YARD SALE DO's

• Make signs big and distinctive. Emphasize the address.
  
• Begin gathering stuff a year ahead in a designated yard-sale carton or area in your cellar.
  
• Plan your sale on the same weekend as a neighbor's.
  
• Put the largest items near the road instead of piles of clothes and tables of knickknacks.
  
• Group similar items together.
  
• Separate children's clothing according to size.
  
• Let your children sell snacks (cookies or brownies and lemonade). They'll need a cash box, a colorful sign, paper cups and napkins, and a trash basket. Let them run the whole show.

DON'Ts

• Have a sale on a holiday weekend.
  
• Agree to hold an item for someone.
  
• Hover. They'll let you know if they need your help. Enjoy your customers.
  
• Forget to take the signs down afterwards.

From "Tightwad Gazette" by Amy Dacyczyn; "The Garage Sale Handbook" by Peggy Hitchcock (1986, Pilot Industries); "How to Have High Dollar Garage $ale$" by Jean Hines (1989, Vista Mark Publications).