Gather items for sale. Go through those boxes in the attic, shed or garage and select items you can sell. Then walk from room to room in your home, identifying things you no longer need. Most of us have trouble parting with things, even if we never use them: if you haven't used something for over a year, it's a good sign you won't miss it!
Inventory each item on a sheet of paper as you identify it for sale. A lot of people skip this step, but it can make your sale go a lot smoother. Price tags have a strange way of getting lost at garage sales, and it’s hard to come up with a fair price on the spot, especially if you’ve got other people asking you questions or if you’re working a multi-family sale. An inventory list solves this problem. Keep in mind, you don’t need to inventory everything: if you’ve got a box of books that are all 25 cents each, inventorying each of them is a waste of time.
Review your completed inventory sheet and assign a reasonable price to each item. If you really just want to get rid of an old knick-knack, price it accordingly. For items that are more valuable, a general rule is to price at 1/4 of what you paid or less. Obviously, you may want to make exceptions for some things, such as those that are nearly new or valuable antiques. Remember, though, garage sale shoppers are looking for bargains, and if you don’t want to have to pack everything back in your house at the end of the day, you’ve got to give people the low prices they’re looking for. Some people won't pay over 10% of the retail price when they go garage-saling.
Attach a clearly written price label to each item. Using brightly colored labels will make it easier for your customers to find the price and will save you time on the day of the sale. You can purchase adhesive labels, or you can use a “sticker gun.” If you have a lot of similar items that are all the same price (e.g. books), don’t bother pricing them individually. Put them all in one box and label the box. If you don't have sticker labels, you can also use small pieces of masking tape.
Check with your city or homeowner's association and obtain a permit if one is required. Many cities place restrictions details such as placement of signage, hours of operation, frequency & etc. It's better to take the time to do your research and pay the $5-$20 for a permit than risk losing more money than you made in fines.
Set a date and place for your sale. A two-day garage sale is usually perfect, and summer weekends—-especially Fridays and Saturdays—-are the best times. Check your weather forecast and try to avoid rain, and be careful about scheduling your sale during special events and holidays, as many potential customers will have something better to do. Also, avoid holding a sale when there is road construction occurring on the main route to your sale location. If you’re just having a single-family sale, your location is pretty much set, but if you’re having a multi-family or charity sale, be sure to pick a spot that is large enough for everybody’s wares, and choose a location that is easy to find and to get to, preferably close to, but not necessarily on, a major thoroughfare.
Advertise your sale. Your local paper probably offers a deal for garage sales. For a Friday-Saturday or Saturday-Sunday sale, you only need to advertise on Thursday, Friday, and possibly Saturday, but you’ll want to make sure to get your ad in to the paper before the deadline, which could be several days in advance. You should also advertise in free weekly community shopping papers, such as Pennysavers or Thrifty Nickels, and on community bulletin boards in grocery stores and laundromats. Don’t overlook the internet, either: a good, free place to start if you’re in a metropolitan area is on Craigslist (check the external links below). Be sure to include the basics—days and times of the sale and the address (and directions or landmarks if it’s hard to find)-—and list specific items you have for sale, particularly big-ticket items or antiques. You can also look into posting your sale for free at Salenook.com, which caters to garage sales with Google Maps integration. If you choose to advertise your sale, one possible drawback is that occasionally people will show up before the sale (sometimes in the wee hours) to try to get the pick of the best items.
Tidy up your yard and/or garage. You’d clean up your house if you were trying to sell it, right? Garage sale customers are more likely to buy (and to buy at higher prices) if it looks like the merchandise came from a good home with owners that care for their things. They’re also more likely to feel comfortable stopping and browsing if your sale space is attractive and clean.
Make signs a few days before the sale. If you are lucky, your newspaper may give you a few signs as part of your ad purchase. But you can also buy signs or you can make your own out of posterboard or cardboard. Children need a lot of guidance if they will be making the