Get the word out! Success depends on it. Below are some ideas on how to accomplish this sometimes difficult task.

• Place your ad in ColumbusGarageSale.com - The more information, the better. Buyers only have enough time to visit a few sales on any given day. The more items and details listed in your ad, the more likely you are to attract people who want to buy your stuff.
  • Include photos with your ad. You can upload up to three photos of your best items with your ad. Ads with photos will alwayse generate more interest than ads without. Your photos can be up to 450x300 pixels in size in jpg format.

• Use social media (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, email...) to promote your sale - Every ad placed in ColumbusGarageSale.com has a "Share This" link found at the bottom of the ad. This allows anyone to share the ad through over 200 types of social media. Place a link to your ad on Facebook or MySpace and have your friends do the same. Email the link to everyone on your email list or tweet it to all of your followers. It has never been so easy to promote a garage sale.

• Place ads in The Columbus Dispatch and the other weekly newspapers. For the people who don't have access to or simple don't like the internet.The more avenues used to promote your sale, the more success you can expect.
  • The Columbus Dispatch: (614) 461-5555; (614) 461-8552 fax; ads@the.dispatch.com
  • The Other Paper: (614) 785-1200
  • Suburban News Publications (SNP): (614) 785-1212 or (866) 354-6030
  • This Week Newspapers: (614) 888-8888

• Attention-getting items. Whenever possible, include large or highly valuable items in your sale. Washer/dryer, big screen TV, or maybe a valuable baseball card collection will generate more interest than the same sale without such items. Use your best stuff to help genrate traffic to your sale.

• Use readable signs. Home made signs can be ineffective because of poor handwritting and lettering that's too light to read. Make sure to use heavy black marker when creating a sign. In order to help, we at ColumbusGarageSale.com have created signs that can be printed from your home computer. Click to go to our FREE SIGN PAGE to download your signs.

Store bought signs are also available. These signs can be found in hardware and discount stores.

Signs available in hardeware stores.

• Use motion to get attention. Legiable signs are great, but only if people pay attention to them. Our brains are programmed to notice things in motion over things that are still. So, make your signs move...or at least part of them. Add balloons or streamers to them. Maybe try a couple of toy pinwheels.

• Word of mouth. Tell your friends and family - and ask them to pass the word on as well. Don't forget to talk to your co-workers, friends at church or at other social activities.
  
  What's one of the best pieces that you are selling at your sale? TV? Kitchen table with chairs? Couch? Ask your friends if they know of anyone who would be interested in this item. Yes or no, they will usually ask for more info as well as pass that information on. After they ask, then tell them about the garage sale and invite them to come over.

• Make it a party. It's a great way to meet your neighbors or help your neighbors meet each other. Invite your neighbors and friends over for cookies, snacks and drinks (make sure you have enough for a few strangers as well).

• Flyers. Use them to invite your neighbors, co-workers, friends, etc. Great for bulletin boards. Everyone who places an ad on ColumbusGarageSale.com has access to a PDF file with several pre-designed flyers. Simply login to your account and then find the link at the bottom of your ad.

• Let them come to you. Some of the most sucessful sales are sucessful because they piggy-back onto other local events, such as road races, parades, festivals, etc.

• Band together. The larger the sale, the more families involved, the more attractive your sale will be to prospective buyers.

• Chalk on the sidewalk. For neighborhoods with a lot of foot traffic, a sign drawn on the sidwalk can be a unique way to get the message out. So get your children busy...

• Add your ideas here. What worked and what didn't? Let us know.