Rummage Sale Hacks - How I Take the Work Out of Having a Sale

For about the past 10 years, I've had a rummage sale at least once a year. The side effect of buying & selling is always an excess of stuff, so an annual sale helps clear out the clutter.

As I've planned sales each year, I've tried to get smarter with my pricing & planning so that setting up the sale really doesn't take too long. 

The biggest time-saver for me...

I don't physically price very many things

Usually about 1/3 of the items in my sale have individual prices. The remaining 2/3 lands on my $1 tables - lots and lots of them. Every item on those tables is just a dollar and I don't put a price sticker on any of it.

What about the items I'm trying to sell that aren't big enough or valuable enough to mark $1? I group those into bags or boxes to price as a lot or I designate a whole box as Choice and let shoppers pick 3 or 4 items for $1.

My dollar tables have signs every few inches stating the $1/each pricing. This is the sign I created to use...

Another hack...

Keep your sale To Do list, supply list, & even supplies themselves organized and together

I always have a sale tote in the garage with these supplies inside:

• Disposable plastic tablecloths (Dollar Tree cloths work fine)
• Balloons (try the Dollar Tree punch ball size balloons for big impact!)
• Adhesive price tags & index cards to make large tie-on tags
• Tape, a stapler, scissors, pens, markers, a hole punch, & twine

Confession

I just told you to keep your To Do list in the tote with your supplies when mine is actually in my head. I do a brain dump ahead of each sale on the notepad by our fridge. But if you think you'll have trouble remembering what you need it's easy to stash a list in your Notes app or a Google sheet so you'll always have it handy. 

My third time-saving move...

Keep it simple

I sweep the floor, make sure I have plenty of lighting, & wipe off any extra-dirty items, but otherwise I don't worry too much about the sale setup looking amazing. Rummage sale shoppers want interesting finds at a bargain - not a perfectly displayed showroom. I think organizing, neatening, & being too rigid can almost detract from your sale.

At my sales, I gather like items together but I place them in 3 or 4 different spots all around. Typically I also use color & era to make some little attractive groupings of items. Keep it fun & make your sale a mini treasure hunt for shoppers.

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A few more tips...

• You can never have too much change - especially $1s & $5s 
• Start saving sacks, boxes, & paper a few weeks ahead of time
• Everyone loves a free table - I add to mine throughout the sale
• Don't worry about matching tags & stickers - I buy mine at thrift stores
• Use BIG, dark text on your signs + print your words
• Make your sale ad interesting, enticing, & even funny