All it takes to make some really big money with garage sales is your time, some careful planning, and a little merchandise know-how.

To be successful, you should have a variety of merchandise to sell. Don't worry about not having a variety. Once you start taking an inventory, you will soon be amazed at what you own but have forgotten about. When an item is not used it is simply abandoned by the "minds-eye." It's a little like having light fixtures throughout your home. They are there, but you don't really see them.

So the very first thing to do in preparing for a garage sale is to take a pen and notebook to begin a room-by-room inventory. That means looking in every drawer, every box, shelf, behind the bed, and on the walls, to list items that are just taking up space inside your home. Your criteria may be, "if it isn't absolutely necessary and you have no personal attachments that would cause some emotional conflict," add it to the list.

By the time you reach the last room your list will be pages long. If you're satisfied you have listed everything in the house, then head for the basement, attic, garage, lawn shed, work shop, barn, etc., and repeat the process. Don't overlook anything. Remember, what you may consider junk, another person will think is a treasure. An old tire, dolls, a child's wagon with only three wheels, an old Superman comic book, books and magazines, left-over lumber, a set of door hinges, costume jewelry, a hub cap you found along the road, rope, empty glass jars, a half-filled can of paint, small appliances, Avon bottles, fence wire, pottery, bolts of material, depression glass, candles, cassette tapes, furniture, golf clubs, macrame, and old croquet set, fans, record albums, cameras, clay pots, cribs, baby clothes, ice skates, posters, radios, aquariums, clocks, window screen, drapes, rods, fiddles, ladders and bicycles. Whatever it is, people will by it and just about force the cash into your hand to make certain it becomes their treasure.

After you have made a list of every single item you want to sell, the next step is to plan the best possible way of displaying and labeling your merchandise. You won't make much of an impression with buyers if you just dump everything into a heap. Being organized and displaying your wares in a manner that gives each item perceived value will put more cash in your pocket! Arrange each piece and make it stand out. Put your costume jewelry in a well lit area and on a piece of black velvet material. Make it glitter and look expensive.

Cover your display tables with colorful paper tablecloths. Be prepared for those sudden breezes by using thumb-tacks or masking tape to secure your table covers.

The best way to determine how your merchandise should be laid out, is to measure. Measure every display table you will be using, and mark the floor with chalk indicating where each will be located and what it will contain. Make the appropriate allowances for aisle access.

Now you should decide what items will go where. After you are satisfied with your layout, you can save a lot of time and energy by distributing copies for anyone who will be helping you set up. In that manner, each person will know exactly where to unpack merchandise that was previously gathered from various locations inside the house, etc. All of the cartons should have been placed in a designated area.

If you plan on selling coffee, sandwiches, etc., make sure you set up your lunch table and coffee pot near a electrical outlet. The last thing you want are extension cords stretching across the floor where someone could trip and hurt themselves. You should also designate an outlet for all shoppers who want to try out electrical items.

Make certain you have enough table space. If customers are forced to rummage through cartons filled with mixed merchandise, they may leave in frustration, and leave you an even bigger mess.

If you don't have enough tables to display your merchandise neatly, borrow some from your friends, relatives, neighbors, or your church. Every item should be easy to view

You could have the best-organized garage sale in the world, offer the best deals and greatest bargains anywhere, and still not make any money if people didn't know about it. You must advertise!

Today , all major daily and weekly community newspapers have a separate "Garage Sale" section. Weekly shoppers and penny saver type publications will often run garage sale ads for $1-$2.

When you write your ad make certain that:

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