Having a yard sale with your congregation can be a great way to get together as a community, raise funds, and have fun! It will generally be a low maintenance event, just be sure that you have everything you need prepare yourself for success.
This means organizing everyone participating, displaying your goods properly, and having a comfortable environment for everyone working the event.
Getting Started The first step to planning is getting everyone to contribute something to sell.
Depending on how large of a group you are working with, this can take some planning.
It may be a good idea to think up different categories for various items and have people drop off their things in different boxes based upon category.
This way you will not have to be sorting through things at the last minute, and your goods will look neat and therefore more appealing to people shopping.
Once you have this system determined, you will need to consider how to display all of these goods.
The most customer-friendly way will be to use big banquet style tables, with different tables for different types of wares.
Also, remember that it can be tough to sit out the whole day working at a yard sale, so remember to have enough chairs so that all of your volunteers can have a relaxing day.
The Big Day Be sure to give yourself ample set-up time, as this can be a big job.
Try to arrange your tables/items in a way that makes sense (i.
e.
don't put the children's toys next to the china).
Have the check-out table in an easy-to-spot location with some chairs behind.
You may want to have some volunteers to collect cash there and others available to answer any questions shoppers might have.
Fun Extras If there are people willing to donate home-baked items, it's a great idea to have a little bake sale at your yard sale.
People will love having a treat while they shop.
You'll need a table for the food and a few more chairs for those behind the table.
In case shoppers would like a refreshing drink with their snacks, see if there are any kids who would like to run a lemonade stand beside the bake sale table.
These additions will give your sale a fun atmosphere.
Décor and Advertisements Though you don't really need to decorate for a yard sale, consider making a poster describing what any funds raised will be used for.
This can be a great way to advertise, as well as to let people know what the congregation is doing with the proceeds.
Also, make sure you let the public know what is happening! Besides announcements in church, you may want to place an ad in the local paper, have a public service announcement made on a local radio station, and hang flyers in nearby neighborhoods.
Once you are all set up, enjoy! Remember to donate all goods that are not sold to a local charity.
This means organizing everyone participating, displaying your goods properly, and having a comfortable environment for everyone working the event.
Getting Started The first step to planning is getting everyone to contribute something to sell.
Depending on how large of a group you are working with, this can take some planning.
It may be a good idea to think up different categories for various items and have people drop off their things in different boxes based upon category.
This way you will not have to be sorting through things at the last minute, and your goods will look neat and therefore more appealing to people shopping.
Once you have this system determined, you will need to consider how to display all of these goods.
The most customer-friendly way will be to use big banquet style tables, with different tables for different types of wares.
Also, remember that it can be tough to sit out the whole day working at a yard sale, so remember to have enough chairs so that all of your volunteers can have a relaxing day.
The Big Day Be sure to give yourself ample set-up time, as this can be a big job.
Try to arrange your tables/items in a way that makes sense (i.
e.
don't put the children's toys next to the china).
Have the check-out table in an easy-to-spot location with some chairs behind.
You may want to have some volunteers to collect cash there and others available to answer any questions shoppers might have.
Fun Extras If there are people willing to donate home-baked items, it's a great idea to have a little bake sale at your yard sale.
People will love having a treat while they shop.
You'll need a table for the food and a few more chairs for those behind the table.
In case shoppers would like a refreshing drink with their snacks, see if there are any kids who would like to run a lemonade stand beside the bake sale table.
These additions will give your sale a fun atmosphere.
Décor and Advertisements Though you don't really need to decorate for a yard sale, consider making a poster describing what any funds raised will be used for.
This can be a great way to advertise, as well as to let people know what the congregation is doing with the proceeds.
Also, make sure you let the public know what is happening! Besides announcements in church, you may want to place an ad in the local paper, have a public service announcement made on a local radio station, and hang flyers in nearby neighborhoods.
Once you are all set up, enjoy! Remember to donate all goods that are not sold to a local charity.