Let me share our experience and you can decide.

Our decision to host a yard sale was based on three things, the quantity of items, the quality of items, and our willingness to do the necessary  preparations to ensure success. Our preparations were extensive and included the following:

1. Gather items for sale in one location.
2. Research prices on vintage and unique items.
3. Price items to sell by selecting prices that were $1-$5 less than we’d seen at second hand shops. We were told by several buyers that they appreciated that items were priced.
4. Advertise our sale in the following ways: Facebook, Craig’s List, NextDoor.com, YardSales.net (paid $30.00 for listing), local newspaper (paid about $35.00 for listing in Sun Chronicle) and word of mouth.
5. Borrow 6 large tables
6. Make and post 9 very legible signs. We were told by a lot of people that they liked our signs because they could easily see and read them. We also posted a yard sale sign on our front lawn 2 weeks prior to date of sale.
7. Gather supplies for sale day: bags, cash, coins, packing paper, tape, pens, sharpies, scrap paper for tallying up totals and writing sold signs, trash bin, snacks, water, chairs.
8. Arrange with neighbors to park our cars in their driveway.
9. Decide on donation destination for unsold items.
10. Get plenty of rest the night before and pray for no rain.

Although it’s difficult to figure out the total number of hours spent on preparation, I believe it was the ticket to our success. We made $275.00 and my sister made $825.00.

So what do you think? Is it worth it to host a yard sale? Please share your thoughts with me.