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Looking to host a sale on the trail? We got you. Here’s some of our best tips and tricks to make a successful sale a sure thing.

Make a day of it

Invite friends over, play some tunes and get dressed up. Your neighbours will be having a sticky beak, so flaunt what you’ve got. You’ll make some lasting connections and you’ll shift your stuff. 

Price to clear

Hike up the prices on your special stuff but otherwise price to clear. Consider creating a table for items of a certain value or use a pricing chart with coloured stickers to make it super easy for shoppers to buy.

By pricing everyday items cheaply, you’ll sell more stuff, clear more space and feel good knowing your items have found a new home. Consider slashing prices for the final hour or having a "free to a good home" table. 

If making money is more your thing, do a “sold items search” on eBay to find what similar products sold for. Not only can this help you identify how to price items but also whether to sell it on eBay or at your garage sale. Check out this step by step video for a quick how-to.

For more tips, check out the advice from our garage sale guru Nicola Bates.

Location, location, location

The most successful garage sales take place in busy areas with good parking. If that’s not your place, consider using a mate’s house or join one of the group sales on the Trail.

Go nuts with signage

Big, bold and bright signage is everything on sale day. Place signs in areas like main roads and cafes and don't forget to take them down afterwards (or face the wrath of Margaret from number 22). Include the essentials (date, time and location). Use directional arrows too, or chalk those pavements baby.

If the idea of starting from scratch is daunting, you can download ready-made letterbox slips, posters and other free promo materials from your Seller Dashboard. These are available as soon as you've registered your sale.

Tell people you're involved

List your garage sale event for free on the Garage Sale Trail website and promote your sale on your socials. Be sure to tag @GarageSaleTrail, and use #garagesaletrail so we can help spread the word too.

You’ll also have access to a sweet social media kit that comes complete with Canva templates and social media tiles to up the ante on your advertising game.

Make your display pretty

Put your best stuff front and centre to lure in the shoppers. Organise items by category or colour to make your sale super eye-catching and unmissable.

Use tables and clothing rails if you can but also think about what’s already there. Hang items on your fence, string rope rails between trees, even your trusty Hills Hoist can come in handy. 

Get creative with special offers

Two for one. Bundle deals. In years gone by we've seen a church offering free pet baptisms with every purchase. At another sale, a die hard Magpies fan offered to sing the Collingwood theme song with every purchase.

Make a lucky dip

Wrap small items in newspaper or offcuts of cotton fabric and make a lucky dip. Charge punters $5 for one or $10 for three items. It’s a surefire way to clear stuff you’re not sure will sell and make your garage sale even more fun.

Offer cashless alternatives

More and more people don’t carry cash so consider accepting payment by PayID, PayPal QR codes or direct bank transfer so you can take advantage of passing trade.

Add some extra you

Reflect yourself in your sale. Green thumbed? Offer gardening tips with every purchase. Love Dolly Parton? Get your best country outfit on and get ‘em down to your Dollywood sale.

Make even more money on eBay

Pre-loved fashion sellers make an average of $400 - $500* in their first year selling on ebay.com.au.

It's safe and secure to list your pre-loved gems. Plus listing is easier than ever:

👩🏻‍💻 eBay's AI feature helps you fill in descriptions about your listings faster and maximise the use of keywords in the title to make your item easy to find.

🏷️ The price indicator tool helps you understand how much to list it for.

📸 You can take high quality photos of your items from all angles to make your listing stand out.

Items with free delivery often sell faster so from now until the end of the year, you can list pre-loved fashion on eBay & send it free.

Claim your 10 free postage labels when you list your pre-loved fashion today. Find out more. T&Cs apply.

For more hot tips and support planning and promoting your garage sale, check out this year's garage sale masterclass with super seller Nicola Bates of Zaza Vintage Store.

Garage Sale Trail, Australia's biggest secondhand treasure hunt, is next on 9-10 & 16-17 November 2024. Register now to be part of it.

*Based on eBay internal data between July 2020 and June 2023, showing the average value of sales made by new or re-activated sellers.