Tips and tricks for getting the most out of your sale

Gabby Nuich is the creator, owner and curator of The Picker Concept, a little vintage shop with big soul. Gabby is a passionate vintage collector and seller and loves to get her young children involved in thrifting.

Her sons have even held their own Garage Sale for Garage Sale Trail in the past!

Below you can find some of Gabby’s tips for hosting a sale as well ways to get the kids involved …

What is Garage Sale Trail?

Garage Sale Trail is a multi-award-winning community and sustainability event dedicated to helping Aussies on the road to economic recovery. How? By making and saving money through the sale of secondhand goods PLUS you’ll be reducing your waste by diverting stuff that might otherwise end up in landfill! Winner winner!

This year, Australians can participate in Garage Sale Trail online for the first time ever with the option to host a virtual garage sale by streaming live on Facebook or Instagram. Sellers can either opt for hosting an online sale or hold one face to face in their community. This virtual garage sale option is aimed at both keeping people COVID safe and also assisting sellers in finding the perfect match for their pre-loved items – no matter their location!

Gabby Nuich’s tips for Garage Sale success!

• When it comes to pricing, do your research! A quick search on Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Google will quickly show you how much your items are selling for, and whether you’re sitting on a rare collectable. If you can’t find your exact item, look for comparable listings to give you a rough idea. I generally recommend pricing your items at 30 percent of the retail value (50 percent if you have something highly collectable). If you have a huge volume of items you need to re-home, put them at a lower price point to get them out the door.
• Get the kids involved in Garage Sale Trail as both sellers and buyers! I am passionate about this as it teaches them that secondhand is not second best, to prioritise reuse and they might also pick up some great communication and money management skills!

• If hosting a sale, have children go through their old toys or books and choose any they’d like to sell. This allows them to be a part of the process and leads to less anxiety over giving away their toys. Ask them what they think are fair prices, and you can even set up a designated table for them & their items. Older kids can also manage the cash for their sales, which is great for mental math skills.
• If you’re buying, have your children think about things they may want to buy, have them set a budget of how much they want to spend and give them the independence to pay for items themselves.
• Promote your sale! The Garage Sale Trail website is a great way for people to find you, especially if your listing stands out. Be sure to write a great description, upload photos of items (particularly collectable pieces), and then share a link to your sale on Facebook & Gumtree. I’ve also found great success in doing a letterbox drop in my local area and putting up posters in my local café, school and grocery store in the week leading up (with permission, always!) I use the handy pre-made posters & letterbox slips that are available on the Garage Sale Trail website and then head to Officeworks to have it all printed.
• Finally, on the day ensure there are plenty of signs to direct people to your sale!

To celebrate Garage Sale Trail offering online options, they have announced the Trail Tutorials, a new series of FREE online masterclasses so you can learn to style, mend and shop secondhand like a pro! For more information on the Trail Tutorials and to reserve your spot visit here.