Cabbagetown Yard Sale 2025

YARD SALE MAP TBA

MAKE A PLAN: TO PARTICIPATE SIGN-UP HERE
CNIA will be managing the advertising and signs but check the info below for tips. You don't have to do them all but it helps you get started.

Payment Structure: Have a payment option like Venmo, Paypal, or CashApp available. I printed off a QR code and Names for this and it made payments easy. Recommend having cash on hand for change if you’re selling items for cheap like $1 - $10, as it may be easier.

1. Start collecting items.
Sort garage sale items into categories, such as kids' gear, kitchenware, linens, and workout gear. This will simplify your setup. If your sale is so successful it becomes an annual event, like Quimby's, you can collect sale goods all year. "I make it a goal to put one thing toward the sale every day—even if it's just a pair of earrings," she says.
2. Price as you gather items.
Don't plan on pricing the night before the sale. You'll be too stressed and tired to make good choices. Instead, price items as you gather them. "Pricing takes forever. And you want to price ahead of your sale; otherwise, you'll lose money if people come and you don't know what you want for an item," Quimby says.
Porter also recommends thinking like your customers. "People who are coming to a garage sale want to bargain hunt," Porter says. "They're expecting everything to be at a deep discount. It may be brand new and still have the original tag on it, but since you're selling it out of your garage or on your lawn, people expect a bargain."
3. Write up a pricing sheet for clothes.
Put together a clothing price sheet so you don't have to price each piece separately. Quimby's typical prices range from 25 cents for socks to seven dollars for coats, "because clothing has got to be priced cheap," she says. Place price sheets in clear sheet protectors, and post several around the clothing. You can also tape a price sheet next to the cash-out area for easy reference.
4. Have all the essentials ready.
The week before your sale, gather necessities and stash them together. Arrange to borrow lots of tables, including one for the cash-out area. "Call your friends, your neighbors, your parents, your cousins—anyone you can think of who will let you borrow one," Porter says. Stock a cash box with a variety of bills for change (this can be an old toolbox or crafting box, as long as it's sturdy and has shelves or dividers to separate the bills). Have an extension cord, lightbulbs, and batteries on hand, so people can test whether items work. Here are some other items Quimby suggests:
• Calculator
• Chairs
• Clear, zip sandwich bags
• Cooler for drinks
• Hand sanitizer placed in multiple spots and at checkout
• Music
• Paper clips
• Pens
• Plastic grocery bags
• Receipt book
• Safety pins
• Scissors
• Sold tags and "I Live Here" tags to mark items that are not for sale
• String
• Tape
• Tape measure
• Tarps and umbrellas
• Treats and drinks
5. Prepare digital tools if needed.
Buy an inexpensive credit card reader—for example, Square—and download online apps like Venmo, so you can accept credit cards or online transfer payments. Quimby says you might have to pay a processing fee if you accept cards, but usually the increase in sales more than makes up for it. Be sure to have a working hot spot, especially if your Wi-Fi can get iffy. Download an app to record sales, which can be especially helpful for group sales.
6. Prepare the day before.
Give yourself a day ahead of the sale to set up. If items will be kept outside overnight, cover them with large tarps or old sheets to keep them protected. Porter recommends setting up your sale like it's a fun shopping experience. Put your borrowed tables to work, so everything is easy to see and no one has to bend over to look at something. Use books or sturdy shallow boxes as risers on tables to create a change in height and add more focal points.
Quimby sets up different "rooms." For example, she places all the kitchen or living room items together. Within these zones, arrange coordinated vignettes that resemble a store display window. If people can see the items easily, they're inspired to buy more. You can also designate a kids' section. This is the one place you want to put things down low so they're at kid height. "You want the kids to play with the toys because if the kids are active and playing, the parents get to shop longer," Quimby says.
7. Make sure everything is in good condition.
All sale items should be clean, unwrinkled, and in good condition. Pump air into tires and balls, and install working batteries in anything that needs them. Throughout the day, have a helper go through and fluff or fold clothing, put together new outfits, and rearrange pieces on tables. Quimby says people might even come back the second day to see what's new, or what they missed, and buy more.
8. Arrange clothing thoughtfully.
Hang clothes so they're easy to see. You can string a clothing line between trees or poles, hang clothes on a fence, or, if you have one, bring out a clothing rack. Take the time to display clothes in complete outfits—they're more likely to sell. You can also group items like T-shirts or shorts into sets of three to five and label them with their sizes. If you have items like handbags, dress coats, suits, or sports gear that can fetch higher prices, separate them into their own area and clearly identify them as specialty items.
9. Showcase jewelry and eyewear.
Set up an area for small items like jewelry, sunglasses, and readers next to the cash-out table. Pin jewelry on a cork bulletin board or use hooks to hang pieces on a window screen. Organize by style so more formal or kid-friendly pieces are grouped together. Always keep earrings together.
10. Group linens in sets.
Bundle sheets and pillowcases into sets and label them with their sizes (twin, queen, etc.). Group napkins together and lay them beside tablecloths, so people can easily pair things. Combine towels into sets that include a washcloth, hand towel, and bath towel. Wrap all bundles neatly together using twine or string.
11. Be prepared for negotiations.
Use your intel from the competition to help you price items fairly, but be prepared for shoppers to negotiate. Before the sale, determine the lowest price you're willing to accept, Porter says. Quimby starts with a fair price and doesn't barter on the first day of her sale (or with any early-birds), but she will negotiate on subsequent days to keep things moving.
12. Plan for an after-sale pickup.
Set up a donation pickup at the end of your sale to get rid of anything that remains. "Nothing that went into the sale should go back into your house," Porter says. Some charities require a month's notice to schedule one, so plan ahead. At closing time, let people keep shopping, but start moving items to the designated pickup area so you can wrap things up. Also, set up times for returning any borrowed