• The first signs that you need to hold a yard sale may include: your closets don't shut, your car has been evicted from the garage by your junk or your bills come in envelopes marked "immediate action required." North Americans are among the world's most insatiable consumers, so if you find yourself with too much "stuff" and not enough money, you're not alone. A yard sale is a great way to get things back in balance, but a successful one requires harder work and smarter planning than most people realize. Pull it off and you'll have a nice clean home and a nice full wallet.

• What looks like an entire flea market in your closet might barely cover a corner of your driveway. It's important to make sure you have enough items to hold a sale.

1. Set up several large cardboard boxes or plastic storage bins.
2. Go through your entire home, placing unwanted items in the boxes.
3. If different members of the household will be contributing items, but not pooling the profits, be sure to mark a separate box for each participant.
4. Don't assume that anything is unsellable, unless it's actually decomposing. The truth of adage that "One man's trash is another man's treasure" is proven at garage sales, where people gladly pay for everything from old tires to half-used makeup.

• Scheduling your yard sale can be more crucial to its success than most people realize.

1. Keep in mind that Saturday is the busiest and best day to hold a yard sale. Sunday is generally the slowest and worst.
2. If you have a flexible work schedule, it can be an advantage to hold your sale on both Friday and Saturday. You'll get fewer customers on Friday than Saturday, but the heavy commuter traffic (especially in the late-afternoon and evening) can lead to great word-of-mouth for Saturday morning.
3. Choose a date at least two weeks in advance to cover all your preparations, including the lead-time required for classified ads.
4. Check out weather forecasts. You don't want to schedule a yard sale with a storm headed into your region.
5. Consult everyone who'll be participating before choosing a date. Unless you're a marvel of physical fitness, a yard sale requires more than two hands.
6. Choose a start-time that allows at least two hours to set up, keeping in mind that prime time for customers is usually between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.

• It's a good idea to put up roadside signs in advance, but there's no substitute for advertising in print or online. That way you'll reach hundreds of bargain hunters from all over your region, not just the ones down the street.

1. The most effective places to advertise include Craigslist, which is free, or paid classifieds (generally $10 to $20 per issue) in Pennysaver, or your local newspaper.
2. Whether placing your ad over the phone, by mail or online, carefully draft and edit it beforehand for clarity and maximum appeal.
3. Make sure to highlight your most desirable items. The following are a proven draw: jewelry, appliances, antiques, tools, books, records, and--last but certainly not least--children's goods (clothing and toys alike). If you have unique or valuable items, be as specific as space allows.
4. Check, double-check and triple-check that you have correctly listed the date, time and address.

• Depending on where you live, the police might have better things to do than lay down the law at yard sales, but you don't want to be slapped with a fine. Even though enforcement is often lax, many cities have special restrictions for any kind of public event. Call your local homeowner's association or police department and ask the following:

1. Do I need a permit to hold a yard sale? In towns that do require a permit, it can cost as little as $5.
2. Where and when can I post signs? In some municipalities, you can only post signs on the morning of the sale. Some ban signs altogether.

Getting a permit is as simple as calling your city License Division, and some localities offer paperless permits, that can be filled out on the Internet. Getting one is well worth it, as some fines will cost you more than $100. Other areas will allow two or three yard sales a year, before requiring a license.

• Search your home for the following materials. For those you don't have on-hand, make a trip to a local office-supply or dollar store.

1. Labels: Small adhesive labels for pricing. If you're combining items with friends or family members and wish to keep your profits separate, get different colored labels for each seller's items.
2. Index cards: Large 5"X8".
3. Pens: You'll need a felt-tip, a thin black marker (Sharpie) and a thick black marker.
4. Poster-board or foam core: bright colors will attract more attention.
5. Towels: a few rolls of paper towels or clean rags.
6. Cash-box: an empty coffee can or tackle box will do.
7. Tape: One roll each of packaging tape and duct tape.

• Use a little marketing psychology on your customers. People will pay more for a nice shiny item than one wearing a coat of dust or grime.

1. Begin cleaning and pricing at least a week in advance. If there are other sellers, invite them over for a "polishing and pricing party."
2. Using rags or paper towel, carefully dust and clean your sale items, including jewelry, books and records.
3. For non-paper based items of value, use a slightly damp rag before risking potentially corrosive cleaning fluid.

• If you've spent any time on eBay, it may seem that everything is a potential collector's item, but keep in mind that people go to yard sales for bargains. Your customers will be more likely to linger and shop if your prices are fair and reasonably low--but don't sell yourself short.

1. To determine a particular item's price, imagine the most you would pay for it at a yard sale.
2. A good rule of thumb is to charge less than 25% of the retail price for most items.
3. Charge more for like-new electronics, collectibles and unused items in their original packaging.
4. If you have sought-after antiques or collectibles to sell, try searching eBay's auction results to determine their current value.
5. Clearly mark each label in black felt-tip pen and affix it firmly to the item, making sure that each seller uses a different colored label.
6. For bulk items (books, t-shirts, silverware, old records) that can be sold for a uniform price, collect each item type in a box, labeling the price on an index card. You'll make more money offering four for $1 than selling them for 25-cents each.

