Turn Your Clutter Into Cash With 7 Proven Garage Sale Pricing Tips

There are few things in life as satisfying as a garage sale. By the end of it, you’ll have purged your closets, decluttered your storage, and earned a sizable cash bonus. That is, if you host a successful garage sale. The key? Pricing. Price your knickknacks and junk too high, and you’ll scare away bargain hunters. Set the bar too low, and you’ll end the sale with peanuts. Let us take the guesswork and stress out of the equation with these seven pricing tips.

Related: What Is an Estate Sale — and How To Find One Near You

A good rule of thumb is to sell new items at 50% of their retail price, used items in good condition at 30%, and well-worn products at 10%. Just remember that you want things to sell, so err on the side of pricing things low.

Related: How To Make Money in One Hour (Without Breaking the Law)

If it’s garage sale season, start surveying the competition. Observe how they’re pricing their CDs, antiques, books, etc., and think about how successful their sale is. After you check out a few, you’ll start to get a sense of your neighbors (aka customers) and their spending habits.

Related: 7 Things You Should Never Buy Used, According to Redditors

When you’re selling stuff at a garage sale, you want to undercut local thrift stores like the Salvation Army and Goodwill, or else your tchotchkes won’t sell. So take a look at nearby secondhand shops to get an idea of the upper-end of pricing, and then sell your products for less.

Related: 8 Thrifting Tips You Need To Know, According to Redditors

If it’s the night before your sale and you’re running out of time, consider following a garage sale pricing guide. This printable pricing sheet from My Frugal Home provides reasonable ranges for everything from stuffed animals and dolls to power tools and large appliances.

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In thread after thread, garage sale veterans on Reddit remind readers that decluttering your home should be your first priority. “Expect less than eBay prices. Your goal is to move your stuff, not get top dollar,” one top comment reads.

Speaking of eBay, you can use sites like eBay and Craigslist to price rare antiques, books, and other speciality items. And when it comes to clothing, sites like Poshmark and Depop can give you an idea of what people are willing to pay.

Another strategy: Price your items high so that there’s a tiny bit of room for haggling. Just be prepared for savvy shoppers who’ll never pay the initial price.

The art to pricing yard sale items is maintaining the balance between affordability and profitability. When in doubt, price things to sell quickly, or else you might be stuck with a yard full of junk.