This thankfulness coloring page will have you counting your blessings! This is a great family activity to use at Thanksgiving or for any autumn gathering. Simply print out the page, color in the shapes, and write down four things that you are thankful for in life.

Here are some free printable bookmarks with an autumn theme! Simply download the PDF (click on the image below), print the page (cardstock paper is ideal but regular printer paper is fine), cut out the bookmarks from your printed page, and use them in your favorite books.

These bookmarks would also be fabulous gifts that you could insert into your Thanksgiving cards! We recommend greeting cards from Priceless Good Deals because they are always offered at a discounted price. www.pricelessgooddeals.com

Once your rummage sale is over and your hard work has paid off, you still face the final task of the garage clear-out. You may be exhausted from a busy sale, but don't delay boxing up your leftover items that didn't sell. The longer you wait, the harder it can be to motivate yourself with completing this important last step. Maybe you need to take a day off for rest, but try to take care of this clean-up job as soon as possible. 

Here are some of our suggestions for things you can do with leftover rummage items: 

• Keep things of value to include in your next garage sale. There may be some items that you'd like to separate because you know they will probably sell to the right person. Find a place in your garage, basement, or attic where you can store a box or two of things that you'd hope to sell in the future. Unless you have a ton of extra space available for storage, you probably shouldn't save bulky items or things that were priced less than $1. After an item has been through multiple sales, consider another option below. 
• List certain items for sale in an online marketplace for local pickup. Decide on a reasonable amount of time to keep your listings active. If an item doesn't sell within a week or two, choose another option for getting rid of it. 
• Offer things for free! You can do this during the last hour of your sale, or put boxes of free items at the curb after your sale (if allowed in your region). Generally it helps to put a "curb alert" listing on an online free-advertising platform so people know that you have free stuff available. 
• Donate leftover items to your favorite charity or resale shop. Many charity organizations can offer a receipt you may use for tax purposes that acknowledges the donation. Not all resale shops can give donation-receipts, but it is a good way to support a local business! 
• Try listing some more expensive items for sale online (that you can ship to buyers) if you have a seller's account with a known online reseller platform. 
• If you have office supplies or children's items, check with local day care centers and teacher friends to see if they could use something you have available. Perhaps you could give them some things that are useful to them.
• Find a "free store" or a clothing distribution charity to donate things to. Our town has an organization that gives away free things to people who need them, so check if your community has some place similar that would accept donations.
• If you had a multi-family sale, ask the other participants to box up their own leftover items and take them to their chosen destinations. It should not be your responsibility to make decisions on everyone else's stuff, unless of course you have agreed to donate it all and have made that clear to them.
• If your local library has an annual book sale, find out if they accept book donations.
• Donate things to a local church organization that is planning their own rummage sale.
• Give things to family members or friends. If you have craft supplies and know a crafter, offer them a box of your leftover crafty things. Or if you know someone who just got their first apartment, see if they need any furniture or household items. 
• Consider putting some quality items on consignment at a local business.
• Call a local clean-up service that will haul your items away for you. There are "junk" companies who charge a fee for this, or perhaps you can find a local resale charity that offers a free pick-up. Often they will ask you to box things up prior to them arriving. Sort through everything first! You do not want to regret losing something you didn't intend to have hauled away. Remember that it may not be retrievable after this service is completed.

So, you're ready to have your rummage sale. Congratulations, and we hope it's successful for you! Today we'd like to share some important information about some necessary items you should have on hand for your sale, as well as highlight some policies you could implement to help things run smoothly. In addition, you may wish to read through our other helpful blog posts about rummage sales - where we share lots of great ideas, proven strategies and suggestions, so you may also have a highly rated garage sale of your own.

Here are our top ten tips for hosting your own garage sale:

