Tips For Selling!

Come prepared! Bring enough bags (Kroger, Farmer Jack, etc.) to put the items in that you sell.

Come with plenty of one’s and change. It your responsibility to have this for your customers.

Don’t leave your money accessible to the general public. A Hip bag is a good idea since it has more than one compartment.

Make sure that you get to the sale allowing plenty of time to set up your table(s) in an organized manner.

You will be offered a lower price at one time or another. It is up to you if you want to bargain. You do not have to take anything less than you want. But remember you are reselling used items and will not get retail price for them.

Make sure if you have items under the table that they are accessible and easy to see.

Making a sign to let the public know what size and sex of clothes you have will make things go easier.

Make sure that your items are CLEAN. If there is a problem (zipper needs replacing) you should make sure that is known. It is the responsibility of the buyer to check it out, but if you are up front and let them know, they will know that your table is a reputable one.

If you have a rack, make sure that it is secure so it won’t fall over if the items are pushed from one end of it to the other by buyers. At one sale, a lady put a few socks full of sand over the bottom of the rack to make it more stable.

Make sure that if your two & three-piece items are connected together by safety pins or a single run-thru with needle and thread tied off will do the trick.

It is a good idea to have a helper at your table. First, for one of you to be there during the sellers pre-sale time. You want to make sure that someone is at your table at all times. Also, during the day you may need to take a quick break and it isn’t the organizers responsibility to watch your table. Also, if you get busy, it’s nice to have extra hands helping.

If you are not willing to barter on the price, post a sign that all prices are firm. On the other hand, if you are willing to barter, you may want to put a sign saying "no reasonable offers refused". Many people won’t even consider going down in price for the first hour or two. It’s all up to you. After all, it’s your table.

If you are sharing a table with someone else, make sure that you have different tags to collect as you make the sale to assure both parties get their rightful monies.

Sometimes after the sale the organization accepts donations. If you don’t want to haul the unsold stuff back home, inquire about it. There are always places that you can donate your items to, such as:

• Second Hand Rose (Mt. Clemens) which supports Turning Point - a safe house for abused women and children
• CareNet Pregnancy Information Center in Berkley (248-545-6411)
• The Metro Crisis Pregnancy Center in Dearborn (313-724-8500)
• Federation of Youth Services, a teen maternity/parent home (313-267-4488)
• Clothes for children 2 years and younger can be donated to Pregnancy Aid,  17325 Mack Avenue (just across the street from Staples in Grosse Pointe) or call to schedule a "pick-up" and yopu will receive a tax-deducatable contribution. This is a non-profit organization dedicated to assist those with unplanned pregnancies alternatives to abortion and provide help. 313-882-1000
• and many more!

If you have big items, you need to decide what price to put on them as they are usually in the big item room and if you are willing to come down, state how much & at what time during the sale.

Remember that this will be a long day. You may want to check if the organization will have refreshments available. Other wise, pack a lunch and drink to make your day go easier.

If you sign up to rent a table and the sale is from 9 am - 12 pm you need to be there with your items until the end of the sale. NEVER start to pack up more than 15 minutes prior to the end of the sale. The organizer has advertised that the sale will be open during those hours. After all, if you go to a local store and their hours state they will be open until 9, you expect to be able to shop until then.

Clearly label each item with price AND size. It also helps to sort your items by size.

Make sure all your items are clean. Do your best to get out stains. If you are selling large items, make sure you clean those also - people are more likely to buy an item that looks newer, than one where they would have to clean up before use.

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If you are interested in renting a table, please look at the list for your area.  Find the specific sales that you are interested in, and see "Table Rental Info" for more information.  If you have any questions about renting tables, or organizing a sale, or shopping at the sales, please join us on our posting boards and ask whatever you'd like to know!