family for help. The more helpers you have, the easier it will be for you to manage transactions.
Set up a lemonade/cookie stand at your sale. Your kids can run it for you. This teaches them the value of money and allows you to keep an eye on them at the same time. If there are no kids available to run the stand, look for a local charity that would like the opportunity to make some extra money. Why bother with snacks? They keep people at your sale longer, and the longer they stay, the more they spend. Guaranteed. Music also can encourage shoppers to linger.
Get plenty of change from the bank.
Have extension cords handy to use if you have any electrical items for sale, in case someone wants to see one work.
When conducting transactions, negotiate, but don't be too greedy. Price things to sell. The goal is to sell your stuff, not for it to take up room in your garage. Remember, the car wants back in the garage!
Donate leftover items from the sale to charity. Not only will this keep the stuff out of your garage, you will get a tax write-off from the charity and it will help people in your community.
I have made thousands of dollars at garage sales, met great people and had fun doing it. Now go forth and sell!
Aaron LaPedis is a guest columnist. The Denver-area art and collectibles dealer is the author of "The Garage Sale Millionaire." For more information on the book, visit thegaragesalemillionaire.com. Do you have a question about an antique or collectible? E-mail it to living@denverpost.com.
Source http://www.denverpost.com/