Fall Tag Sale

Shifting wardrobes from spring and summer to fall and
winter clothes is the perfect opportunity to streamline. As
a general rule of thumb, we wear a very small percentage of
the clothes we have in our closets, some people put the
figure as low as 10-20%. So as you swap out filmy fabrics
for thicker ones, take a long, hard look at the clothes you
have and ask yourself: "do I actually wear this?" In
addition to clothes, what else is lurking in your closets
that you never use? Have each family member go through
their closets (and toy chests) too and put all those
unused, rarely worn items aside in a few big boxes. Once
everyone has gone through all of their closets and drawers
and straightened and organized them, it's time to part with
what's inside those boxes. A great way to do that and earn
a little bit of extra money for holiday spending: host a
tag sale. Read on for a few tips on how to organize a
successful one. Alicia on "Planning for Success": "Plan the
tag sale for when it makes the most sense. People generally
get paid on the first and the fifteenth so pick a date very
close to one of those. It can be difficult to draw crowds
if the weather is too cold, so if you live in a northern
area, schedule your tag sale before the end of October.
Once you've picked the date, set a logical time window. If
you know that Saturday mornings are filled with soccer
games, schedule the event for the afternoon. Whatever time
you choose to start, be sure you are ready to go an hour or
two from the start time. If you advertise 9 am, people have
been known to show up at 7 or 8. So, if you really want to
start at 9, advertise for 10."

Sarah on "Not Getting Physical": "If the idea of hauling
all your stuff out onto the lawn seems daunting, remember
that your sale does not have to be a physical one anymore.
Your real items can be sold in the virtual world. You can
either sell them as individual items, package them
together—like a boom box with an assortment of
CD's—or turn the whole thing into one big virtual
sale. Craig's List, for one, has a section specifically for
this. Just remember to charge for shipping. And if this is
a new concept for you, find a friend or family member who
has done it and let that person guide you through the
process."

Here a few tips to help you through the process.

# 1. The Buddy System. If the process of holding a tag sale
seems intimidating, lean on a friend who can help you let
go. Friends often look at your things with a fresh pair of
eyes and can tell you straight that the cardigan you are
holding on to makes you look like a box. Another benefit to
working with a friend: he or she may be your first customer.

# 2. Use a YUNK Box. If you just can't bear to part with
all of your things now, put half of them in a YUNK box.
YUNK simply stands for YoU Never Know. If you have not
touched those items six months from now, you don't need
them and you should get rid of them. This can also work
really well for children who think they are just unable to
part with a toy or doll. If they see that they didn't play
with it for a long period of time without even missing it,
they'll let go.

# 3. For the Common Good. If you don't want to set up a tag
sale of your own, consider being a part of one that could
help the community. Schools, churches, and local
organizations often have communal yard sales to raise money
for charity. Rent a table at one that you care about and
your unused items become directly responsible for giving
back. This might also help you let of more stuff
understanding that the more you give up, the more you are
giving.


About the Author:

Buttoned Up is dedicated to helping stretched & stressed
women get organized. Co-founders Alicia Rockmore & Sarah
Welch team up with a group of Gurus to give you tips &
products for all your messy, stressed needs & introduce
"imperfect organization." Visit
http://www.getbuttonedup.com to see which Guru matches your
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