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Another big success! This weekend I held my yard sale, it was the largest one I’ve had to date. Normally I include a handful of items, maybe make $30, and then whatever doesn’t sell makes its way back into my home. This time I set a few rules for myself, and I made sure to stick to them.
1. Add at least 100 items to your yard sale. My goal was to do a big chunk of damage in my home. I was determined to get rid of at least a 100 items, but ended up having far more than that. You can see the photos at the end of this post (although not everything is pictured below, the yard sale extended out into the actual yard. There was probably double the amount you see in the pictures).
2. Accept best offers. Many people, myself included, become attached to their possessions. They place a value on them. So when it comes time to sell that item, they price it very, very high. By doing so they’re putting a defensive wall around the item. No one is going to want to purchase the item for $30, when realistically it’s worth $10. I decided to price my items at an amount I felt fair and then took it a step further by accepting offers from buyers. I went into my yard sale with the mentality that I was not trying to make a fortune, I was just trying to pass my items along to someone else who may find use in them.
3. Limit the items you bring back into your home. This has been an issue in the past. I hold a yard sale, five things sell, then 30 return back into my house. The clutter continues and there’s never any progress. This time, I limited myself to only the items I had hand made (to sell on etsy) or were brand new (to sell on ebay or craigslist). In other words, all the items that I brought back into my home were items I planned on selling. So nothing is staying from my large overhaul.
4. Donate what doesn’t sell. After I had decided what items were worth holding onto (to sell) I loaded what remained into my car (which was completely packed to the max with items), and immediately drove to Goodwill. After a small moment of hesitation I offloaded everything and donated it.
I returned home from Goodwill and was relieved to see how much progress I had achieved. What remained in my living room and kitchen were items we use regularly, or enjoy keeping around. I did hold onto two TVs (for now… but soon), but sold one and my DVD collection plus DVD player. I still have my Playstation 3 (for now… but soon) but sold many games that were no longer being used. I donated almost all of my CD’s, and recycled or tossed what was damaged. My next big task will be clothing. I’m planning to limit myself to just what fits in my dresser (comfortably, not jam-packed), and maybe a handful of items that are business appropriate to hang in the closet. Everyday I get closer to my ultimate end result, and everyday I feel the weight of these items lift. It’s a great feeling – I hope you get the chance to feel it as well. 🙂
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