October 10, 2026 · 9 min read
The simplest answer to how to price things for a garage sale is this: most used household items sell for roughly 10 to 30 percent of what they cost new, and the exact figure depends on the category and the condition. Clothes and books sit at the bottom of that range. Tools, good furniture and working electronics sit at the top or above it. Start from the table below, adjust for condition, and put a price on every single thing.
These are rules of thumb used by people who hold sales, not official figures, and prices vary by region. They are meant to get you to a sensible number quickly, so you spend the week setting up instead of agonizing over a toaster.
Decide what the sale is for
Before you write one tag, pick your goal, because it changes every price.
- Clear the house. You are moving or emptying an estate, and anything left costs you time. Price at the low end and expect to mark down.
- Make money. You have time and good items. Price at the high end, hold firm in the morning, and plan to sell the leftovers another way.
- Both. Most people. Price the best twenty items carefully and everything else to move.
Garage sale pricing by category
The share-of-retail column is the usual starting point for an item in good, clean, working condition. The last column is what moves the price.
| Category | Typical starting point | Usual tag | What changes it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult clothing | About 10% of retail or less | $1 to $5 a piece | Known brands, coats and items with tags can go higher |
| Kids' clothing | Under 10% of retail | $0.50 to $3 a piece | Sell by the bag or bundle; outgrown fast, bought fast |
| Shoes and boots | 10 to 20% of retail | $3 to $10 | Clean pairs and work boots sell; worn soles do not |
| Hardcover and paperback books | A flat price | $0.50 to $2 | Offer a deal on several; sets and children's books do better |
| Kitchenware and dishes | 10 to 20% of retail | $0.50 to $5 | Complete sets, cast iron and good knives go higher |
| Small appliances | 20 to 30% of retail | $5 to $20 | Must be clean and shown working; keep a plug nearby |
| Furniture | 20 to 30% of retail, more for solid wood | $10 to $150+ | Solid wood, matching sets and good condition; particleboard goes low |
| Tools | 25 to 50% of retail | $2 to $50+ | Name brands and power tools hold value better than almost anything |
| Toys and games | 10 to 25% of retail | $1 to $10 | Complete with all pieces; bag small parts together |
| Bikes and sports gear | 25 to 40% of retail | $10 to $100 | Pump the tires and wipe it down; working condition is everything |
| Electronics | 20 to 30% of retail | $5 to $50 | Have it switched on; include cords and remotes |
| Home decor and frames | 10 to 20% of retail | $1 to $10 | Mirrors and lamps do better than wall art |
| Baby gear | 20 to 30% of retail | $5 to $40 | Check for recalls before selling; some items should not be resold |
| Holiday decorations | 10 to 20% of retail | $1 to $10 | Sells best in the weeks before the holiday |
The dollar ranges are the tags you will commonly see at sales in the United States, and they are a guide, not a rule. A small town and a big city can differ a lot. If you have been to a few sales near you, trust what you saw there.
Adjust for condition
- New in the box or with tags: up to about half of retail. Leave the tags on and say so.
- Clean and working: the starting point in the table.
- Worn but usable: about half the starting point.
- Broken, stained or incomplete: a dollar, a box marked with one low price for anything in it, or the donation pile.
Ten minutes of cleaning is the best-paid work you will do all week. A wiped-down appliance or a bike with air in the tires sells at the top of its range; the same item dusty sells at the bottom, if at all.
Items worth looking up first
The percent rule fails for anything collectible, branded or unusual, in both directions. Look these up before you tag them:
- Furniture that is solid wood, mid-century or has a maker's mark.
- Power tools and hand tools from professional brands.
- Musical instruments, cameras and audio equipment.
- Jewelry, watches and anything that might be silver or gold.
- Vintage toys, video games, records, comics and sports cards.
- Designer clothing, bags and shoes.
The number to look for is what the item has actually sold for, not what people are asking. Search the exact brand and model and filter to sold or completed listings. Then price it for a garage sale, which usually means under the online price, since the buyer is paying cash and carrying it home today. How much is it worth? explains the lookup step by step, and how to price used furniture covers the biggest items in the driveway.
Use round prices and bundles
- Round numbers only. $1, $2, $5, $10, $20. Nobody wants to make change for $3.75, and you will run out of quarters.
- Price small things as a group. "Books $1 each or 6 for $5", "Any mug 50 cents". One sign prices a hundred items.
- Bundle what belongs together. A set of dishes, a box of matching glasses, a bag of building bricks. One price, one sale.
- Leave room to bargain on big items. If you want $40 for the dresser, tag it $50. If you hate bargaining, write "firm" on the tag.
Put a price on everything
Unpriced items do not sell. Many buyers will not ask; they assume it is too much and walk on. Use tags or stickers large enough to read without picking the item up, group same-price items on one table with one sign, and keep an inventory of the larger things so you know what a fair bundle offer looks like. If you make tags at home, printable QR price tags shows one way to do it. The older guide on pricing items for a yard sale has more on tagging tools.
Plan the markdowns before you open
| Time | Price | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Opening to mid-morning | As tagged | The keenest buyers come first and pay full price for what they want |
| Late morning | Take reasonable offers | Traffic slows; a sale now beats a maybe later |
| Last two hours | Half price | Announce it with a sign; it brings people back |
| Last half hour | Fill a bag for one price, or name your price | Whatever leaves now is one less thing to carry in |
| Second day | Start at half price | Day-two shoppers expect it |
Decide in advance what happens to what is left: donation pickup, a few items listed one at a time, or the curb. Knowing that makes it much easier to say yes to a low offer at noon.
Common pricing mistakes
- Pricing from what you paid. Buyers pay for what it is worth to them today.
- Pricing from memories. Sentimental items belong in the house, not on the table at a price nobody will meet.
- Pricing from online asking prices. Asking is not selling.
- Leaving things unpriced "to see what people offer". They offer nothing and leave.
- Refusing early offers on things you want gone. The first offer of the day is often the best one you will get.
Garage sale pricing: common questions
What is the rule of thumb for pricing garage sale items?
Most used household items sell for roughly 10 to 30 percent of what they cost new. Clothes and books are at the low end, and tools, good furniture and working electronics are at the high end or above. Adjust for condition.
How should I price clothes at a garage sale?
Low and simple. One to five dollars a piece for adult clothing and less for children's, with a deal for several. Known brands, coats and items with tags can be priced higher and hung where people can see them.
How do I price furniture for a garage sale?
Start at about 20 to 30 percent of what it cost new, and more for solid wood or matching sets in good condition. For anything that might be valuable, look up what the same piece has actually sold for first.
Should I price everything at a garage sale?
Yes. Many buyers will not ask about an unpriced item. Tag larger items one by one and use a single sign for groups of small things, such as all books for one price.
When should I lower prices at a garage sale?
Hold your prices for the first few hours, take reasonable offers from late morning, and go to half price for the last two hours. On a second day, start at half price.
How do I price items when I do not know what they are worth?
Search the exact brand and model online and look at sold listings, not asking prices. Then price it somewhat below that for a garage sale, where the buyer pays cash and takes it away the same day.
Let your phone suggest the prices
On ZaZooomIt you photograph an item, or a whole table, and the app names each thing and suggests a price from what similar items sell for. You can change any price before it goes on your sale page, and buyers see the list before they arrive.