Yard Sale Ya Ya's

It's amazing what you can accumulate after a decade of being on your own.  One would think that with all the times Graham and I have moved post-college, our "stuff" would be pretty well purged, but my yard sale this past weekend proved that to be false.  I wouldn't have even considered such a daunting task except for the nudging of my eldest daughter.  Maddox has been saving her pennies up all summer for a trip to the American Girl store in D.C., and somewhere along the way, she caught on to the idea that a yard sale could be a lucrative venture.  So, after much prodding and begging, I agreed.  My name is Molly, I am 32 year old, and I lost my yard sale virginity on August 3rd, 2013.

In typical trial-and-error fashion, I learned a few things from my little event on Saturday.  My sales background told me to merchandise well and create displays.  I made the entrance welcoming and put bigger items toward the front where they could be easily accessed.

Though my husband thought I was crazy, I picked up plastic tablecloths at the dollar store and put them on the tables.  I wanted my sale to look cheery and well-organized so people would have a positive experience.

I organized my jewelry on a framed chalkboard/cork board I've had for ages and priced it to sell.  I also grouped similar items together (like the picture frames below) and I tied window panels, pillowcases, and quilts with pretty ribbon to keep them from ending up in a big, messy pile.

I made Maddox's nook look festive with bright colors and artwork and we sold breakfast items and water bottles to keep it simple.  She made $30!  Not bad for a morning's work.

 We made our guests feel welcome and at home so they'd stick around awhile and told personal stories about the items we were selling, like this BOB stroller that I jogged with practically every day with Maddy when we lived in Dupont, WA.  I love that it is going to a great family!

I enjoyed my pals and met some new neighbors!

My friend Marlene also joined me to sell on Saturday.  We spaced our items out so as not to get mixed up (mine were in the yard, hers were on the driveway).  I advertised for us in the newspaper and with neon signs around town, while Marlene took care of all the online promotion.  We made a good team and had a great day!  Just call us the Yard Sale Ya Ya's from now on.