How to Organize a Successful and Fun Neighborhood Block Sale

Decide on a date that will best suit the neighborhood to have the sale. It’s best to plan and advertise the sale about one month before the actual sale to give your neighbors plenty of time to gather their sale items. Think about weather conditions in your area, holidays that may be coming up and anything that would prevent neighborhood participation. You won’t be able to please everyone with the date, but you want a date that will get the most participation. Saturday is the preferred day for a block sale and usually a little before school starts or before summer begins.

Create and print plenty of flyers to advertise the neighborhood block sale once the date has been decided upon. Be clear about the date, the starting and ending time of the sale, precise directions and that this is a neighborhood sale, not just an individual’s sale. List a few sale items of interest that your neighbors have told you they will be selling, such as electronics, baby items, furniture or tools. List items that may relate to the time period you are having the sale, such as nearly-new school clothes, if you are having the sale just before school starts. Be sure to include a rain date in case you have to cancel due to bad weather.

Post the flyers in stores or anywhere they will have visibility. Pass the flyers out in your neighborhood so your neighbors will be aware of the sale. Consider advertising on a local paper and through social media sites.

Ask friends or family members who have items to sell, to bring them to your sale. Even if they don’t live in your neighborhood, they can participate and this means more variety for your customers and more earnings for everyone.

Have a BBQ after the event to celebrate your success!