Looking for fundraising ideas for your club, organization, school, or nonprofit team? How about we organize a garage sale?
Garage sales, tag sales, rummage sales, garage sales. Whatever you call them in your part of the country, we’ve all been to them, and we all know that people love to find a bargain at a garage sale. Some nonprofit organizations hold an annual “spring cleaning” garage sale. Or, your club could also hold a sale twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Members of your organization can save things throughout the year and accumulate lots of items to donate to the cause. Most members are usually quite happy to get rid of their unnecessary items.
Anyone who has held a garage sale knows that it takes a lot of planning and work, but the rewards can be substantial. Your club should plan well in advance and allow about a month to gather all the donations and prepare for the sale.
Tips for a Successful Garage Sale Fundraiser
before sale
Check with your city to find out if you need a permit to hold a garage sale. Ask if there are regulations regarding when and where you can post signs to advertise your garage sale. For example, some cities prohibit posting signs on utility poles.Announce the sale to the group. Tell them when and where it will take place and when and where to drop off donations. Decide whether the items will be priced by the donator or by the organizers. Designate a person in charge of receiving donations and choose a place to store donations
Advertising- Plan your advertising well in advance to place classified ads in your local newspapers. Send press releases to your local newspaper and radio stations. Post flyers in public places like grocery stores, libraries, bookstores, schools, and churches. The night before the sale, put up billboards and street signs announcing your sale. Be sure to remove signs and banners after the sale.Contingency plans – It is better to plan to make the sale in any type of weather. Try to hold the sale indoors or under canvas. You will have advertised and hired the services of your volunteers for a specific day. If you have to cancel your sale due to weather, you will have lost your advertising and your volunteers may not be available for a later date.
Garage Sale Item Prices – The price must be in round numbers. This will make pricing and selling much easier. You can buy pre-made price tags at office supply stores or make your own on a printer. Generally speaking, items in good condition should be priced at one-third of their retail price. Of course there will be expectations. For example, you might want to price hardcover books at $2.00 a piece, no matter what the retail price is. Or, you may want to price CDs, DVDs, and tapes at $2.00 each. You must group similar items together during the sale and sell them all for the same price unless otherwise stated.
Necessary supplies – Tables, chairs, umbrellas, extension cords, coat racks, boxes, plastic bags.
the day of the sale
Have as many volunteers available as possible. You’ll need people to help shoppers and keep things running smoothly. You will need people who will take the money and provide security. You may want to offer to deliver items if your group has access to a willing person with a truck. Keep in mind that “marugadores” will show up, so try to be ready to sell an hour before the advertised start time. To attract vehicle traffic, you can have volunteers hold signs on nearby streets.
Have a starting table with chairs for your volunteers to sit at. On the table have plastic bags, boxes, scissors, a yardstick, tape measure, and wrapping supplies like newspaper. and tape Make sure you have access to electricity so shoppers can test items. Display valuable items such as jewelry at the checkout table to prevent them from being stolen. You can use a cash box or fanny pack to keep the money. A fanny pack is recommended for safety reasons. Make sure your money is never left unprotected. Have plenty of change in small bills at the beginning and throughout the sale. No doubt you will receive many twenty dollar bills. Take cash only, unless you are willing to accept a check from someone you know.
If the sale takes place at a personal residence, take precautions against theft by buyers. Never allow buyers into the home and make sure outside items not for sale are not stolen. Pets must also be locked up. As your cash accumulates throughout the day, take it inside for safekeeping.
Selling tips to maximize your sales and raise more money
Let your buyers know that your garage sale is a fundraiser. Make sure your signs say what you are raising money for. You may want to make a display board on your checkout table that provides information about your organization and cause. Have your volunteers wear your club jerseys or uniforms, if you have them, so shoppers know who is working the sale.
Decide in advance if you will haggle the prices. Expect your buyers to want to haggle. You may want to tell buyers that you can’t lower your prices until the afternoon. Let your buyers know that your garage sale is a fundraiser and tell them how the money raised from the sale will be used.
Additional ways to make money during a garage sale
Have a donation jar at your departure table to collect donations.
Hold a raffle for a special item. You can display the actual item or a picture of the item you are raffling off. Sell tickets throughout the sale and have the raffle draw at the end of the sale. However, please sell raffle tickets for a raffle that ends at a later date.
Sell baked goods, hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries, soft drinks, coffee, tea, bottled water, candy, etc.
Sell products your organization has produced such as cookbooks, calendars, CDs, T-shirts or other spirit items.
Sell fundraising products like cookie dough, chocolate bars, gift wrap and more. There are a wide variety of items available from fundraising companies that clubs and non-profit organizations can sell to raise money.
In addition to raising money, garage sales are a great way to raise awareness for your cause and nonprofit. Who knows, you might even recruit new members during your garage sale.