Make Cash With a Yard Sale

Amazing things happen at yard sales. A reader on Yard Sale Queen shared one particularly memorable story. Her mother was having a moving sale and struck up a conversation about books with a younger woman named Nancy. They enjoyed their conversation so much that they exchanged phone numbers and got together a few times afterward. When her mother moved into her new house, she invited Nancy over for a family cookout. She introduced Nancy to her son. Five months later, they were married.

And that's what's great about yard sales -- You never know what you're going to find. A Mid-Century Eames chair, or a wife for your son...

Do you have lots of items gathering dust in the basement? It may be time to turn your front lawn into a money-making venture. Luckily, our friends over at The Nest put together a great list to get you planning your first sale.

Some of their best tips for throwing a successful sale:

-Price to Sell. Just because it pains you to part with your precious (and well-loved) Pearl Jam T-shirt collection, it doesn't mean it's a collector's item and worth $200.

-Share the Wealth. Enlist friends to join in a block party-style tag sale or rent a space at a local church or other organization's rummage sale. The more people, the more traffic.

-Sweat the Small Stuff. Buyers tend to overlook small things like small kitchen items, and jewelry if they aren't organized properly. Group items in Ziploc bags -- you'll sell more of the little stuff faster.

-Slash Prices at the Halfway Point. Everyone loves a bargain -- you'll boost sales with afternoon price cuts.

For more great yard sale tips, visit The Nest.