(ARA) - Having a garage sale has fast become America's most popular way to recycle its household goods and bring in some cash. The best time to have a sale is just before or after you move, when you're forced to handle every one of your possessions -- but anytime you're ready to clean, and sort and simplify your life is a good one.

With the right approach, having a garage sale can be a refreshing experience as well as a smart financial move. But many people aren't quite sure how to tackle the project or do it in a way that's both efficient and effective. Here are some tips from an expert to help make the most of the experience.

Give yourself time

Give yourself plenty of lead time to gather merchandise for your garage sale. Start weeks beforehand and sort through all your closets, drawers and boxes. Do you really need every utensil in your kitchen cabinets or all the Christmas decorations in your attic? Offering both volume and variety will attract shoppers as well as bring in the most income.

Sell large-ticket items through alternative means

Get the most for your large-ticket items by not selling them at your garage sale, where shoppers expect to pay rock-bottom prices. Instead, before your sale, advertise items worth $20 or more through other free or low-cost outlets, such as neighborhood newspapers, student publications or coffee-shop bulletin boards. Explore the options available through Internet web sites and re-sale stores that specialize in books, appliances, photography, sporting goods or baby items.

Take a retailer's approach to pricing and display

Price your merchandise so that customers will feel like they're getting a bargain -- 10 to 20 percent of retail value, more for items that are like-new. Visit other people's sales to get ideas for yours, and have a mirror available if you plan to sell clothing. Overall, be sure to mark prices clearly, display merchandise between knee level and eye level, and rearrange your display as items are sold -- just as retailers do.

You'll find these and dozens more valuable ideas in the booklet "50 Ways to Make the Most Money Having a Garage Sale." To obtain a copy, send $5.00 to CMS Publishing, PO Box 23448, Minneapolis, MN 55423.

Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com, e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com