There’s nothing like a new year’s resolution to get you cracking on cleaning out your messy garage.

And while things may be a little on the chilly side in the good ol’ US of A at the moment, now’s the perfect time to start planning your 2006 garage sale.

Why wait for spring or summer, when garage sale competition is at its peak?

Why not gather all your old stuff, including those Christmas presents you received two of, tie a price tag on them, and throw your street’s first garage or yard sale of the year?

It probably goes without saying that if you live in a very cold part of the nation you’ll need to think about heating your sale - which means holding it indoors - that is, in a garage rather than a yard.

Regardless of this, there’s a whole host of items more likely to sell at a winter garage sale than at a spring or summer one - snow shoes and skis come to mind!

So rug up, and get stuck into it. A winter-wooly garage sale may be the best one you’ve ever had!

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Need extra Christmas cash? Why not host a last minute garage sale?.

The catch? There’s only one more shopping weekend before Christmas.

Still, squeezing a last minute pre-Christmas sale in may well be worthwhile:

1. To help pay off that sagging credit card;
2. To take advantage of the last-minute pre-Christmas buying frenzy

If you do decide to host a garage sale this weekend, you could well be in a position to take advantage of the rush, because:

1. plenty of people will not have finished their shopping because day is still a good week away from this Saturday; and
2. many people are already on holidays, and so are looking for an excuse to get out and about; and
3. the week’s break between this coming weekend and Christmas will allow you plenty of time to clean up and get your own Christmas act together.

Remember not to delay your advertising, though. While garagesalesource.com is open for advertisements right up to the last minute, your local newspaper will have a cut-off date much earlier than this.

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Yard and garage sellers in the Michigan city of Walker had a win last week when the local council shelved a months-old proposal to regulate home-based sales.

Walker’s City Commission voted 6-1 to shelve the ordinance indefinitely after a vote to approve the ordinance failed 2-5. Commissioner Cyndy Stek cast the lone dissenting vote to shelve the regulation, because she favored throwing it out altogether.

The proposal had been reviewed twice by the Planning Commission before being sent to the overarching City Commission.

Mayor Rob VerHeulen said he did not support the ordinance, which would have restricted garage sales to three days each, no more than three times a year.

He favored at least four times per year and wanted an exemption for sales of produce, such as residents selling vegetables or flowers from their gardens.

“I have a hard time banning the fruit stand,” VerHeulen said.

Commissioner Chuck Deschaine, who also rejected the ordinance, said it could not be enforced without major problems for the building and police departments.

While the ordinance is effectively dead, it could come back to the commission for consideration if garage sales become a nuisance.

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When planning your garage sale, you should always factor in a time-buffer at the end of your advertised closing time in case you’re doing a roaring trade.

People don’t like to be rushed, and what - apart from a few minutes of your weekend - have you got to loose anyway?

But since you don’t want to stay open just for the sake of it, here’s nine sure ways to gauge if you should extend your opening hours:

1. Your items are still moving.
2. There’s still plenty of people around.
3. On the day of your garage sale you discover that some event - like the end of a football or baseball - game that will send buyer traffic past your home at a particular time.
4. The weather is good, or if it’s been bad all morning then shows signs of clearing.
5. You’ve got nothing better planned.
6. Although lots of small items are moving, a few larger items you’re keen to shift are still on the shelves. Remember, if there’s still an atmosphere of buying in the air, you’re more likely to sell those large items.
7. You’re still enjoying yourself.
8. Customers are still willing to pay near the marked price for your items.
9. You’ve got leftover sausages or hamburgers from your ancillary barbeque - in which case it might be worth moving the barbeque closer to the street. You’ll be surprised how the smeall will continue to attract customers!
10. You’ve still got the energy (if not, and all the above factors are occurring, try digging deep!)

Remember, if people are hanging around and they‘re still buying, try not to telegraph to them that you’re packing up. Nothing will drive customers out your gate, and to the garage sale down the street, quicker!

Instead, make yourself a cup of coffee and give the impression you’re happy to linger as long as you have customers.

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Listen up, garage sale buyers and sellers! Here’s the top 5 hints to keep you out of trouble at this weekend’s garage or yard sale.

Buyers:

1. Aggressive haggling is a no-no. Remember, you’re not at the sale to buy a huge item like a house or a car. You’re here to unearth a hidden gem, and have some fun in the process. Haggle by all means, but make sure you keep it light-hearted.
2. Treat your host’s garage and yard like you would your own.
3. If you’re bringing along kids, keep an eye on what they’re up to.
4. Consider leaving your pet at home, or at least in the car. Not all garage sale operators, or their customers, appreciate unknown pets entering their yard.
5. Be careful, and make sure your kids are careful, particularly around fragile items. While many garage sale items may look old, they all have some value, and the unwritten rule here is ‘if you break it, you buy it’.

Sellers:

1. Make your customers feel at home. Remember, they’re your guests, and the more they linger the more they’re likely to buy.
2. Keep your pets on a leash, or behind a gate. Not all your guests will feel as comfortable around animals as you do.
3. Open on time. There’s no greater turn-off than a garage sale that opens late.
4. At closing time, if there’s customers still lingering, don’t be in a hurry to usher them out. A few minutes’ patience will be rewarded, if not by a late sale, then at least with good will that will serve you well when your next sale comes around.
5. Whether they’ve bought something or not, before they leave your sale, try to thank as many people as you can for attending. This will make them feel more comfortable if they wish to return later in the day to purchase that item they were wavering on. It will also increase the likelihood they’ll recommend your sale to their friends.

Stick to these basic rules of thumb, and you’ll not only find you’ll have a good time. But you’ll also be more likely to make a profitable transaction!

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