Ever consider having a tag sale to clean out your closet and make a few bucks? I actually did it this summer!
Here is my story, and a few things I learned along the way:
I’ve been talking about having a tag sale for years. I decided to finally do it over Memorial Day weekend this year, which seems to be a popular weekend in our area.
Spread over two weekends, I “invested” at least 8 hours taking stuff from closets and storage, creating a pile in my living room. What a mess!
Finally, the big day arrived. I didn’t want to spend my whole weekend on this, so I decided on Saturday only, from 9-2.
After a few visitors first thing, it was pretty quiet for a while. But it picked up, and I sold a ton of stuff we were unlikely to ever use again: side tables, twin bed, mattress, curtain rods & curtains, an extra DVD player, light fixtures, desk chair, random purses, and a few books, CDs and video games.
I made $128, and shut up shop by 2:00. A few things went back in the house, but I sent most of the leftovers to Goodwill and the trash.
Just for fun, I considered my ROI (Return on Investment):
- Investment: 8 hours sorting + 8 hours day of sale = 16 hours
- Earning: $128 + clutter-free closets (priceless!)
- ROI = 128/16 = $8 per hour + uncluttered closets!
Clearly, I was pleased. Here are some tips for a successful tag sale:
- Start with a goal. My goal was to get rid of some clutter, and make $100. It felt good to achieve my goal!
- Make it easy to find you. I didn’t advertise enough; I just put up a few signs (and balloons) early that morning that I had prepared the night before.
- Remember the power in numbers. I already knew to expect a few other sales in the immediate neighborhood that day. But you can also coordinate with neighbors – more sales mean more foot traffic for everybody.
- Don’t label individual items. A $1.00 table or $5.00 bin saves time.
- Price it cheap. If you are trying to get rid of stuff, price it to move.
- Wear something with pockets. Cargo shorts were perfect for holding money, my phone, pen and paper.
- Wear sunscreen. I always seem to miss a spot …
Good luck and have fun!
She lives in Montauk, NY with her husband, 3 kids and Labrador puppy.
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