1. Cash box and (optional) online payment methods set-up. Make sure you have plenty of change available, including small bills and coins. It is better to have more than you think you'll need, so you're not scrambling trying to get more change during your sale. It is helpful to also have a money detector machine or a money pen checker to prevent counterfeit payments. Also have knowledge of how the dollar bills should feel and look. Study which dollar bills you should hold up to the light to see a watermark portrait image and the appropriate embedded security thread. Know how to check for the color shifting ink. I prefer to scratch at the president's shirt on the bill to ensure it has ridges. Consider the risks of accepting checks and make a sign that describes your accepted forms of payment. It may state CASH ONLY, or CASH AND _______ [insert digital payment methods of your choice]. If you do not wish to accept larger bills, your sign could indicate that as well (no $50 bills or $100 bills). Know the locations of nearby ATM machines so customers are able to go get cash when necessary. We have never lost a sale by only accepting cash. We typically agree to hold someone's pile of things for up to an hour so they can go get cash, and they have always been willing to do that. Usually, they return with cash in 10 minutes or so. They often find even more things to add to their purchase when they return with cash, which works out great! Digital payments are gaining popularity though, so that is something to carefully consider accepting.
2. A checkout table and chairs. Make sure there is plenty of room for people to place their items when you are totaling things up. Ideally, you should have a person also seated there who could bag things up for the customer. This person may also help carry things out to people's vehicles as necessary.
3. Bags for purchases. We save our shopping bags throughout the year to use at our sale. In our state, we are able to use both plastic and paper bags, so that is what we have to offer. However, we do have plenty of reusable cloth bags available and we also reuse gift bags for purchases at our sales. If someone is purchasing a basket or storage box, we just fill that with their other items. Before the sale begins, I have bags sorted in "bag holders" by size. I have all of my bags separated by how big they are and keep them in labeled containers near my checkout station. I refill the containers as necessary.
4. Shopping baskets! Our sales are so huge that we should probably invest in actual shopping carts, but our shopping basket method has worked out great! We have several shopping baskets available under our checkout table. People either deposit their items into an assigned basket under the table as they are browsing, or some people wish to carry around a basket with a handle that they can fill as they shop. This is super important, because if someone has their arms full, how can they keep shopping? Provide a way for them to choose more items to buy that also keeps their hands free for browsing. The more things they can pick up and inspect, the greater chances they will purchase more. 
5. Essential items. You should ideally have a broom, sanitizer and hand wipes, an outlet for testing electronics, spare batteries for testing electronics, a mirror for people to visualize themselves in a new outfit or accessory, tools like a screwdriver or allen wrench for disassembling furniture, a tape measure for measuring, paper towels or rags for clean-up, sticky notes, a notebook for recording sales, several pens, additional price tags and markers to use as necessary, a calculator (or your phone for confirming totals of larger amounts), a first-aid kit, and your phone.
6. Have water bottles available for your helpers (and yourself) so everyone stays hydrated. Preferably supply beverages in containers with lids (to prevent spills). Provide breaks for each other to have a snack or lunch, and to get restroom breaks. Maybe you could have ready-made sandwiches, order food delivery, or send someone to pick up lunch for everyone helping.
7. Have a list of rules that everyone assisting you will be aware of. A rule I am strict on with my sales is that customers are not allowed to enter my house for any reason. Not to try on an outfit. Not to use the bathroom. Not for any reason. This is a liability issue and since it is private property, you may deny access of entry to your house. A stranger may not be trustworthy, and you do not want anyone to steal from your home, or know the layout of your house to gain access in the future, etc.
8. Park off of the premises. We park our cars way down the street, several houses away from our sale. Our helpers also park a distance away. Think of it like a retail store that has designated parking stalls for employees that are the farthest away from the building. That way, customers get preferred parking up close to the sale. As a customer, I have sometimes avoided a garage sale when there was no parking available nearby. Make sure you provide easy access to your sale for everyone stopping by. Street parking in front of your house should be for customers only. Just be watchful that they are not blocking mailboxes, or your neighbor's driveway. Also, please do not leave your vehicle parked in your driveway during your sale. It hinders people's street view of your sale, so they may not wish to stop if your car is blocking their line of sight to your products.
9. Advertising Signage. Place garage sale signs near the curb when possible, and on street corners when permitted. Bright colored signs will attract attention! Find our additional signage tips here: Rummage Sale Advertising Ideas
10. Policy Signs. Decide in advance which signs you will need. Use posterboard to make your own posters to hang with clear and bold lettering. Or you may choose to print signs from your computer. Perhaps you'll want a sign that states your hours and dates. Or a sign that says CASH ONLY. Or ALL SALES FINAL. Or ALL PRICES ARE FIRM. A sign that we always have visible at our sales says, "NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS." We have two printable versions of this below, which are free for you to download and print from your own device.

So, you're having a rummage sale! You've put the work into gathering items, pricing them, and setting up an organized sale. But how do you attract customers? Where should you advertise? How will people be able to easily find your location? Today we will be sharing some of our top tips of things we have learned during our decades of developing strategies for having successful garage sales.

