How to Display Garage Sale Items Without Tables

So, you’ve done your research, you’ve set your prices, you’ve advertised, and you’re ready for the best event of the season: the amazing garage sale! Just one problem—you forgot that you don’t have tables to display your items. Should you cancel? Should you call it off? Of course not!

As the (self-proclaimed) leading authority of all things garage sale, we’ve got your back! Tables or no tables, you’re still on track to host the incredible community event that is the garage sale. Just how can you display those items without tables, though? Let’s take a look.

Furniture et al

To keep things simple, remember that not all items need a table. Big items, like furniture, can be displayed perfectly fine on their own. Lawnmowers, bicycles, and so many other items are their own display. Even better? These bigger items that can stand on their own are great for catching the attention of passers-by from far away.

Not only can these items stand on their own but, in a pinch, they can also help display other items. Maybe you don’t have a table, but you are selling a couch. Put your box of vinyls on that couch! If somebody buys the couch before the box of vinyls, you can ask the buyer to come pick up the couch in a bit. It gives you time to sell the rest of the items or, if need be, to find another way to display. Be resourceful!

Clothing

Especially if your clothing is already folded and in piles, the easy choice can just be to stack these piles on a table. This won’t necessarily get you the best results, however, and if you don’t have a table in the first place, then this won’t even be an option. Your best plan of action? Set up a clothes rack!

Hanging the clothing on a rack will make it loads easier for guests to check out each piece of clothing without messing up the display or having to unfold and refold every piece of clothing they don’t love. If you have a mobile rack you can set up, perfect! However, if you don’t, a quick DIY clothing rack is one of the easiest projects to pull off. Have a PVC pipe ready? You’re practically done already.

Boxes, bins, and crates

Even if you had tables available, not all items are really meant to be displayed on a table. For plenty of items, boxes, bins, and crates are much better options to start with. Items that can be grouped together pricewise are especially good options for this. Want to put all of your books together and sell them for $5 each? Put them in a box! Another popular use is to have a free or a bargain bin set up. The items might be wildly different in nature, but they’re all just things you’d rather people take away for free, or for just a very low price.

Also, if you still need a bit of elevation for that display, crates can be a great option. People go all-out making fancy DIY crate shelves for a cute and unique piece of furniture. For your garage sale, however, you just need to stack a few crates on top of each other and call it a day. Quick, easy, and eye-catching. What else do you need?

Improvise

Beyond these other options, the name of the game is improvisation. Set up a plank in between two ladders. Use chairs as tiny tables. Have two trees in your front yard? Set up a clothesline between them and hang your clothes. Turn trash bins upside down and throw some fabric over the top. At the end of the day, you just need to make sure your displays are good enough to make it through the day—they aren’t becoming part of your home for life.

With a little bit of creativity and a good eye, you’ll be able to set up impromptu displays in no time. Serendipity is the spirit of the garage sale, after all, whether you’re buying or selling! Long live the garage sale!