Top 10 best tips for selling your books at a yard sale

I had the good fortune to be part of Stonewall Kitchen Employee’s Yard Sale this morning in York (by invitation from my son, Anthony). I set up my table and brought copies of my book, One Brave Thing.

(Hmmm…maybe next time I should have someone else take the picture so that I can be IN it.)

Anyway, it went very well! I was so happy to see my friend Dawny’s face bright and early at 8am when I arrived. I am here to tell you that it’s WONDERFUL to have the support of friends when you go to do your book events.

Here’s some things what worked for me today:

First of all, bring change. Bring 10’s, 5’s, and 1’s. The first rule of yard sales (and farmer’s markets, for that matter) is that your first customer will pay you with a twenty. Every time.
Bring index cards and Post-it notes. These are useful for writing down price specials or whatever statements you can think of to attract your potential customers. You can make a tent out of an index card to act as a little standing sign.
Bring tape, because the wind will blow your tented index cards away.
The plastic Godzilla that was on my son’s side of the table attracted a lot of people to our table. Just sayin’.
Don’t bring chocolate to your yard sale if it’s going to be 80 degrees. Or if you do, bring some napkins.
If you have a buddy with you, it helps a lot. It’s nice to have someone watch your table if you need to take a bio break (okay, so maybe I shouldn’t have had that second cup of coffee).
Bring some bags. Many people didn’t want them, but the ones that did want them really did.
Be willing to be flexible on your price (hello, it’s a yard sale). Know your rock bottom price in advance.
Bring more than one pen to sign your books. One pen has a bad habit of going missing right when you need it.
Try to find a shady spot, or bring some shade with you. Someone had a tent thing that I was coveting (not that I would have wanted to have to set it up though). Bring a hat. Bring sunscreen.