FAQs

Yard Sale Radar FAQs

1. How Do I Search for Particular Products for Sale in My Area?

   Sometimes your estate or yard sale hunt involves finding particular, unique items you can’t find anywhere else. Save yourself the time and hassle of traveling to sales where you might come up empty-handed — with Yard Sale Radar you can search for sales in your area selling the items you want! Simply visit our Search for Sales page and input your location and the items you are searching for — you can even filter your results by popular product categories such as appliances, baby items, toys, DVDs, and more! Your results will show sales in your area, how far they are from your location, and what types of products they are listing that match your search. It’s that easy!

2. How Do I Search Yard Sales in My Area?

   Searching for estate or yard sales in your area is simple with Yard Sale Radar. We allow you to search not only by location but also by particular items as well! Simply visit our Search for Sales page and input your location and/or items you are searching for — you can even filter by sale type (such as yard or estate sales) and popular product categories like appliances, baby items, or cars for sale. Choose your mileage radius, hit “enter,” and discover amazing sales near you!

3. How Do I Create a Listing & Post My Yard Sale?

   Listing your estate or yard sale is easy with Yard Sale Radar! Visit our Post Your Sales page and click “Create a New Listing.” Once there, set the essentials of your sale like the location, hours, and date. You can even include particular items and their descriptions and photos if you want to highlight a unique listing at your sale! Once you finalize and “Post” your listing, you will receive a confirmation email from us confirming that your listing has been approved and posted. From there, shoppers in your area can then visit our site and search for your sale or particular items they are interested in that may be featured in your sale! No more signs, no more hassle: save time, save money, and be seen and searched nationwide!

Throwing a Yard Sale FAQs

1. How Can I Make My Yard Sale a Success?

   As long as you follow a few simple steps, you’ll give yourself the best possible chance at having a very successful yard sale. Let’s take a look at some of the recommended steps we suggest you take:

   • Make your timing perfect – Yard sales usually perform best when the weather is warm and people are eager to enjoy the outdoors. If possible, host your yard sale during late spring or summer for best results.

     Most people are off from work or have a bit more flexibility in their schedules on the weekends. Host your yard sale on Friday-Sunday to give avid yard sale hunters a chance to stop by. We recommend kicking off your sale at the same time local businesses open, normally around 9-10AM. You want your yard sale to be a shoppers first stop, not the last. 

   • Distribute flyers – Alongside listing your sale digitally on Yard Sale Radar, we also encourage distributing physical flyers. A bright and attractive yard sale flyer will go a long way! Start posting or distributing flyers in local food stores, school bulletin boards, community centers, and cafes, at least one week before your sale takes place. Most people plan their weekends at least one week ahead and you want to be sure that checking out your yard sale is on their to-do list!
   • Create a sign – If you’re planning to run a yard sale, busy roads near your home will be your new best friend. Create an easy-to-read sign with basic information about your sale and post it by the busy roads near your home. Include an arrow that points toward the direction of your home and just like that, you’ve attracted tons of potential shoppers! Drivers in the area will be encouraged to check out your sale, even if they weren’t planning on doing any shopping.

     It’s best to post this sign a day or two before your sale takes place. By doing this, you’ll avoid people showing up a week early.

2. How Can I Organize My Yard Sale?

   An organized yard sale is a successful yard sale. Potential shoppers may easily become overwhelmed if they feel like they’re looking at a huge pile of stuff. Let’s take a quick look at the best ways to organize your yard sale:

   • Don’t rush your presentation – Make your yard sale easy-to-navigate and inviting by having designated areas for each category of your sale. Think about it, imagine walking into a store and seeing clothes, food items, and cleaning supplies all in one area. That would be incredibly confusing and off putting. Furniture, clothing, books, and other trinkets should all be separate with clear signs. Use tables and racks to display items with clear labeling.

     Take things up a notch by softly playing up-beat or relaxing music to create an ambiance. Take time to manicure your lawn and do a bit of upkeep before your sale takes place. Even though customers won’t enter your home, you still want your property to feel clean and inviting.

   • Make prices clear – Customers should not have to ask you for prices. Make your prices for each item incredibly clear. If you’re not willing to negotiate, write “firm” or “as is” on your pricing label.

3. How Should I Price My Items?

   In summary, there is no right or wrong answer to this question. The exact way you should price your yard sale items depends on a few different factors – your location, the quality of your items, and your goals. Check out our Guide to Fair Pricing to learn more!

4. What Should I Sell?

   You can sell just about anything at your yard sale. The most popular items to sell at yard sales are clothes, books, shoes, and costume jewelry. Items that are known to bring in the most money are old games, picture frames, furniture, fishing rods, artwork, and camping gear. While you may have a certain price goal and may want to sell as many items as possible, it’s important to note that selling used underwear, swimsuits, or bras is almost never acceptable. If you have brand new intimates that you would like to sell, ensure their price tags are still attached.

5. How Do I Prepare For My Sale?

   We recommend spending a week or two before your sale making sure you’ll have everything you need for a smooth and successful day. Let’s take a look at some quick sale preparation tips:

   • Seating – Have seating readily available for yourself and your helpers to take a break during your sale.
   • Tables – In most cases, the more tables you have the better. Try to have tables available for placing sale items on, as well as a main table used for bagging up small items and making change for customers.
   • Money box – Have a cash register or money box readily available to store cash. If you’re able to find a cash register, that will be even better! We also advise having a calculator on hand if mental math is not your expertise. It’s always best to be 100% sure of how much change you owe a customer. 
   • Space – Ensure you have enough space to organize all of your sale items without them looking cluttered. You need enough flat surface space and rack space to neatly display and hang items for sale. If your yard will not provide you with as much space as you’d like, consider asking a friend or family member if you can host your yard sale on their property instead.
   • Labeling – You’ll need stickers, labels, and markers readily available to price your sale items. 
   • Bags – Keep a few bags and boxes handy to package purchased items for customers. If you’re feeling up to it, consider writing “Thank you!” or drawing a smiley face on each bag or box for a personal touch.

6. How Can I Make The Most Money?

   Bundle, bundle, bundle! You’ll attract a lot of attention and make more money if you offer customers great bundle deals. For example, if you’re selling one DVD for $1, customers may not get too excited about that. However, if you offer four DVDs for $2, you’re much more likely to make a sale! Pair as many items as possible to make attractive bundle deals for both you and your customer.

   If the day is coming to an end and you have quite a few items that you want to sell, consider letting customers fill bags for a flat rate. You can price small bags at $5 and larger bags at $10.

How to Get Started

1. The First Step

   Depending on your city and neighborhood, a permit may be required in order for you to legally operate a yard sale. Do research on the requirements of your area to ensure you’re in good standing. If a permit is required, the fee will generally be low and you can usually apply online, hassle-free.

2. The Second Step

   The second step to running a yard sale is deciding what you want to sell. Sometimes we forget how many things we actually own – splurge your closet, basement, attic, and garage to find valuable items that would love a second home.

3. The Third Step

   Have fun! Yes, the whole point of a yard sale is to make money. However, running a yard sale is a great opportunity to have fun, meet new people, and learn new things! While taking the necessary steps to ensure you have a successful sale, it’s also important to kick back and relax throughout the process.