How to Host a Successful COMMUNITY Garage Sale

by TARYN JEREZ

SunnySummer days are the perfect time to organize a community garage sale and part with items in your home that are no longer serving you, while making a little spending money for summer activities! There are so many benefits to coming together to host a multi-family garage sale! From added motivation and accountability, to larger customer traffic and sales, a community garage sale can be simple and successful, if you know what to do!

Here are five steps to roll out a successful community garage sale your neighborhood will thank you for!

#1 NEIGHBORHOOD NETWORKING: Enlist the Help of a Neighbor or Two to Plan Your Sale

It’s exciting to think about the possibilities of getting everyone together for a joint venture, and remember, even the simplest of tasks can sometimes feel a little overwhelming alone! Reach out to a few neighbors to see if they are interested in helping plan the community sale, or create a post on Facebook or Nextdoor with an all-call! Having additional hands (and minds) on deck will be helpful when figuring out all the logistics. You’ll want to decide on a date to host the event, such as a Friday or Saturday, as these days tend to be most successful! Be sure to lock down a time frame as well, keeping in mind that most garage sale shoppers love to start their adventures early in the morning.

#2 GET THE WORD OUT: Create a Marketing Plan and Assign Responsibilities

Spreading the word is your biggest responsibility as the planner! Think about the strong suits of each person helping plan the sale and assign different roles to each person. You’ll want to create a flyer for neighbors with all the important details on them to pass out to houses: date, time, sale coordinator contact information for questions, and helpful suggestions, such as how much change to have on them and tips for set-up. Divvy up the role of flyer distribution around your neighborhood so everyone is helping get the word out. Who will create signage and who will actually put out the signs the night before the sale? Who is the Internet-savvy neighbor ready to create a Facebook Marketplace ad or Craigslist post to market the event?

#3 EXTRA EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT: Inform Your Neighborhood about Dates and Details

The most important step in hosting a successful community garage sale is communication with your community! The flyers your planning committee created will be passed out, of course, per your marketing plan, but make sure whose ever contact information is on the flyer gets back to any questions that may be asked. If you have an HOA with access to a neighborhood e-mail list or Facebook group, perhaps send a reminder about the sale or create a poll to see who plans to participate! If you and your family tend to walk around the block in the evenings, don’t be shy! Embrace a little “howdy neighbor” Southern hospitality and let them know about the upcoming event!

#4 MAKE A DIFFERENCE: Create Sustainable Ways to Part with NonPurchased Goods

It may seem like your planning checklist is complete, but knowing what to do after the sale ends is just as important. The fact is, so many families will enjoy clearing out their homes and garages of unwanted items that the thought of bringing unsold goods back into their home feels awful. To avoid an unwarranted amount of useful items being wasted and sent to landfills, have a plan in place for what your community can do with unsold items. Have a few people who will pick up unwanted items to donate to a local thrift store or charity after the sale. You can also offer a drop-off location at someone’s home to make it easier. Be sure to include this information on the flyer you send out to your community.

#5 GAIN FEEDBACK: Survey Your Community About Their Experience

When it’s all said and done, you hope your efforts knocked it out of the park, and your neighbors enjoyed the community garage sale experience! While customers are looking around, ask how they found out about the sale to see which marketing tactics worked. Do they live in the community or did they see the sale on your Facebook post? If you are able to tag a family member in to keep an eye on things, try to walk around your block to talk to participating neighbors about how things are going during the sale. The information will help you determine any changes you’d want to make next time around and even help you make the decision to host again or not. Plus, this is a great opportunity to mingle with neighbors you may not have had the chance to meet just yet!

Remember, as cliche as it might sound, be sure to add “have fun” to the list! The best way to determine if a community garage sale is successful is if you and your neighbors enjoy themselves and feel like your efforts were met with positive feelings. Now get out there, start planning your own sale and go make some money!

Event details are subject to change.

Please check event wesite and social media pages for updates as the dates draw near.

FOURTH THURS NOW-DEC 28

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

5:30-7:30pm | Foothills Brewing, 3800 Kimwell Drive in Winston-Salem

It’s part social, part networking! There will be deals and discounts on beverages, and the event is open to anyone 21-35 or the young at heart. We hope to see you there! https://bit.ly/3DdR03L

Saturdays Through December

COBBLESTONE FARMERS MARKET

8:30am-12pm | 1007 Marshall Street in W-S

Welcome to your weekly outdoor grocer. Shop local, sustainable farmers and producers onsite with live music.

