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How to Host an Online Yard Sale

Food Cart

You don’t have to wait for warm weather season to get your yard sale started. Hosting an online yard sale is as fun and as profitable as the real thing. Plus you can host your sale any time of the year and in any weather.

Preparation

Setting up for a virtual yard sale is similar to preparing for the real thing. First you need to gather up your goods. Look for gently used household items, knick knacks and clothing. CDs, DVDs, and other media will also sell well. Toys, children’s items, antiques and furniture also sell well.

The good news is that once you’ve found your items, you don’t drag them out to the driveway. An online yard sale allows you to enjoy the comfort of your home.

Pricing

To price your items, start with a bit of research. Check online auction sites like eBay or virtual sale sales like Craigslist for starters. If you can’t find items like yours, use these general rules of thumb. Items in new or like new condition should be priced at 30% of what you paid when new. Items that are showing wear or that are obsolete should be priced at about 10% of the original price.

For your online yard sale, don’t use adhesive pricing stickers. Instead, create price cards using a black marker and 3 by 5 index cards.

Photos

Hosting your online sale will require you to break out your digital camera. Take a photo of each item you are selling with the price card prominently displayed. Then upload your photos to an online photo sharing site like Flickr or to your personal blog.

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If possible, include a brief description of each item. Include details such as size, age and condition.

Post

To get your sale started, post a link to your Facebook page. You can also post details about your sale on Craigslist and Twitter. In addition, you can search for online yard sale groups on Facebook using search terms like yard sale and the name of your town or city.

Protection

When hosting a virtual yard sale, keep safety and common sense in mind. Never allow strangers into your house. Always insist on cash transactions with exact change only. If possible, arrange to have items picked up at a safe, neutral location such as the food cart at the mall. Don’t give out personal information other than an e-mail address or cell phone number where you can be reached for questions.

Pack It Up

Unlike a traditional yard sale, you don’t have to pack up your stuff at the end of the day. Because your sale is virtual, you it can extend over several days, weeks or months. Just store everything in your basement, closet or other storage area until you deplete your inventory.

So next time you get the itch to host a yard sale, don’t worry about the weather. Set up your online yard sale instead.

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