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Garage Sale Gal, Lynda Hammond: Signs a Mystery

garage sale



Okay, so let's face it, going to garage sales isn't brain surgery but finding them can sometimes be challenging. If garage sale signs aren't placed just right then we might have to call on our maneuvering skills or we'll be meandering aimlessly through neighborhoods searching for treasures. Where we put our signs is critical to throwing a successful sale. Julia Hooper found that out the hard way. "There were no other signs up when I put mine up so I didn't think it'd be a problem."

But it was.

Julia was having a garage sale in Mesa, AZ. She posted 8 signs at 6:30 in the morning hitting all the major intersections. But little did she know a neighbor would put up signs "after" her and take away some of her business.

I discovered this sign "hijacking" one Saturday morning while doing what I'm always doing on a weekend-garage saling. Julia's pretty, pink neon signs caught my eye (I just love pink!). But lo and behold what is this I see before me, just a block up the street? It's another sign made out of a cardboard box. Now, I've got a mystery on my hands. Did Julia run out of pink signs and switch to another type, or is this a different sale, thrown by someone else?

Turns out it was someone else's sale.

When I got to Julia's sale (where she was twiddling her thumbs wondering where the crowds were) I shared some tips with her. "Wow. I didn't think about that. All I thought about was making my sale look presentable. I really didn't think about conflicting signs."

Get people to your sale

  • Sign "checker". Check on your signs often. Many are blown down or even taken or covered up.
  • Color. If you start with neon pink, stick with neon pink.
  • Simplicity. Print the word "SALE" and an arrow on a good, solid, bright background. About 15" is big enough.
  • Check with authorities. Before you post your signs it's a good idea to check and make sure it's lawful to hang signs in your area.
  • Remove Signs. After the sale take your signs down.

Julia Hooper posted her signs early in the morning and didn't know her neighbors were also having sales. Folks stopped by other homes but missed hers. Ooops!

Photo credit: goldberg via Flickr

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