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.

Garage sale signage - ideas for advertising your sale.

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!