• The presentation of your merchandise can either entice passersby to stop, or drive them away. It's better to have a yard sale that looks like a boutique than a scrap heap.

1. Scour your home for tables, boxes and bookshelves that can be temporarily emptied and used for display, as well as blankets and throws that you don't mind placing on the ground.
2. In order to estimate how many display tables you will need to display your smaller items, try covering the surface of one table as a test and see how much merchandise is left over. Keep in mind that the space underneath tables can also be used for display.
3. If you cannot find enough display tables and shelves, ask friends if you can borrow some folding tables. If you belong to a social or religious organization that owns folding tables, ask the director if you may borrow several.
4. Find a good spot to hang up a clothes line. Customers will be more inclined to buy clothes that are easy to sort through.
5. On an 8"X10" sheet of paper, make an overhead "map" of your display. Plan to place especially desirable items, such as nice furniture and collectibles, in plain sight of passing cars.
6. If planning to hold the sale in your garage, make sure to clear enough space well in advance.

• You'll need bright, clearly readable signs to catch the attention of drivers on the nearest major cross-streets.

1. Printable signs are available for free at GarageSaleSource. To keep a printed sign readable to passersby, paste it to a rigid foam core backing.
2. If you prefer larger signs, use bright-colored poster board or foam core. Using a pencil, write the location, day and time of your sale in the largest letters that can fit on the board. If the text does not fit, simply erase and revise.
3. Using a thick black marker, trace over the letters you have sketched in pencil.
4. Using other pieces of poster board, draw a large black arrow on each.
5. If it is legal in your city to post signs, gather your signs and tape and take a drive to scout for posting locations.
6. Post signs with text at the busiest nearby intersections. Post arrow signs to direct traffic to your sale.
7. If posting on metal posts, use packaging tape. If posting on wood or concrete, use duct tape.
8. If the wind is knocking down your signs, tape each one securely to the side of a cardboard box. Place a brick in each box to keep it anchored. (Be careful not to block sidewalks.)

• Don't get caught high and dry at 6 a.m. Start preparing while the pressure's still off.

1. If holding your sale in the garage, make sure to remove or cover any items that are not for sale. Sheets or tarps work well for this purpose.
2. Put bold "not for sale" signs on anything that's not for sale but cannot be removed from the sale area, including display tables. Use sharpies and 5"X8" index cards.
3. If you have multiple sellers, make a sales chart with separate columns labeled at the top of the page, headed by names of each seller. Affix one blank pricing sticker next to each name, according to color. Every time a sale is made, mark the amount in the appropriate column according to the price tag color.
4. Gather $30 in change: $25 in singles and $5 in quarters. If more than one person is contributing change, carefully note who has contributed—and how much—at the top of the "sales chart."
5. Contact other sale participants and remind them to arrive at least 2 hours prior to sale in order to help set up.

• If someone injures himself or herself on your property, you may be held liable. When hosting a yard sale, some people will go so far as to check the liability coverage of their homeowner's insurance, but the simplest way to avoid injury (and lawsuits) is to make your sale child-proof (and fool-proof).

1. When you set up your sale, make sure to leave plenty of space for wide walkways between displays.
2. Keep all sharp, breakable, or otherwise dangerous items out of reach of children.
3. Wipe up any water or oil slick that could be a slipping hazard.
4. Make sure there are no items placed where someone might trip over them.

• Here's the moment you've been waiting for. Take a deep breath.

1. Begin setting up at least two hours before the start of the sale. You'll be surprised how quickly it goes. Any extra time you have is well spent ironing out kinks in your display.
2. Start the sale at the scheduled time. It's not unusual to find anxious early birds and savvy eBay hawks alike circling your merchandise even before you're finished setting up. Politely remind them of the scheduled start-time. Early birds can distract you from the important work of setting up.
3. Security: Keep an eye out for anything fishy. Shoplifting does go on at yard sales, particularly in the chaotic opening hours. If you are able to, try and enlist a good friend or family member to help out. Also beware of customers removing price tags, but remember that the vast majority of yard sale customers are honest and considerate.
4. During the first few hours, you might feel like you're at the center of a feeding frenzy. Just remember to stay calm, be friendly and have fun.

• You have a pile of cash and a few piles of leftovers. So now what?

1. Consult your sales chart and divide money accordingly, reimbursing whatever each seller contributed to the original $30 change.
2. Take a quick ride to remove all signs and tape residue from public property.
3. Separate the items you wish to keep from those you'd prefer to be rid of.
4. Take unwanted items to your local charitable thrift-shop. This will not only do good things for your karma, but also save you the inconvenience of throwing out the larger items.

• Congratulations! You've neatened up your habitat and made some money in the process. Spend it wisely, remembering how you acquired all that junk to begin with!