You might assume that, as a professional organizer, I don’t approve of yard sales. They take too much time to plan and are inefficient ways to get rid of your unwanted stuff. They encourage other people to collect junk. They reinforce our culture of consumerism. You won’t really make much money.

But you’d be wrong. I love yard sales, and they can be wonderful tools for the right client.

Yard sales can be marketed efficiently. The key to a successful yard sale is lots of foot traffic, but even if you live on a quiet suburban street, you have good options to boost that traffic. Check to see if your neighborhood, place of worship, or local Scouts troop plans to host one, and if so, ,sign up for a table. If not, use a popular app like Garage Sale Finder Map or Yard Sale Treasure Map to bolster the impact of your homemade neighborhood signs.

Yard sales can serve as great motivators. With your deadline (sale date) set, schedule an hour or two each week to declutter a particular room or corner. Bring a box or bin, a marker, and a pack of brightly colored round stickers, select any items you think someone would enjoy, decide on a price, stick on a label, and mark the box “Yard Sale.” Designate a spot to assemble the bins that won’t bother you for a month or two. If you need help getting started, just reach out!

Yard sales can make money. If your goal is making a lot of money, it’s true that a yard sale isn’t the right tool. But were those books you won’t read, clothes you don’t wear,  toys your kids grew out of, and kitchen appliances you no longer use making money before? Would they make much through some other channel? Unlikely, but that’s why you don’t sell grandma’s gold ring at a yard sale. Whether you end up with $25, $75, or $150, you can indulge in fancy coffee with friends, get a posh mani-pedi, or have a fun date night guilt-free! 

Yard sales build community. In our age of self-check-out, online shopping, Amazon deliveries, and Door Dash dashes, face-to-face interactions are increasingly rare. Yard sales offer a unique chance to reconnect with neighbors we haven’t seen in a while, meet a diverse group of new people, and just chat. Like walking the dog, but even better, they serve as natural ice-breakers, leading to spontaneous conversations about why a particular book was so inspiring, how a toy was loved and will thrive in its new home, and the future uses of a cooking gadget that is just what the aspiring chef has needed.

Yard sales help the environment. For the same reason many of us prefer thrifting over the mall, the collective impact of yard sales can be substantial. Every well-loved toy that sparks joy in a toddler’s face, sequined handbag that will sit proudly on a new shoulder, beloved book that will open worlds for another reader, and slightly chipped coffee table that will make someone else’s feet comfy and encourage new conversations, won’t clog the landfill.

Bottom line: Yard sales are quintessentially American in all the best ways. They bring together and help advance the “melting pot” (or multi-cultural stew) to which we have long aspired. They teach us (and the next generation) about entrepreneurship. They model a kind, gentle version of capitalism. And they help keep our truly beautiful country beautiful. Throw in some homemade lemonade and cookies made by the kids across the street, and what more can you possibly ask?