Dear Crabby, When Should I Have a Garage Sale?
Sincerely, Sally Sales
Ms. Sales,
Here in Michigan, the best time is now! Spring, that is. People are sick and tired of being stuck inside and are looking for any reason to get out and about. As students finish classes and lawn mowers start mowing, folks are ready to clear out their junk and make a few bucks to go buy more junk.
The trick is to get that sale going before there’s too much competition. Granted, you want some other sales out there—it helps plant the seed as shoppers drive by other sales—but just enough to keep traffic coming down your street. With construction detours and main roads lined with orange barrels, people are cutting through subdivisions, taking different routes, and going at paces that will allow them to actually read “Garage Sale” signs.
I’ve noticed most sales start on Thursdays. However, statistically Saturdays are always the best days for shoppers and Fridays are just okay. Sundays are good if there are a lot of homes for sale in the area—house hunters are skipping church and hitting the streets. As far as times go, traditionally the early morning hours do best—early bird gets the worms (or deals in this case).
I remember a garage sale we had a few years ago. The kids were at college and too lazy to come home for summer. Mrs. Crabby and I thought we could work on our vacation fund by selling some the of the kids childhood memories—ten-speed bike, vinyl records, GI Joe doll—you know, stuff they would never think about again. It was a good plan until I started to find my memories amongst the bargains—like my autographed photograph of The Fonz—Mrs. Crabby had went a little nuts with the whole garage sale idea.
Anyway, check with your husband before you sell his golf clubs and good luck with your sale. I hear the second Saturday of August is National Garage Sale Day. And with your signs, put the times you plan to stay open (this really helps me while I drive around looking for stuff I don’t need).
Best of Luck,
Dear Crabby
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