5 Tips For A Successful Minnesota Garage Sale

With its unpredictable weather, Minnesota can be a tricky place to have successful garage sales. But thanks to these tips, you too can learn how to have a stress-free, profitable garage sale.

1. Start collecting items months in advance.Some of the least successful garage sales are those without much to sell. Rather than searching for items to sell the week before the sale, start collecting items months in advance. Designate an area in the house that can be used as storage for the next garage sale. That way, everything is already in one place once you are ready to sell.

2. Location, location, location. Make sure your garage sale is in an easy-to-find, popular area to help attract customers. Don't live near a busy intersection or neighborhood? Collaborate with friends, family or co-workers to find the best location for your garage sale. By using another person's house, you can also increase the amount of items to sell.

3. Schedule your garage sale no more than 10 days in advance and close to the first of the month. Minnesota weather is unpredictable and a rainy weekend can wreak havoc on an otherwise well-planned garage sale. Be sure to check the weather before committing to a specific date. Although there are no guarantees to the Minnesota forecast, looking at the 10-day predictions may be accurate enough to prevent a rainy sale day. Also, according to FrugalDad, an online blogger, "Most people who are paid monthly, or bi-monthly, receive a paycheck around the first of the month." Therefore, he recommends scheduling a garage sale as close to the first weekend of the month as possible. The best days for a garage sale are Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

4. Advertise efficiently. The least successful garage sales are the ones no one knows about. Once your location and date are set, start utilizing local resources for advertising. Local papers will run advertisements for your sale in the classifieds section of the print and/or online paper. Reach out to local coffee shops and grocery stores as well, as many have bulletin boards available to post signs. Craigslist also provides free, local advertising for your garage sale, as well as allows for descriptions of specific items that will be for sale at the event. Cardboard signs are the classic way to attract customers, so long as they are simple, easy to read and to the point. Post as many signs as possible, no farther than half a mile away from the house.

5. Price everything to sell. Remember, these are all items you no longer want, so don't price them so high that they won't sell. Price items in a way that would seem reasonable to you if you were purchasing that item at a garage sale. If doing a multi-day sale, Liann Crisp states that she has had success by designating all of her items "50% off" on the last day of her garage sale, increasing sales volume. Also, it helps when everything is priced before the sale begins, which reduces the number of questions people may have while looking from item to item.

Once your garage sale has ended, there are other ways to make a profit off of remaining items. See below for a list of consignment shops in the Minneapolis area to help you sell the last of your garage sale pieces.

Nu Look Consignment
4956 Penn Ave S
Minneapolis, MN 55419
(612) 925-0806
nulookconsignment.com

Hours: Mon to Fri - 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. no appointment necessary, Mon to Fri - 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. by appointment, Sat - 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. by appointment only

Nu Look accepts new or gently used brand name and designer clothing. Items should be within three years of being in style and have their original label. Selling price will usually fall around one third of the retail value of the item. Then you will receive 50 percent of the selling price. Fall and winter clothing is accepted July through December and spring and summer items January through June.

Turn Style Consignment Shops
Southdale Square
2918 W 66th St
Richfield, MN 55423
(612) 355-2440
turnstyleconsign.com

Hours: Mon to Fri - 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., weekends by appointment only

This location accepts clothing, home accessories and furniture pieces. Prices for these products will be determined by the store associates. You will receive 45-55 percent of the selling price via check once the items sell.

Upscale Consignment
5640 W 36th St
St. Louis Park, MN 55416
(952) 929-9664
upscaleconsignmn.com

Hours: Mon to Fri - 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., Sat and Sun by appointment only

Upscale Consignment accepts clothes, home decor and furniture. Items are priced at one third of the retail price and consigners receive 45-55 percent of the profit.

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For more great tricks, tips and advice about your home, visit CBSMinnesota/YourHome.

Alicia Stewart, a clinical dietitian at a metro hospital in St Paul, MN, has the unique role of working both as an acute care clinical dietitian, as well as an out-patient counselor. She has worked with hundreds of clients on various health topics, including diabetes, weight management, family health, and other chronic health conditions that can be controlled and improved with the right food choices. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.