5 Reasons Why Everyone Should Host a Garage Sale

Question: What do Chee-cah-go Superfanz havf when dey need to get rid of some of dere stuff?

Answer: A Grage Sale.

Ahh yes, it's that time of year again. Spring cleaning meets summer weather and provides the perfect conditions to get rid of your old stuff. It is officially Garage Sale Season here in Northeastern Indiana. The significance of which trails only slightly behind hunting and football/basketball seasons.

I can't help myself, but I really love garage sales and shopping at them. For many reasons... Curiosity to see other people's stuff, finding hidden treasures for a super cheap price and commiserating with your fellow humans who have taken the time to attempt to declutter their lives.

I think that a garage sale gives you a better perspective on the stuff in your life. Here are 5 reasons why you should consider hosting one at least once in your life.

Reason Number 1: You probably don't need the stuff anyway.

There is nothing like dragging all your unused clothes, dishes, toys, furniture out of the house, pricing them well below what you paid for them in the first place and when they are gone, realizing that you don't miss them AT ALL. Moreover, seeing the totality of items sitting in the hot summer sun all at once gives a strange sense of how close most of us are to being hoarders in real life. If it was sitting in a bin in a distant part of the basement, closet or attic, chances are... you're not using it and it belongs in someone else's house.

Pro-tip: Hold fast to this general rule: Once an item is slated for sale, it CANNOT go back into the house. Don't do it friends, it's a slippery slope of nostalgia that you won't be able to overcome. Drive it to your closest thrift store or donation center. If you're in Fort Wayne, Indiana, I highly recommend giving the folks at St. Henry's Thrift Store a call. If you have large items like furniture or lot of items, you can make arrangements for them to be picked up!

Reason Number 2: You inspire others to purge.

Organizing a sale is way more effective when friends and family add their oddities to your lot. It is a well known fact around the garage sale world that "Multi-Family" or "Barn" or "Estate" sales attract the most people. Why? Because there is a certain algorithm that draws a proportional line between how many items you have (or potentially have) for sale and the amount of traffic that you will see at your door. It's true. More Stuff=More People Showing Up. Multi-Families? Estate? Barn Sales? Must be a huge one-- I've gotta check it out! Sure, location can play a factor, but the More Stuff- More Sales Algorithm is way more important.

So, if you're inviting others to participate in your sale, you have invited them to enter into a healthy task of assessing the value of the objects that take up space in their homes. And unless you are friends with Marie Kondo, you have a good chance that they will have something to drop off.

I do have to warn you though: Beware the friends who do not attempt to price anything that they add to your sale. These people are not your friends and would probably take the last cookie without asking if anyone else wants it. It's not that hard: Stickers are cheap and you can share packets. Be a decent human being and price your stuff people!

Reason Number 3: You experience entrepreneurism.

Garage Sales are nothing more than pop-up businesses and opportunities for kids to learn how to do math in their heads.

For a successful garage sale, you'll spend time promoting your location and your stuff in the paper (if you're old school) and on Facebook Marketplace. Maybe you'll even get some signs and balloons to highlight your customer's route to your house. You'll arrange your stuff on clean tables with prices that are easy to see and make sure that there is parking. The day before, you'll stop at the bank to get small bills and quarters to make change and if you're feeling really crazy, you might even grab a case or two of water to offer those who stop by.

And through all of that effort, you'll realize that it is a LOT of work for even a two day sale. And that's the point. You are operating as a small time business owner, selling stuff to the general public. Garage sales are a good reminder to remember all those entrepreneurs who live that life on a daily basis. (Maybe even go out of your way to say thank you to them once in awhile.) It is hard work to be a business owner and entrepreneur, but these passionate people are an important part of our economy and the lives that we live here in America.

Fun fact: Did you know that small business employers have 250 employees or less and make up about 80% of the country's workforce? It's true, capitalism at its core, isn't evil. Shopping local provides jobs and feeds local families.

Garage sales with kids can be stressful, but it is an awesome opportunity for them to practice doing math in their head and practice making change in real-life situations. Over-achievers may even encourage the little humans to set up a lemonade stand and learn about gross and net profit, sales and promotion. Plus, garage sales with cute kids selling lemonade? That adds a bonus to the More Stuff-More Sales Algorithm mentioned above.

Reason Number 4: You make room for the things and people that actually matter.

What happens when you aren't spending time moving around those bins of stuff you don't use? What do you do with the space that those items were taking up? What can you spend your money on when it's not spent on more storage for your home?

Answer: ANYTHING YOU WANT.

Life opens up for those who aren't burdened with extra stuff. You might use the space for expanding your hobbies or finally set up that reading or prayer corner that you've always wanted. (C'mon, I know you already have a page of inspiration on your Pinterest account.) You also might find that you are better able to enjoy the things that you do have. Instead of 7 sets of various mis-matched dishes and plates, you can sell the old ones and make room for that one design that you really love.

I've kept so many photos, cards and frames from my childhood. My husband I have also inherited quite a few family photo box and bins. They've been stored for years in Rubbermaid totes (I'm embarrassed to tell you how many) in the closet in the guest room (and the attic and other areas where we could make room.) It wasn't until recently that I started putting these photos in scrapbooks and hanging some of them on the walls. While it's still a work in progress, the photos are now easily accessible and I smile every time I see them.

And the extra room in the guest closet? It's currently empty: waiting to be filled with clothes, shoes, toys and other kids stuff from the children that we are planning on fostering. Our guest room was once storage for stuff that we weren't looking at or using and now -- It is going to be a place that two kids can call their own. Amazing what happens when you make room for the stuff and people that really matter.

Reason Number 5: You are reminded that you can't take it with you.

Decluttering your life is an act of charity and love for those who will have to clean up your stuff when you die. Yes, yes, talking about death can sound morbid and dark. But take a minute and look around the room that you are sitting in right now. If you unexpectedly died in the next 5 minutes, would your family know the significance of the items that surround you? If you pause for even a moment and aren't sure, I can promise you that they probably don't. And if they don't, the items will be donated, discarded or trashed.

During our first year of marriage, my husband and I experienced the unique situation of moving his mother 3 times, downsizing with each stop. Unfortunately, she unexpectedly passed away not even a few months after she moved the last time. Also during this time, my own mother passed away from cancer and my dad downsized our childhood home in the country to a smaller place in town.

My wonderful husband and I love our parents and appreciated the homes in which we grew up. But I'm here to tell you, from the bottom of my heart: Going through your own things, decluttering and downsizing is a generous act of charity and love. When you die, your family should be focused on only two things: grieving their loss and celebrating your life. They should not be pre-occupied with a house filled with items that could've been repurposed years ago, or wondering if that shiny jewelry is significant or simply a bargain from the hustlers at QVC. Suddenly becoming responsible for property, vehicles, household, garden and other items can be extremely stressful. Your loved ones want to honor you and your memory in a healing way, not cry over the existence of the Tupperware with mismatched lids that they now have to deal with.

Time to schedule that garage sale...

This is not a PSA to get rid of decorations and photos and not be sentimental. Trust me, I'm still overly nostalgic about more than one crayon and construction paper canvas in my scrapbook. These plain truths about a simple weekend garage sale can help you prioritize and rightly order the things that surround you.

God and family first, but the rest of it? Use what you can and sell the rest for .25 cents each or 5 for $1.