Signage Ideas for Your Rummage Sale

• Put bright colored signs in your front yard that advertise your sale. We prefer using big bright neon "SALE" signs that we put on our front terrace during the event. We ordered them online years ago and still have people ask us where they can get some like it. Search online for something that catches your eye, because you will want to draw attention to your sale!
• Print rummage signs from your computer, or design something that can be printed in a larger format by a local printer.
• Purchase ready-made garage sale signs from a local retailer, usually available at hardware stores and big box stores. These commonly utilized signs are easily recognizable to people, so they will instantly know there's a sale nearby. 
• Use clever wording on your signs: HUGE rummage sale!... Help us get rid of our stuff!... Treasures galore!... Multi-Family Garage Sale... We have stuff you didn't know you needed!... Vintage to Modern... We cleaned out Grandma's Attic... etc.
• List specific categories on your signs when you have a large amount of a certain type of product: Yarn, Fabric, Tools.... Clothing in Most Sizes... Lots of Craft Supplies... Furniture and Dishes... Video Games and Electronics... etc.
• Of course, check with your local city hall to make sure signs are allowed to be used in your neighborhood. Also determine if you need any type of permits. 
• When possible, and if allowed, place signs on the nearby street corners that point to the direction of your sale. Include your address, dates of the sale, and when you will be opened (specify times from open to close).
• Have someone with an enthusiastic personality put on a costume and wave to cars/people from your front yard. We haven't done this, but it could be fun!
• Use balloons, banners, or inflatables to attract customers.
• Don't limit your sale to your garage space. Also put things in the driveway or your yard so items are more visible to drive-by traffic.

Advertising Ideas for Your Rummage Sale

• The best advertisement is visibility! When possible, have your sale on a busy street that gets lots of traffic. If there's not much traffic where you live, maybe find a friend who will do a sale with you at their place that has more drive-by traffic. Obviously, you don't have to do this, but it helps increase sale potential tremendously. We always have our sales on a busy street and often get hundreds of customers to stop by before we even get a chance to post online or get our signs up. Make sure you have plenty of friends and family to help out when you have a sale where you expect a big turnout.
• Free online listings are a great way to let people know you are having a rummage sale. Use social media and other online platforms to advertise. We suggest listing your sale on places like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, etc. (We are not directly affiliated with either, but they have provided great exposure for our sales.) Our online listings have brought customers from hours away! Sometimes your sale will be so good that people are willing to travel to it!
• Online listings should include a brief description of the products in your sale (list all of the categories). If you're selling clothes, mention if they are for men, women, boys or girls. Be specific about sizes so people know what to expect. Describe any type of product that you have a large selection of in your sale. Let people know what types of furniture is included. What makes your sale special? Be specific about the details and make sure you list all of the product categories included. Don't forget to include your address, sale dates and times. Add details about rules: No early sales... Cash only... etc.
• Tell all of your friends through social media. "Hey, I'm having a sale on these dates... ______. Some of things in my sale include... ______. I hope to see you there!" I don't do this myself, but I know other people who do, and it's worked well for them.
• Advertise in your local newspaper if you have one that is actually read and only if you find it's worthwhile for you. We used to advertise in this way. The newspaper would even provide the rummage sale signage for us when we placed an ad. We no longer do this, but it may be beneficial in smaller communities.
• Collaborate with a local business. We tried that this year, and customers enjoyed it! A new local bakery gave us pre-wrapped cookies to give away as free samples to customers. We were advertising their bakery, and our customers could take whatever cookies they wanted to try. Maybe the business you collaborate with could also send people to your sale, in return for you helping their business gain exposure.
• Have your sale during a city-wide rummage event. Get your address added to the community rummage map if there is one available. Our city has rummage days on the third week of the month, April through October. We used to open every month during our city-wide sales but opt for once a year now. For our region, the city-wide rummages begin on a Wednesday and typically go through Saturday. This is because our Wednesday newspaper would advertise the sales. Your city-wide sales may only be once a year, and maybe only on a Saturday. Generally, these city-specific details are known throughout your community. Ask around if you are unsure.
• If you have great traffic going past your home, you may have your sale at any time that works well for you. It doesn't have to coincide with city-wide sales. We usually have such a huge sale that we operate it for at least five days. It doesn't really matter which days we select to begin or end. Our sales have a great reputation in the community, so people are watching for it every year. And many of our customers come back every day of our sale that week to see what they may have missed the last time they were there. We hope you find the same kind of success.

Find more great tips about having a successful rummage sale on our other blog posts!

