Have lots of change....keep small items where you can see them at all times, mark EVERYTHING with a price...10% higher than you "have to have" and be prapared to dicker.
Welcome the early birds...because after all....the name of the game is to sell the stuff....but remind them that they will have not seen it all because somethings will be put out at the last minute.
And have fun!

Have loads of bags handy, maybe even an empty box or two. Sometimes encourages folks to buy more

Oh yeah and newspapers for packing too....

Make damn sure my ex wife doesn't help you.....

She and I inherited a house with all furnishings from an 89yr old upper society woman who's mother & grandmother had been antique dealers here in W.Mass.

Before he passed the ladies husband had headed the local literary society and throughout his life hundreds of ppl had given him very valuable books for his collection, which was part of the house content we inherited.

I came home from work one friday to find my wife had a tag sale set up on the yard so out of curiosity I looked over what she was selling....and it took me about a minute to blow my top.

Leather bound first editions of both Waldo Emerson and Elizabeth Barret Browning, both signed by the author and we had letters of authentication from the local university library,,,and my stupid wife had then on the table for $5 each but even that was not what set me off..on the other end of the table she had what she called those old kitchen knick knacks that clutter the shelves in our library... A small pewter tray with a creamer and sugar bowl & 6 silver stemed custard/sherbet cups, made by Paul Reveere (the original Paul Reveere that rode the horse to warn the British are coming). She had the pewter set marked $10 and the 6 cups for $10.

So my advice is first, make sure everything you put out for a yard sale is really yard sale type junk and if anybody helps you, make sure you mark the prices so they don't give everything away because they don't recognize its value.

Hi Lazy,
Is your wife's tag sale still going on by any chance? :)

Watch out for people with bulky oversize clothing, they stuff items into them and keep the small stuff in a display case. I have had several things stolen at some of my tagsales. I was so shocked that people do that.

Simple signs leading to you house! Don't try to include what you're selling. Just date, address, and maybe some arrows. Use a BIG FAT marker to make signs... NOT a sharpie!

If you're not sure if something "old" has any significant value... check it out first. SIL went to a yard sale that seemed to be cleaning maybe grandparen't house... lot of "old" stuff. A table FULL of those "lady head" vases... all different sizes. She wasn't interested in them, but seemed to remember seeing/reading/hearing that some could be prettyvaluable. The "kids" running the sale had them priced something like $.10-.25 each. She mentioned to them that the just MIGHT wanna set them aside and check them out before basically GIVING them away!?! Someone in the crowd IMMEDIATELY piped up that they were WORTHLESS... SIL said to kids... SEE, this guy really wants them!

Have a plan for what doesn't sell. I LOVE going to yard sales but HATE having them. Kinda feel obligated to join in when neighbor organizes one for our small circle of 7 houses... a community event, sorta. Last time I had 3 "big ticket" items... a LARGE dog crate, a dog door insert for a sliding glass door, and a wooden toboggan for 6 people. Each item cost at least $150 when new and were in great condition... and would cost at LEAST that much now. I put what thought were REALLY good prices (less than $50 each), was willing to haggle, and NOT ONE BITE!?! I got a little bored so started making a list of what I had. When I got a LOT bored, packed EVERYTHING that was left into car and drove it right to Good Will as a donation... had that list to use for tax deduction.

price verything with a tag! and have some extra help, don't do it by yourself.

Lazy.....that's one of the reasons i like yard sales!!
Hopi basket for $.25, cranberry mold blown cruet for $.50 sterling fork and spoon $.25 each...sorry i missed your ex's sale!

Lindac,
That was not the best one she pulled....

When we got the house there was an 1898, full sized Steinway concert grande piano, real black ebony wood finish and real ivory keys sitting in the living room.

Our daughter toyed with the idea of learning to play it so I had a piano tuner come in, tune it up and check it out. The piano tuner wasa an old guy about 75yrs old. While working on the tuning process he says look here, I will show you something, and he removed a piece of paper that was held on the side of the cast iron harp by a little metal clip. He carefully unfolded the paper and says look here, this is the original sales receipt. The piano was sold in my Grandfathers piano store, which is now my store, in April 1899 and was initially delivered to this house. There was no price on the invoice but he said it was probably about $1200 back then. I asked him what he thought it was worth and he says, "I wouldn't even attempt to sell this piano in my store, I would list is as a closed auction and only list it with true professional concert orchestras, I don't have any idea what it might fetch, but if you ever decide to sell it, call me first and I can sell it for you, or if you need money quickly, I will write you a check for $15K and see if I can improve on my money."

When he was done I wrote him a check for $150 for the tuning service, and rather than leave right away, he stayed and played us a concert for about 3 hours.

About two months later I went out fishing on my boat for a weekend and when I got back Sunday night I discovered the piano gone. I asked my wife what happened to it? She said,"My GF Gene's youngest daughter is taking piano lessons and they asked me where they could buy a used piano cheap, so I sold it to them for $200."

Is it any wonder why she is now my ex?

Thanks for all the tips, change and bags I will make sure to have plenty. What surprized me was Keep a eye out for stealing. Had no clue people stole from yard sales where most things are cheap.