How to Host A Safe Garage Sale Amid the Pandemic

The thing about a global pandemic is that it affects everyone and everything we do, as we have now become well familiar with. Unfortunately, this also brings limitations to one of the greatest events known to people: the garage sale. Especially as vaccine rollout continues and we learn more about how to deal with the virus, however, it does seem like we can venture back into our favorite decluttering activity, as long as we do so responsibly.

Remember, taking care during COVID is just as much about caring for others as it is about caring for ourselves, and since our love for yard and garage sales means a love for our communities, taking care is particularly important to us! Here are a few tips on how to make your garage sale as safe as possible for everyone around.

Going Virtual

It’s not ideal, we know. Part of the magic is socializing with your community in person, but that socialization didn’t risk our wellbeing this way. If you or your community is particularly at risk or anxious about COVID, consider hosting a virtual garage sale. You can upload items and prices to a Facebook or Instagram page and share the profile. Visitors can still comment underneath the pictures or message you directly to ask about the items and prices, as usual.

This achieves perfect social distancing and has the additional benefit of being open and available around the clock. People who couldn’t make it to your physical sale under regular circumstances are now just a few taps away. To deliver items, you might choose to do so personally, or set up a pick-up schedule.

Some Distance to Breathe

If the virtual plan doesn’t sound like what you want to go with, the next best thing is to make sure everything is nice and spread apart. If you’re able to, consider taking your garage sale out to the yard where you’ll have the breeze ventilating the area and lowering any risk of infection.

Make sure to check your local guidelines for capacity regulations, but you certainly don’t want to have a crowd build up in your garage or yard, either. If you’re able to limit the entry, you might be able to allow just a handful of people in at a time. Otherwise, you might want to set up a scheduling system, so only a certain number of pre-approved visitors can be present at any given time. Of course, make sure to set up different stands and items apart from each other to try and eliminate any chance of people accidentally getting too cozy while browsing.

Bottoms up!

Okay, not that kind of alcohol, but certainly have plenty of disinfectant on hand. As we’re well used to by now, any visitors should apply anti-bacterial hand gel before entering, before and after paying, etc. Make sure to wipe down surfaces after each customer, and use hand gel yourself every chance you get. Encourage visitors to avoid touching any items unless they are planning to make a purchase.

There’s one thing you can’t wipe down: cash. As much as we all love counting up the thousands of dollars we bring in after a slow sale, those stacks on stacks are just going to have to wait for now. Instead, encourage visitors to pay virtually through Venmo, CashApp, PayPal, or whatever the most convenient transfer service might be for you. There are plenty of small devices that can hook up to your phone or tablet that allow you to swipe a card, too. While this isn’t completely contactless, it is exponentially cleaner than handling cash!

We’re not going to sugarcoat it, unless human contact makes you incredibly uncomfortable (which is understandable, but not the best trait for hosting a garage sale), these limitations suck. But it’s important to remember, it’s the best way to make sure our communities are as safe as possible, and what’s a garage sale without a community? So remember, turn that garage sale out into the yard, and long live the yard sale!