In our RUMMAGE SALE blog series, we've shared strategies that help you set up and run a successful yard sale. Throughout our posts, you may have noticed that we promote the idea of having multiple families involved in your rummage when it comes to optimizing your sales. Today we will explain why we suggest that, how other families may contribute, who should be involved, and how to know when to say, "No!"

A garage sale can be time consuming and takes a lot of effort, so you want to make sure you are making things easier on yourself, rather than bringing on more work for yourself. Read through our tips below to find out how involving more people will help set your sale up for success.

• Allow your trusted friends and family members to sell their items at your garage sale. Make sure they are people you know, and approach them with an invitation to participate. Make a deal with them that you will allow them to sell things if they are able to contribute their time to help out with the sale. They will also need to agree to your policies of how you choose to operate the event.
• The more the merrier. More people on staff helps things run smoother. And more people participating means more products will be for sale! There will now be a larger assortment of things that can be visible from the street, which means you will attract more people to your sale. Keep larger items in the driveway or yard during the sale, having a variety of categories highly visible to traffic. It gets more people to stop! (Ideally, the sale should be held at the home of a family with the most drive-by traffic!)
• Ask all participants to price their own items, clearly marked with their own initials. Give them a general guideline of how you'd like items priced. For example, if you're pricing books for $1 and clothes for $2, they shouldn't price like-items for $5. You want to avoid having potential customers seeing the things with high prices first and leaving because they think it's just an expensive sale. Reasonable prices on products throughout the sale will keep people browsing your rummage for longer.
• Do not allow participants to overload you with bulky items ahead of time. You may just request they bring furniture with them on the first day of the sale instead, so you don't have to store large items for them in advance. You DO want furniture items at your sale because many times it's the larger items that motivate people to stop and browse.
• More people helping out with a sale means you will have an entire staff to fill the following roles: Checkout/Cashiers (adding up prices and collecting money), Bagger (bagging items as you add up prices), Security (overseeing what's going on throughout the premises), Loading (helping people to their vehicles or carrying things for them when necessary), Organization (putting things where they should go and straightening up after customers "rummage" through things), Extra Helper (for giving breaks to workers by filling in, and maybe even preparing or picking up lunch for everyone), and a Greeter *optional (to explain things to customers, help people test items to see how they work, maybe occasionally holding a sign near the road, or wearing a costume to catch people's attention).
• Come up with an agreement of what everyone's tasks will be during the sale. Schedule everyone's help according to what tasks you require of them and make sure they are available for peak times of the day, including set-up and closing. Allow overlapping shift changes as necessary, so everyone gets their chance to contribute to easing the overall workload of the sale.
• If you are the one hosting the sale, you need to create and communicate clear rules and guidelines for all of the people involved. Put yourself in charge of finalizing all important decisions. You choose the dates of the sale, set-up and close-down times, who you want to assign to each task, how the space is set up, etc. Be open to their suggestions, but do not allow anyone to overtake your authority - especially when it is YOUR sale and YOUR property be utilized.
• Set your sale up in categories. Customers love this because it makes it easier for them to shop. All home decor items should be placed together. All clothes should be hung and organized by gender and size. You will sell more things at a well-organized sale. Sometimes people will ask if they can just have their own tables of their own items. The best answer for this is a firm no. All items at your sale should be pre-priced with initials. Just like a retail store, there will be departments - or categories - that will have similar items together. If someone is looking for baby clothes, you can point them to the area where all of the baby items are available. Some people love looking through books. The books should all be placed together so they can see everything at once. Have a section of craft supplies. Have a section of dishes, and another area with toys. This is the best way to limit the chaos on rummage day. From our experience, an organized sale leads to a successful sale.
• Some people who see your success may ask to participate in your next rummage event. If you feel they are trustworthy and beneficial towards you reaching your goals, agree to it. However, if you feel it's not a good match or they may cause more stress - just say no, preferably in a kind way. "Sorry, but we already have so many people involved. Maybe you could try to have your own sale." Or - "We're already at our limit of 5 families right now. That's a limit that seems to work best for us." It's good to have boundaries, especially when you are organizing such a big event that will be open to the public.
• Advertise your sale as multi-family rummage sale. (Also use the word HUGE in your ads.) People love coming to these sales because they know there will be a better variety of product options to shop through. Also, knowing that many people have contributed items to the sale will make people feel it is worth their time and energy to show up to shop! Generally social media is proven to be a great opportunity for free advertising. Have all of the families involved spread the word, too!