Try Some Marketing

Earlier this garage sale season, I purchased an analog television set with a built-in dvd player. The couple I bought it from had it on the floor of their dark garage, no price, and you had to look hard to tell it played dvd's. They were asking $10 for it. I offered $8 and also purchased season 1 of Golden Girls on dvd for $2, so they got their $10. Took it home, set it up in my bedroom; it worked fine.

As I already had a dvd player connected to my other tv set, I decided to sell this one at my first lawn sale. But I also decided I was going to make some money off of it. Here is what I did:

I created a descriptive marketing sign for the tv screen. It read: 22" Screen DVD Player; Works Great; Easy to use: turn on power, insert dvd, press: play; comes with remote; perfect for bedroom, kitchen, office, family room; easy for kids to use. $35

When I had my lawn sale, I placed it on a table so it was easy to see, and I placed the sales sheet on the screen. The first people who stopped at the sale bought it. They offered $25, I countered with $30. SOLD.

Marketing makes a difference. If you really want to sell an item, display it properly, post the facts & benefits, tell how they might use it, and price it right. This is a key to garage sale success and profits.