Holding a yard sale or garage sale can be fun and wildly successful, or it can be pure drudgery and a waste of time. Don’t go to the trouble without reading these tips to make your sale a success.

Join Forces with Friends
A lot of stuff in a sale is always more enticing than sparse offerings. A garage sale requires a lot of energy, lifting, moving, and time for details, so the more helpers you can gather, the better. It’s also a lot more fun!

Research the Rules
Your neighborhood may have rules concerning when or how long you can hold a yard sale. Is there an annual neighborhood garage sale you can join? You may also need a permit from the city.

Advertising Is Important
The extent of your advertising depends on your location. The more remote your location, the more advertising you’ll need. Make use of online community boards like Craigslist, apps like Nextdoor, neighborhood signs, and word of mouth.

Get Organized
Start collecting things weeks before the sale so you have time to sort through items and make decisions (you don’t want to accidentally sell Grandma’s wedding brooch!), and gather supplies you’ll need like tables, shelves, hangers, bags, and spare change. If you are in doubt about whether something will sell, put it out there. Even broken appliances have value for their parts. Don’t forget details such as an extension cord to test appliances and a plan for rain.

Be Prepared to Make Deals
You’ll sell more if you are willing to bargain; shoppers love yard sales for that very reason. If your goal is to get rid of junk, you can make up bags or boxes of similar items and put one price tag for everything. Toward the end of the sale, you can lower prices, offer two-for-one deals, or let shoppers fill a bag for $1, $5, or whatever seems to be a fair price.