How to Create a Yard Sale Sign that Attracts Customers

Creating your own yard sale sign can be a good idea for several reasons:

1. Cost-effective: Making your own yard sale sign can be a cost-effective option compared to buying one from a store or online. All you need is some basic supplies like cardboard, markers, and tape or string to hang the sign.
2. Customizable: When you create your own yard sale sign, you have complete control over the design and message. You can make the sign stand out with bright colors and bold lettering, and you can tailor the message to include any specific details you want to promote, such as the date, time, and location of the sale.
3. Personal touch: By creating your own sign, you can add a personal touch to your yard sale. You can use humor, creativity, or other elements that reflect your personality or the items you’re selling. Funny yard sale signs are great attention getters.
4. Fun activity: Making your own yard sale sign can be a fun activity, especially if you involve your family or friends in the process. It can also be a great opportunity to spend time outdoors while preparing for your sale.

Overall, creating your own yard sale sign can be a good idea if you’re looking to save money, customize the design and message, add a personal touch, or have fun in the process.

Best materials for creating a yard sale sign

The best yard sale signs start with a solid foundation. Signs should be stiff and sturdy so they don’t fold down in the slightest breeze. Some ideas for sign material are:

• Corrugated plastic from your sign store can be used for self-supporting signs where stiff wire rods are pushed down between the corrugated flutes and into the ground.
• 20″ x 30″ thick poster board
• Drywall (or gypsum board, wallboard, plasterboard) is excellent for street signs. It is cheap, weather-proof (short term) and easy to cut into any shape but needs to be secured or weighed down to stop it blowing away. A robust tent design can be easily taped together and a couple of bricks on the base for stability. Below are two examples.     
• Some people have invested in durable A-framed signs made from metal and wood. It can be as simple as two sheets or plywood hinged at the top and cord tied between the two panels. These signs can then be stored away for re-use later when you have another yard sale or borrowed by neighbors, friends or relatives when they have their yard sales.
• A common method for temporary yard sale signs is to stick the paper sign on the side of a large cardboard box and put a brick in the bottom of the box to stop it blowing over or away! Boxes also work great at an intersection where cars are coming from 3 directions, you can stick signs on 3 sides of the box! Suitably sized cardboard boxes can usually be obtained for free from your local supermarket.

Yard sale signs should be readable and attention getting

Cars will be passing your sign at 35 mph (60 kph). Look at the road-side signs and notice the size of the sign and the lettering. Note how small the lettering can be before it is unreadable from a car travelling at speed.

• Your yard sale signs should be readable from at least 10-15 yards away.
• Signs should be at least 11″ x 17″ and larger is better depending on what restrictions your local authorities have.
• Lettering should be at least ½” thick and 3-5″ high. If you’re using a word processor to make your yard sale signs then use a 500 point size font for the main “YARD SALE” title to get 2 letters per page. You can then print the pages and either stick the pages together for your yard sale sign or cut the letters out to use as stencils to trace around when painting your signs.
• Use a thick felt-tipped pen or crayons to fill-in or color in large wide letters or use bright poster paint in a contrasting color to your background.
• The background should be neon pink or fluorescent green because most official street signage aren’t in these colors. This will help your yard sale sign stand out.
• Don’t clutter you sign with fancy lettering, pictures or listing items for sale. This will just make it harder for motorists to read as they drive past.
• Attention getters for your main street signs and corner signs could be streamers, balloons, ribbons, flags, etc. Anything that’s colorful and moves in the wind. Balloons only last a day or two so these will tell shoppers that your yard sale is on NOW and that your sign isn’t still there from last week.
• Great attention getters I use are foil pinwheels from the local discount store or make your own. They move easily in the slightest breeze and flash when they catch the sun. You will need at least one for each sign (2 or 3 is better) and tape them securely to your signs so they are less likely to be souvenired by passing children.

Make sure all you yard sale signs look similar

Customers will then know they are following your signs to your yard sale. Use the same colored background, lettering, decorations, etc.

Use Google’s image search for yard sale sign design ideas

Search for “yard sale sign”, “yard sale sign”, “tag sale sign”, etc.

Gain attention by making your yard sale sign like a life-size cutout of a person holding your sign

These always get attention when tied securely to a street pole. Include a balloon or two for some extra attention-getting decorations. Use clipart for ideas. Here are some examples:

As far as offline advertising goes, your yard sale sign is the most important way to get people to your sale. With all the clutter out there it’s important to stand out- and we hope that our guide helps you do that. Good luck with your yard sale!