Let us face it…a yard sale just can’t be successful if no one shows up to shop. That is why it is so important to have good advertising. You want to make sure that you can bring the people to the sale. At the same time, you don’t want all of your profits being eaten up by advertising costs. Here are some tips about how to publicize your yard sale.
What type of advertising works best will depend on your area. If you live on a busy street or in a main thoroughfare, just having flyers up starting the day before your sale may just be enough to bring in the crowds. This seemed to work the best for us when we lived in our old house. How do I know? I simply asked people attending the sale how they found out about it.
When you make up your flyers, make sure that the lettering is large and clear with arrows pointing toward the sale. You don’t want your shoppers to get frustrated. Also make up some other flyers on which you can place more detail, such as the address or block location, key items that you are selling and of course the time. Place these flyers in mailboxes and in key places in your community such as the bulletin boards at the grocery store, town hall, school, etc. You may even sell some of your items privately before you even have your sale!
Another great way to advertise is through the free online ads, such as Craigslist. Make sure to post a detailed description of many of your items to attract people to your sale. With an online ad, you’ll reach people who are farther away, so you’ll need to make sure you include enough detail to get the shoppers interested. Post your add a few days before the sale. Serious shoppers start mapping out their yard sale routes by Wednesday or Thursday.