Yard sales with a purpose

Today we went to a neighboring town to help friends with their part in a community yard sale. We “donated” a bunch of things to their sale because they’re in the process of adopting a girl from China through the Philip Hayden Foundation, and these kinds of adoptions are very expensive, even with federal tax credits of over $10,000. It served a dual purpose for us: we helped them raise money and we cleaned out parts of our garage and shed.

They did quite well — well over $400 for the day. Some observations as to why it went so well for them:

They chose a high-traffic day. There was already a community yard sale going on, so that drew more bargain hunters.
They organized the goods. Organization helps any yard sale but this was pretty well-organized.
They mentioned the sale to their (our) church. This prompted some sales and prompted others to donate more to the sale.
They had brochures and pictures of the girl displayed. A cause like this brings more sales than someone looking to make a buck.
They involved the whole family and told people about the adoption. The father (a very good friend) is outgoing, so this was a no brainer for him. His daughters were involved as well. This reinforces the purpose of the sale.
They chose a day that didn’t rain. I’m glad that we called ahead for them.

A yard sale with a purpose will usually do better than a yard sale without a defined purpose (other than making money). The nobler the purpose, the better the sale!