The commitment has been made. You’re moving to another home or apartment. There are essentials you definitely want to pack. Likewise, you’ve got mementoes you don’t ever want to part with.

And then there’s the junk you’ve collected over the years. Useless things like that exercise bike that was used for a week before it became a place to hang your clothes. How about the 40-gallon air popcorn popper?

Then there’s the stuffed jackalope which your spouse has threatened to use as a container for a few pounds of M-80’s many, many times.

Sure, it’s a conversation piece. But usually when it’s discussed, friends inevitably ask, “When did you stop seeing that shrink?” or “shouldn’t you get back on your meds, for the kid’s sake?”

You could donate all of the junk to Goodwill and take a tax write-off. Or you can make a cash-only deal with total strangers.

You Can’t Sell the Garage

But you can have a garage sale to unload your trash. That way the jackalope will become someone else’s psychological nightmare. What’s say we give you some tips on how to rid yourself of stuff you never knew you had, nor have absolutely no use for.

• Clean-up all of the stuff you plan to sell. No one wants to buy things that look like they’ve been dragged behind a truck.
• Get organized by putting stuff of a similar ilk together on your display tables.
• Before selling any of your clothes check the pockets. You don’t want to sell a pair of pants with a 13-thousand dollar bill in them.
• Fold your clothing and when necessary, hang ‘em on a rack.
• Make sure that your local officials are hip to your Yard Sale. Ask to see if there are any rules or ordinances you need to follow.
• Keep your money in a fanny-pack. Any kid that’s ever had a lemonade stand will tell you that there are some bullies that will kick over your table and steal your hard-earned cash.
• Make change. And to do that, go to the bank and get a couple of rolls of change and a variety of paper money. Don’t keep all of it in the fanny-pack. Store the great majority inside your house. See “lemonade stand” example.
• Color code your items by price. Never sell stuff for $3.99. Round-out the cost.
• Expect some haggling. Just keep the agreed-to price at a round number.
• What do early birds catch? The worm. Expect worm-hunters to show up at sunrise.
• Don’t pick a holiday weekend. Keep the sale hours between 8 AM and Noon. You can always do it for more than one day.
• Watch the weather forecast. Have a rain date if a hurricane or asteroid attack is imminent.
• Make sure you have some bags at the ready. Paper is best. It’s earth-friendly. Some newspaper is a good thing to stock in case the object is breakable.
• Advertise! The local newspaper works fine, but Craigslist and other online websites that focus on your area will help too. Google it. You’re bound to find something on the Internets to help you plug the sale. Oh, and don’t forget grocery store bulletin boards and laundromats.
• Stick-up some signage with arrows and times of sale. Yellow backgrounds and big black letters are easiest to see.
• Clean-up after yourself. Pick-up the signs and dispose of them properly.
• Reconsider selling the jackalope. Don’t let others control your sickness.