By Joan F. Barrett
Special to the Arizona Daily Star
Ring out the old and ring in the new with a yard sale. The new year is a good time to get rid of unwanted stuff, make room for holiday gifts and earn money in the process, says Chris Heiska, a self-described yard-sale addict.
"Start by gathering up items you no longer need, want or love," advises Heiska, a Maryland resident with a yard-sale Web site, www.yardsalequeen.com.
Here are 10 tips garnered from her and other experts during telephone interviews on how to hold a successful yard sale.
1 Find out the rules.
Check with your homeowners association (if you have one) to determine regulations. You may be allowed only one yard sale annually in which all residents take part.
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No permit is required for residential yard sales within the Tucson city limits. But the zoning administrator has determined that, for residentially zoned property, yard sales may occur no more than two times in a three-month period, three times in a six-month period and four times within a 12-month period.
A yard sale that occurs over a weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) is considered a single yard sale.
2 Ensure quantity.
If you have just a few items to sell, invite others to participate with you to draw in abundant shoppers.
3 Price the items.
Be realistic. Determine what similar pieces sell for in thrift shops, at other yard sales and on eBay; price accordingly. Expect to negotiate. Then keep a roster of major articles that shows the requested price and actual payment.
4 Attach prices.
Write the cost on stickers, or use preprinted ones, available at office-supply stores and online at sites such as www.yardsaleportal. com. For large items, such as a television set, provide an index card or paper with information (age, number of channels, working condition) to avoid repeatedly answering the same questions.
5 Advertise.
Place an ad in local papers, especially if little traffic passes by your home. Call to determine deadlines. If you don't want shoppers to appear before the start time, indicate "no early birds."
Consider an online ad. Craig's List (tucson.craigslist.org/) is one place to try. Put fliers on community bulletin boards. Tell friends.
6 Set up.
Use tables — or cover an ironing board with a tablecloth for displays — so no one has to rummage on the ground.
Place better-quality merchandise where people walking or driving by can see it easily and be attracted. Ensure that electric items are near an outlet.
Put similar items together, such as clothes on hangers or kitchen utensils. This helps anyone looking for something specific.
Have grocery bags and newspapers to wrap breakables that are sold. Cover anything that is unstable. Place signs where visitors should be careful walking.
7 Go to the bank.
Get many small bills and change. Insert the money in a fanny pack to wear throughout the sale.
8 Position signs.
The night before or morning of the sale, erect signs with the sale date, address and a bold directional arrow. Ensure that there are enough signs for shoppers to find your home. The city of Tucson does not permit signs on city-owned property. Remember to remove the signs as soon as the sale ends.
9 Hold the sale.
Have at least one helper. Be friendly to shoppers, but don't be too talkative.
10 Offer incentives.
Provide a freebie box with articles such as mismatched cups and lids without bottoms. This may keep shoppers around longer. Consider providing lemonade, cookies or coffee.
Tucsonan Lisa Shapouri, who holds yard sales twice yearly, recommends calling a charitable organization to pick up what's left. Says Shapouri: "I don't want the stuff back in my home."
● Contact Tucson freelance writer Joan F. Barrett at jbarrett2@mindspring.com. Sources: Lisa Shapouri, Tucson yard-sale enthusiast (attends and holds them); city of Tucson Development Services; Chris Heiska, www.yardsalequeen.com; Niakam Kazemi, www.yardsaleportal.com.