1 . “Yard sale” is appealing to bargain hunters, antique seekers and so on. It may seem simple.     1     Here, what you need to know, do and plan for in order to hold a great event.

Plan in advance. Have you decided you’re going to have a yard sale? Great!     2     In addition to gathering up and assessing your things, placing signs around the neighborhood, you also need to find out whether your city requires a permit and whether your other neighborhood organization has rules about yard sales.

Get help. You probably don’t want to do this all alone since your attention will be spread pretty thin during busy sale periods. Ask a couple of friends, neighbors or family members to help you out with set-up, running the register or clean-up -or better yet, to add their own things to the sale.     3    .

    4    If you’re going to the trouble of attempting to sell your stuff, make it look attractive so it actually sells well. Wipe down appliances, wash, iron and hang clothing, and lay everything out nice and neat on clean tables and shelves, not in piles.

Be safe.     5     Do not let people enter your house to try on clothes or use the bathroom, and keep your doors locked. Don’t take personal checks from strangers, and rather than a cash box anybody could grab, keep earnings on your person in a fanny-pack-type device or safely in your pocket. Take periodic trips inside to put the cash.