Planning a garage sale? Here are some tips

Never take for granted the simplicity of a garage sale. And never assume everyone knows the concept of selling unwanted household items to neighbors who are willing to pay good money for them.

They may be a part of the American fabric in spring, summer and fall, but if you're from another country, you haven't touched or seen that part of the fabric.

Guido and Bianca Dey are two people who have seen, but have not touched the seasonal tradition. They live in West Dundee, but grew up in Germany. There, people take their glassware, furniture, books and used clothes to town where they are bartered for at flea markets.

No one ever fills their driveways and yards with what they want to sell, they said. This past weekend, they tried their hands at having their own garage sale. And they were surprised at what they saw.

"I think it's just strange that you sell stuff you no longer want and it's gone in 10 minutes," Guido said. "One of the first things we sold were Winnie the Pooh stickers."

After that, there was a stream of customers browsing in boxes of clothing his daughter has outgrown. They also looked through books the couple has read, along with household items that were no longer wanted.

Fortunately, the Deys didn't have to learn the lesson of what to do with the items that lined their driveway if it had rained Saturday morning and afternoon. It didn't. But they have would figure out. The boxes and the tables could be quickly dragged back into their garage.

Garage sale experts say being prepared for bad weather is one of the most important things to remember for their next sale. They also say make sure the items are clean and priced reasonably.

"You can always come down in price, but you can't go up," said Michael Pittillo, another West Dundee resident who held a garage sale on Saturday. "And you never know what people are going to want to buy."

One of the first things he sold was a box shaped like a peanut. The furniture and Christmas dinner plates where still sitting on the folding tables in his driveway. He had hopes of selling them and earning enough money to fill up his car's gas tank a few times with the profits.

If done right, successful garage sales can bring in more than a few bucks.

Kerry Kelly, Patty Harkin and other Douglas Avenue neighbors in Elgin hoped to raise at least $1,000 at their Saturday sale. They planned to donate the money to the city's police department's summer camp for needy kids.

After having fundraising garage sales for the past three years, they are pros at what is needed to be successful. And they can give the Deys a few pointers. The first is to make use of as many utility poles as possible in the neighborhood. They can hold signs leading customers to the sale.

"Signage is important," Kelly said. "You want as many people as possible to see it."

Placement of items is also important. The lamps, books and furniture have to grab customers' attention and pull them into the sale.

And lastly, know of a good charity to donate the items that are not sold. People don't want to drag them back into their homes for another year.