Garage Sale Tips for Back to School

1 comment Jul 20, 2011 | Back To School, Closets, Kids, School, Sports, Summer, The Stow Company, Toys

First shared for Summer 2011, this is a GREAT post to get you motivated to clean out your closets and organize a garage sale!

This summer, we are planning for a “back to school” themed garage sale to help us get organized. By cleaning out our closets, toys, and garage, we’ll be able to shop only for what we need and prepare our home for a new season life on the go. When the dog days of summer arrive and the heat is on, I’m always looking for projects to do that keep the entire family busy and feeling productive even if they are more practical than fun. This one makes it easy to reward your kids for their hard work because you know you’ll need to shop and they’ll feel proud of what they’ve done. Here are my tips to help you organize a “back to school” themed garage sale:

Dedicate Sections: Think specifics like kids clothing, sports gear, unused school supplies, and spirit wear. Everyone loves a deal on gently or never worn clothes or gear from a source they can trust. Display and tag items by size to make them easily identifiable and know that spirit wear will never lose its interest as long as your schools stay the same.
Schedule Ahead: It may be too hot to be outside but it’s the perfect time to start planning your garage sale. You want to benefit from all the back to school shopping advertising so you can do the same so pick your date and work backwards on your calendar at least 3 weeks for your begin to get organized date.
Strength in Numbers: A successful yard sale depends on a healthy mix of interesting, quality items. Enlist your neighbors or fellow school friends to join in and for extra credit consider donating a portion or all of the proceeds to your schools’ PTA
Engage your Kids: Always motivated by what’s in it for them, profit share with your kids on all items they sell that belong to them. It will motivate them to be clear out more than less thanks to the prospect of a piggy bank too full to stuff another penny.
Price Matters: Savvy garage sale shoppers are growing by leaps and bounds. Save yourself the trouble of haggling price and simply use the Goodwill Tax Valuation Guide
Be Generous: Everyone loves to get something for nothing so make the most of penny and quarter school supply sales now to stock up on items you can give with every transaction. Think notebook paper, erasers, pencils and more. All in keeping with your back to school theme, it will make everyone love your sale and happy to return when have another one in the spring!

So what if your actual garage is a bomb? Here are some must-do tips to get you started from our BlogHer Brand Partner, The Stow Company. Pioneers in home organization solutions for every need and budget, I’m honored to work with them next month and invite you to come back next week when we share our BlogHer campaign ~ you won’t want to miss it ~ and neither will your garage!!!! For now, tell me…when do you host your garage sales…in the fall, in the spring? We’d love to know!

Disclosure: I have been retained by The Stow Company to attend BlogHer11 on their behalf. As part of this project, I am posting in advance of the event. My content is original and opinions entirely my own. However given that The Stow Company is a home organization company, it’s fair to say we share many of the same opinions when it comes to the awesome life that is all things organized ~ enjoy!

Download your free back to school checklist here!