Tips To Have A Successful Rummage Sale

Over the years, I have had much experience with Rummage Sales. As a teenager, my mother owned a Flea Market. But, before she opened her Flea Market, she started with Rummage Sales. It was the success of her Rummage Sales ($600-$2000+ a weekend) that led her to opening a Flea Market.

Although for many years, I was never interested in the Rummage Sale scene, eventually I changed my mind. Below I have listed some helpful tips to a successful Rummage.

1. Advertise in all of your local newspapers.
If you only have one local paper, that is fine. But if you have more than one, advertise in them all, or all of the ones that you can afford. This will help you reach a broader audience.

2. Put up Fliers
At stores, businesses, bulletin boards, any place that will allow you to do so. Don’t make the mistake of limiting yourself to a one mile radius of your home. Go as far as you’d like! Many people will drive 10-20 miles for good Rummage Sales.

3. Spread the word IN ADVANCE
Tell all of your family and friends at least one week in advance. Also, be sure to tell your co-workers, church family/friends, and any others that you engage in conversation with.

4. Anyone else want to join?
While spreading the word, see if any one is interested in selling any of their items. If they do, there are a couple of different ways that you could do this. Either they can choose to pitch in on the advertising costs, be there to sell their own items, and keep 100% of their sales… OR, If they do not want to pitch in on advertising costs or be there to sell, you can sell their items for them and keep 20% of the sales (you make a commissions) and give them 80%. If you can get others to join in on your Rummage Sale, this will magnify your advertisements (word of mouth), because they will tell everyone that they know, as they also want to make sales and $$

5. Price your items to MOVE
No one likes a Rummage Sale where all or most of the items are way over priced. When people think of Rummage Sales, they are thinking cheap, low cost. You generally will not get retail prices for items, even if they are brand new. So unless you want to keep it for yourself, or do not care if it sells or not, price it low and move it out.


I hope these tips will help. Good Luck!