Yard Sale Secrets

May 29, 2009 — -- Yard sale, garage sale, rummage sale or tag sale -- no matter what you call it, it can help you clear out the winter clutter and scoop up enough cash for a summer treat.

But as with any business venture, success isn't guaranteed.

Special correspondent Cameron Mathison of "All My Children" and "Dancing With the Stars" tried one in his own home, and shared with "GMA" his secrets for making a sale fun and profitable.

Click here for all of our Make Money in May ideas.

A yard sale is a great incentive to start your spring cleaning. As you clean out the attic or basement, put things aside that you don't use anymore but that can be sold. Be objective when deciding what goes and what stays.

"You need to let go of things," yard sale expert Trish Suhr of the Style Network said. "There's stuff that you're never going to use again."

It can be difficult to part with some things, especially clothes. If you haven't worn something in a year, it's time to let it go. Waiting for stonewashed jeans or hammer pants to come back in style just takes up room that could be used for more wearable fashions.

"It's often helpful to have a friend or partner go through the closet with you," Mathison said, "to help you make some tough decisions."

Old sporting equipment and electronics are perfect for a yard sale. Remember to wipe clean the hard drive of any computers you plan on selling and to uninstall any software that might have stored usage details.

As for the kids' stuff, Suhr cited baby clothes and toys as the most popular yard sale items. But for a child, getting rid of these things might be tough. When you survey the house looking for items to sell, to lessen the blow you might not want the kids with you.

The other option is to make the entire process into family fun. Give kids a goal and put them in charge of which items they would like to sell.

Once you know what you want to sell, the next step is finding people who will buy.