Early Risers

Michael hates yard sales. I love them. Maybe it's the excitement of knowing you might find something you've been wanting desperately but didn't want to pay full price for. Or maybe it's the excitement of knowing you might find something you never thought you wanted but suddenly can't live without once you discover it's only 75 cents. $1 dual noise machine and clock--YES, PLEASE!

Either way, going to a yard sale is so much easier than having one of your own. Trust me. Here are some of my tips to you if you plan on decluttering your home via tossing it on your driveway and waiting on customers. And now I know for next time...

1. Proper signage. This is key. If, like me, you are hasty and reckless, you will throw some (brown) cardboard on a post and write all the important info in small letters, unnoticeable to the passersby. If you want a successful yard sale, use bright, vivid signs and bubble letters, or the equivalent. Hello! You want people to notice that something fun is going on at your house on Saturday morning.

2. Proper signage placement. If, like me, you are a weakling and you feel rushed to finish staking the posts in the ground ASAP because you have a toddler in the van sitting on the side of the road, you will likely not stake the signs in the ground well enough. One light breeze and the signs fall, ruining any otherwise effective advertising you might have had. Make sure your signs are secured, and that they are visible from the road. (Is this all really obvious? Probably, which is why I'm so embarrassed).

3. Don't expect to sell your stuff for a lot of money. You might think your beanie babies are PRICELESS, but if you really want them out of your house, be willing to virtually give them away. Yard salers are craaaazy bargainers, and why shouldn't they be? They rose early on Saturday morning to creep from house to house looking for a good deal. They should be rewarded for their efforts.

4. Be ready at 7. Shoot, be ready before 7 because apparently the most hardcore yard salers don't even wait for the sunrise. One man showed up with a FLASHLIGHT to peruse the items we were selling. My son wasn't even awake yet! This is crazy to me.

5. Have a backup plan for the insanely heavy items you don't want to drag back into the garage. For us, we posted the big items on Craigslist and hoped someone would come by that day to pick them up. Didn't happen, but at least that way you have options. Once you've nearly killed yourself dragging a piano into the driveway, your motivation to return it to its corner in the garage is really nonexistent and all you want is for someone to just get it off your property.

6. If all else fails, a sign for "FREE STUFF" will draw people. We did it, and that's how we got rid of our piano! Who doesn't want free stuff? Baskets, a bowling ball, luggage with no wheels? These things could have been someone else's treasure, but because of my poor signs, those items are all at Goodwill as I write this. Oh well.

Happy yard-saling, and next time you visit a yard sale, buy one item. For pity's sake. Just to satisfy the hardworking hosts. The smallest amount can go so far in lifting the spirits of the person who's been sitting in the driveway for hours, freezing to death. I speak from experience!