Making good garage sale signs

When you want to get to a garage sale, you want clear and simple garage sale signs.

The tips below are based on sidetracks I’ve taken to many garage sales.

• Keep it short and sweet. Unless you have a large sign, do not include unnecessary details about your sale. Besides, traffic is usually moving too fast for this information to be read accurately.

• Use florescent signs and colorful balloons that contrast with other sign colors in the area. A bright flash of color catching the corner of a driver’s eye can make a lot of difference in your total number of customers.

• Keep signs consistent. Use the same style of sign all along the route to your sale. Varying styles can confuse customers, who may think they missed a turn to your sale.

• Stores sell those stock garage sale signs that have a space for your address. But the names and numbers of streets do not usually mean much to your customers, unless they live in your neighborhood. Use any extra space for a larger arrow.

• Use encouragement signs along the route. Regularly spaced, same-style-and-color signs with just a black arrow on them can keep your customers from giving up or thinking they made a wrong turn.

• Disclose distance. If your sale is more than half a mile of a main traffic road, note mileage on the sign so customers know what they are getting into.

• Know what huge is. One often sees “Huge Sale” on signs, then gets to the sale and finds it less than huge. Don’t advertise huge unless you can actually deliver huge.

• Put up your signs starting with the sign closest to your sale. Take down your signs starting with the sign farthest from you.

• Maintain your signs throughout the day. Wind, rain, gravity, and even vandals can make your signs useless. You may be sitting waiting for customers who don’t know you have a sale.

• When your sale is over, take down your signs and clean up any mess.

• Save all your signs for you or your neighbors to use for future sales.