JUNE 1 & 6

AUG 3

SEPT 7

OCT 5

SUNSET SALUTATIONS: FREE YOGA AT BAILEY PARK

Our free, all-levels community yoga series is back, and we’re ready to unwind and relax together. Each event will be hosted by either Lotus Yoga Academy or 2BYoga – so get ready to breathe in, breathe out and get it “om!”

Bring your water, mat and towel, and join us on the first Thursday of every month from April through October to clear your mind and practice flexibility through the healing power of outdoor yoga.org/ used-book-sale-1

JUNE 3

BIG SIP CRAFT BEVERAGE & MAC AND CHEESE FESTIVAL

Outside on Trade Street in downtown W-S.

An all-inclusive event. For the price of a ticket, guests can sample Mac & Cheese from local restaurants and taste craft beverages from across North Carolina.

Tickets: $25-$45 in advance.

JUNE 3, 10 & 17

SALEM SATURDAYS IN SPRING

10am-4pm | Old Salem

The sun is out, the winter chill is lessening. Grab your family and friends and walk the sunny streets of Salem. Our Springtime themes include garden preparations, new life and the planning and establishment of early Salem. Learn about how the people of Salem built community with one another and how they shared their culture with the people around them.

JUNE 7

GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT

5pm-until | Roar, 633 North Liberty Street in W-S

Grab a friend, your neighbor, your sister, your mother, a co-worker and join us for a muchneeded Girls’ Night Out! Enjoy four floors to explore with multiple dining options and gaming. Gaming includes boutique bowling, virtual game simulators and interactive mini golf.

JUNE 8

Free Vein Consultation

12-4pm | 2827 Lyndhurst Avenue, Suite 206 in W-S

Attention Winston-Salem residents! Novant Health Vein Specialists is holding a FREE vein consultation event. If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms – leg pain, swelling, varicose veins, heaviness, itching, burning sensations, restless leg syndrome, leg cramping, muscle spasms, skin discoloration or ulcerations, our expert providers are ready to help you diagnose the level of your vein health. Our Winston-Salem clinic utilizes the latest technology, is in a comfortable setting and conveniently located, making it easy for you to take the first step towards healthier, more comfortable legs. Don’t let vein problems hold you back any longer. Get out and enjoy life again. RSVP today to secure your spot and take advantage of this incredible opportunity. salemveins.com/schedule-screening

JUNE 9-25

Something Rotten

Times vary | 209 North Spruce Street in W-S

Brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but find themselves stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” When a local soothsayer foretells a future where theatrical productions involve singing, dancing, and acting – all at the same time – Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first MUSICAL! This wild and hilarious comedy opened on Broadway in 2015 and was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Cost: $14.50-$27/person. ci.ovationtix. com/36350/production/1104902

JUNE 10

If you have an event you’d like to submit, please go to forsythmags.com/calendar-of-events or scan our QR code.

JUNE 16

REYNOLDA READ-ALOUD

10-10:30am | Reynolda House Museum of American Art – Jordan Courtyard

Join us for an outdoor story time perfect for children who are emerging readers. Featuring a different theme each month, we’ll hear stories, sing songs and participate in fingerplays. Leaders will suggest at-home activities for continued engagement. Visit reynolda.org/readaloud to find previous Read-Aloud videos. Free event.

JUNE 19

LIFT EVERY VOICE SUMMER CAMP

9am-4pm | Calvary Moravian Church

Raise a toast to the 25th anniversary of The Big Lebowski and raise some FUN with Greensboro Bound at this Greensboro Bound Literary Festival fundraising kick-off event! Award-winning beverage writer André Darlington will entertain you while mixing up a selection of movie-inspired cocktails and fun movie trivia. It’s sure to be a good time, but you know, that’s just, like, our opinion, man. Cost: $30/person. https://bit.ly/3UhdtnU

JUNE 22 JUNE 27-29

BOOKMARKS PRESENTS CHRIS PAUL

7-8pm | Wait Chapel, 1834 Wake Forest Road in W-S

Bookmarks is thrilled to host Winston-Salem native Chris Paul in celebration of his memoir, SIXTY-ONE: LIFE LESSONS FROM PAPA, ON AND OFF THE COURT. Tickets are $32 (+fees & taxes) and include admission to the event and a presigned copy of Sixty-One. bookmarksnc.org/ChrisPaul_WS