Garage sale, how much change to start with?

[KristineIN]

If you have a garage sale, what's a good amount of change to start with? The neighborhood is having one on Saturday and I plan to have some stuff, but have no idea how much change to have.

Thanks,
Kristine

[JFS in IL]

I tend to under price, just to be rid of stuff. I place clothes out and have a sign - shirts/shorts 25 cents, long pants/sweaters 50 cents. Dresses I hang and they go for a buck. Winter coats can fetch $3 or more. This is stuff I'd be giving away to charity anyway.

Books - paperbacks 10 or 25 cents, hardbound 25 or 50 cents. Quality books I keep separate and use a sticky label to note the price - can be as high as $5 if I know it is worth it.

Toys - a buck or two. More for quality stuff in good shape - like $3 - 5 for a Tonka Truck item, $10 for a dollhouse, etc. I try to price stuff what I would pay if I was at a garage sale.

Oh - and fill a cooler with ice and cheap pop/juice boxes - kids can sell them at a buck a drink and make plenty of money - perhaps more than you esp. if it is a warm day!!!!

[OH Kim]

I'd have about $30 in chump change around - at least $10 in change, the rest in $1 and maybe a $5.

[RedHen6]

I have found that the earliest shoppers buy with the biggest bills--so I will often get people using twenties first thing in the morning. I would have closer to $50 in change, and have about 15 ones, 5 fives, and the rest in quarters--which means I would price everything in multiples of 25 cents.

[klmama]

You probably won't need it, but it's better to have it than to lose a sale because you can't make change! If several people come with $20 bills at the beginning of the day, but buy something for $5 or less, you want to be ready for them! I'd have $20 in change, $20 in $1 and $5 bills, and 2 $10 bills.

When I've had a garage sale I've worn a fanny pack with the money in it, rather than have a tray or box. Too easy for those to be picked up by someone when I'm not looking. Sometimes people do steal from garage sales, both cash and merchandise. Also, once it's obvious you don't need it all outside anymore, at some point in the day you might want to move some of your cash into the house for safe-keeping.

Be sure to put any free stuff at the end of your driveway for people to paw through without your oversight (make a big "FREE" sign), then the largest items that will attract attention from the street, and put anything smaller but pricier nearest you, so you can keep an eye on it. Anything breakable should be above/away from toddler reach. People don't all follow the old rule about buying and breaking.

When you decide your prices, decide first which is most important to you - getting money or getting rid of your stuff. Price accordingly. I tend to price low, at the prices I would actually want to pay, and my stuff really moves! Some neighbors price high, at the price they really want to get, and they don't sell much. Their same things show up at their sales year after year.

I hope you have a great sale!

[Doran]

Take more than you think you'll need. And take lots of ones! At farmers' market, I used to take $75 in bills, plus a cashbox full of coins.

For your situation, I think I'd start with $60 in change split up like this:

$10 - quarters (one roll)
$10 - ones
$20 - fives
$20 - tens


It never hurts to have too much change, but it's a royal pain to run out.

JMHO

[Donovans4]

one thing I do, is when people try to pay with a twenty, I always ask if they have anything smaller. For some reason, seems like people will pull out a twenty, even if they do have a 5 or a 10 dollar bill.

LauraD in MN