This launches our newest service to the Pennysaver and My Shopper communities – a complete guide to preparing for, and running, a family sale. It only makes sense that this service would be offered by The Pennysaver and My Shopper, as we bring more people to your family sale than anyone else can!
You may be wondering why we would be talking about family sales in January – you certainly aren’t going to have an outside sale in January in upstate New York. Well, having a successful (and profitable) sale takes time and planning. The more time you put in, the more cash you will have in your pocket at the end! Also, a lot of people tend to organize early in the year, and organizing creates the need to get rid of items you no longer need or want. Thus, your clutter…to turn into cash…cash to take you on vacation, cash to get someone that special gift, cash to get something you’ve always wanted, or cash to help pay the bills!
Getting started could be the hardest part of your sale, and that’s where we can help. We will take you through the process, step by step. Get information from our monthly blog, as well as special weekly tips shared on Facebook. Take advantage of the interactive nature of this blog to post questions and get answers. Excerpts of the blog will also appear in our print editions on a routine basis.
January – Preparation:
- Gather together some boxes or bins. You will need at least three. Also have a permanent marker and some masking tape. Label your bins - one “donate,” one “sell” and the other “trash.” Keep in mind most things have value to someone, so your trash box/bin could be the most empty when you are through.
- Choose a space you want to clean out. Make it manageable so you can complete it in about an hour – perhaps your linen closet or your kids’ toy box. Sort through each item. Things you want to keep put in a pile to put back. Items you are not keeping need to go in one bin. If it is not broken, ripped or stained, assume you can put it in the donate or sell bin. Even if it is a toy and right now it is not complete, save it for the time being – you might find the rest in an unlikely spot! Items that are broken, ripped or stained should be put in the trash box/bin. You don’t want undesirable items taking away from all your good stuff at sale time. If the item is in question, let us know what it is and we can try to help. (A special note on vintage or antique items – condition is not always a reason to throw these types of items away. Keep them for the time being.)
- Start spending a few more hours sorting through cupboards, drawers, closets, and other areas in your house, cellar, attic and garage, as time and heat allow! Add labeled boxes/bins as you fill up your first ones.
- Store your sell boxes together in a spare room or storage space. Boxes/bins that are all the same size and shape will store the best as you will be able to fit more in the space by piling them up. You may choose to get rid of your donate boxes if someone needs them right now, or store them as well. Obviously, trash can be trashed!
Advertise the good stuff
Remember, if you have any individual, larger ticket items you find as you get started, you can place a FREE classified ad in the Pennysaver (Norwich, Sidney, Turnpike, Wharton Valley and Oneonta/Cooperstown) and My Shopper at any time for items priced up to $100! This can help you clear out some items now and get you some cash to pay off those holiday bills!
Watch our Facebook page and our print edition for several more January hints, and look for our next blog installment in February, when we’ll be helping you sort through your donate and sell boxes!
Tags: cash, deals, family sale, garage sale
[...] accumulate “stuff.” If you aren’t done with that part, just keep at it and check out our January blog to see some key pointers. If you have some of your “stuff” sorted, this blog is for [...]