Spring is coming and now is the time to make preparations for
having a yard or garage sale. And, yes…this includes the kids
too.
For me spring always meant upcoming garage/yards sales to go to
with my mom; but more importantly, those garage/yard sales I had
with my mom. From these early experiences, I learned many
valuable lessons that I use to this day. These include the
necessity of de-cluttering, finance, how to make change, how to
price an item, how to organize and display items, and customer
service. Thanks to my mom’s help, I was able to engage in an
entrepreneurial endeavor at the tender age of eight. I have fond
memories of my many mini-business endeavors and feel that these
ventures contributed to my desire and successes in owning my own
business now. Here are some pointers to get your child involved
in having a garage or yard sale of his or her own when you have
one.
For Children 8 and above:
Gather Goods to Sell Have your children go through their items
to determine what they are ready to sell, part with, or
outgrown. You as a parent have veto power, but quite often
children will not even think of parting with something they
still use. As a matter of fact you may have to “assist” them in
this step since it is likely they will want to keep just about
everything they own. Be ready to ask them these questions: When
was the last time the item was played with or used? 1)Why do
they wish to keep it? 2)What does it mean to them? Having
children answer these questions helps them to determine what
items they wish to keep and those that have little value or use
to them. This step teaches children the importance of letting go
of stuff they won’t use again and really don’t value. Having
children de-clutter their lives this way is a valuable skill
that will serve them well throughout life and keep them from
falling into the “packrat trap.”
Prepare Goods for Sale Have children prepare items for sale by
cleaning dirty items and boxing items into separate boxes
labeled “(Name)’s Garage Sale Items. This way, when it is time
to set up for the big garage sale day, your children will be
able to find their “stock” easily.
Assist your child with pricing the items to sell. Go through
each item one-by-one and ask your child the following questions
to help them determine an acceptable price. 1)How much do you
think this is worth? 2)How did you determine that price? 3)Do
you think someone will pay your price for this item? 4)Should we
ask ____ amount for this? By asking your child these questions,
it helps them to critically think about the value of items and
their worth. By making pricing suggestions, it assists them with
setting realistic prices. This step helps children learn the
relative value or worth of items and gets them to think about
how much the buying public would pay. Asking the question,
“Should we ask ____ amount for this?” is a way of helping your
child set a realistic price for the item.
Preparing for the Grand Opening Set up an individual table for
each child next to where you will be collecting money from
customers. This way you can monitor and assist each child with
customer transactions if need be and protect them from
unscrupulous “buyers.”
Have children set up their displays themselves. By completing
this step, with your help and suggestions, children learn how to
display items in a visually pleasing way that will attract
customers.
Day of the Grand Opening Provide each child with a change apron
(available at most dollar stores) and with a small amount of
change such as 2 $1.00 bills, 6 quarters, 10 dimes, and 10
nickels; i.e., $5.00 in change. This way they can collect
payment for their items and if necessary, make change for
customers. Children are able to reinforce their counting skills
and learn how to interact with customers. Most importantly,
allow your children to keep the proceeds from their sale, having
them put half of the “profits” into their savings accounts. When
children are allowed to keep the proceeds from the sale of their
items, they are eager participants.
For Children 7 and Below:
Younger children who also wish to participate in the garage sale
can by selling sodas. Set up a small table with a cooler full of
various cans of sodas and ice. Place a simple Soda for Sale sign
on the front of the table. Allow your younger children to sell
sodas, helping them with change counting or selling as needed.
This way, they still get the experience and knowledge gained by
running their own “small business.”
As a child I truly enjoyed having my “own” garage sale and
making money in the process. These small business ventures
taught me what went into running a small business from the
selection of goods to be sold to the final transaction with the
customer. These life skills teach children the basics of money
and customer service: skills that are sure to come in handy
throughout their lives.
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