Pricing items for a garage sale or a yard sale is one of the biggest headaches when preparing for your sale. It's always difficult to know what price tag to put on your treasures, you don't want to be overpriced, but you also don't want to give your items away too cheap! I'm going to share with you a few garage sale pricing tips for pricing children's clothing so you can get a little return on your investments!
First of all, if you have kids, you know that not all clothing is created equal! You are not going to want to sell that cute dress from Wal-Mart for the same price as the gorgeous dress you bought from Gymboree last Easter. You have to take into consideration the brand, age and condition when you are pricing garage sale items.
* Brand -- Popular selling brands are Gap, Gymboree, Limited Too, Children's Place, Janie & Jack, Hanna Andersson and other Boutique brands. You can put a higher price tag on these brands, especially if they are in great condition! People are usually willing to pay a little extra for these items, because they know what they sell for retail.
* Age -- The age of the clothing is also a factor to consider. The majority of clothing from 10 years ago will be considered outdated and not in style, this will drop your price a little. There are some exceptions to very popular name brands that are in excellent condition, like dresses, outfits or coats.
* Condition -- This is the most important consideration in pricing anything for a garage sale...the condition! So, even if you have a very popular last season, Gap outfit in a very popular girls size 6, if it has stains or tears, it is not going to be worth much. Again, your customers will be willing to spend a little extra on something that is in excellent condition because they know it will last. I believe it is worth that extra effort to keep your kid's name brand clothing in great shape!
Here are some pricing suggestions for children's clothing. These are prices that I see at sales in my area and prices that I use myself. These are guidelines, you may need to adjust them for your area. If you are uncertain about a price, jut use your best judgment and ask yourself "What would I pay for this?"
Below are 3 different prices, the first is a low price, then an average and finally a high price. A no-name brand in ok condition would be at the low end and a popular name brand in excellent condition would be at the high end. Falling into the average slot would be a decent name brand (Carter's, Oshkosh) in good condition.
Kid's Clothes Garage Sale Pricing Guide
* Dresses .00 .50 .00
* T-Shirts Body.50 .00 .00
* Dress Shirts .00 .50 .00
* Sweaters .00 .50 .00
* Jeans .00 .00 .00
* Pants Body.50 .00 .00
* Outfits .00 .50 .00
* Pajamas Body.50 .00 .00
* Swimsuits Body.50 .00 .00
* Socks Body.10 $.25 $.50
* Shoes Body.50 .50 .00
* Boots .00 .50 .00
* Light Jackets .00 .00 .00
* Winter Coats .00 .00 .00
* Snowsuits/Sets .00 .00 .00
Here are a few more ideas to use while preparing your children's clothing for the garage or yard sale:
* Start early (begin pricing your items 3-4 weeks before the sale)
* Make sure clothing is laundered and clean
* Write the size on the price tag
* Hang up dresses, outfits and coats as you price them
* Make outfits rather than selling pieces separately
* Use safety pins to keep outfits, 2 piece swimsuits, or pajama sets together
* Use ziploc bags for sets of socks, tights or hair accessories
Now that you know some garage sale pricing tips, you will actually be able to make some money! Your customers will appreciate the effort you put into organizing and attractively presenting your items and providing them with a relaxed and positive shopping experience! They will, in return, want to shop a little longer and spend a little more!
