Organizing a fundraiser of any kind is not a simple challenge. Organizing a yard sale fundraiser? Without proper prep work, it is highly unlikely things will end very well. As such, we have prepared 8 tips for a successful yard sale fundraiser for you to peruse!
Don’t set aside just one day
The first of our tips for a successful yard sale fundraiser is that it doesn’t have to be confined to a single day. People tend to be busy, and even if they want to attend, other stuff might come up that overlaps with a fundraiser that lasts just one day. So, stretch it out for everyone’s benefit! If more people can attend, you have more chances to raise money and they can potentially find cool stuff to buy at their own leisure.
Price your items in advance and carefully
One of the most important tips for a successful yard sale fundraiser is to price everything in advance. Carefully. You see, not doing so invites the people who are there to browse to bargain. And that is not something you can afford to do when trying to keep things running and organized. Just imagine the chaos of trying to keep track of multiple bargaining attempts by impatient customers! Even just keeping track of pre-determined sales might require looking into accounting software. To add a whole new dimension to the mess by having to set prices on the spot? Keeping track of your profits would become nearly an impossible prospect.
Get the word out there early
Of course, if you want to achieve the best possible results with your yard sale fundraiser, you cannot leave things for the last moment. Especially if it is tied into something like a move. Trying to organize a garage sale before a move and do it like a pro is hard enough already. Wasting all that effort only to have few people show up? It would be disheartening, to say the least. Even if all you wanted to do was use the opportunity to raise some money while decluttering, it doesn’t mean you should just waste the chance. The way to prevent this is, at least, simple. All you have to do is let people know well in advance. This way, they can plan to attend and prepare their finances accordingly, too.
Leverage your advertisement opportunities
Speaking of ‘letting people know’, if you want to organize a fundraiser, you shouldn’t just limit yourself to neighbors and friends. You should take advantage of the internet. Nowadays, social media offers a perfect platform to drum up interest in an event and draw as much attention as you possibly can. Which would, hopefully, allow you to increase attendance to your yard sale fundraiser considerably. Instead of relying on just a very small pool of people, you suddenly have entire neighbors to draw in. Or even visitors from throughout the city, if you show off some interesting items they can come and acquire.
Have things figured out well in advance
We can guarantee that the day of the sale itself will be chaos. People fighting for your attention, trying to keep everything displayed properly, keeping track of the money and the profits… It is not an easy thing to pull off. So, in addition to the advice on pricing we already gave, of course, you want everything as organized beforehand as you can get it. Know exactly which of your belongings will be laid out where. Especially the ones that will draw the most attention. Especially if you are moving during this time, too. As experts in the field like to point out, you may want to look into storage units for the sake of keeping track of everything during a move. They are essential for properly separating things you want to keep from stuff you want to get rid of. Or, in this case, sell.
Consider additional sale options
You do not have to limit yourself to old stuff, either. A yard sale provides you with an opportunity to serve up a couple of other sale items, too. Literally. If you are good at baking or making sweets, this is your time to shine. You can bake cookies and sell them in batches since they are particularly long-lasting even at room temperature. Alternatively, if you have a place to safely keep them, you can even bake a couple of cakes! Of course, be extra careful since you don’t want anyone accusing you of giving them food poisoning after.
You can accept credit cards
If you are wondering, it is, in fact, possible to allow someone to pay using their credit card at a yard sale fundraiser. It is as simple as signing up on an app and getting a relatively cheap phone attachment. Card reader apps are quite reliable, too, with the foremost options being PayPayZettle and Square. Both require a purchase in the form of the attachment, of course, but having one would allow you permanent access to credit card transactions in future fundraisers you might organize. Something that’s typically only possible if you take advantage of one of the many virtual fundraising options.
Give people the option to just donate
The final of our tips for a successful yard sale fundraiser is to offer people an opportunity to just donate. Some people do not want to purchase things or participate in a yard sale. They simply want to help out with your fundraiser. Instead of forcing them to go looking for something they would likely just stuff in a closet or throw away once they get home, it’s better to just set out a tip jar or something similar. They can quickly deposit their donation and be on their way. And they wouldn’t reluctantly take items that might make someone else feel compelled to spend money and contribute to your fundraiser, too.
Final word
Using our 8 tips for a successful yard sale fundraiser, you will be able to organize an event that’s sure to succeed! Your guests will be able to find cool trinkets and other stuff to buy, and you will find yourself in possession of more funds. Whether you are organizing one for the sake of charity, or to fund a move or similar, we hope everything turns out great for you!
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