You may have the best garage sale items to sell, but what if you don’t have enough tables for all the stuff? Don’t throw your stuff on the ground…it won’t be as successful. You want a profitable garage sale, so let me show you how to set up for a garage sale with no display tables.
In This Article
Common suggestions that are TERRIBLE ideas (DON’T do these):
- Lay things on tarps or sheets on the ground (people most often will not crawl around for your stuff)
- Display things on top of your car (that’s just weird)
- Leave items in storage boxes
We have a rule for our annual multi-family garage sale. Everyone must bring enough tables for their items. We combine all our items into categories, and we want items to be off the ground as much as possible.
On the first day of the sale, we always have so much stuff that inevitably there are tubs of bags, baskets and kids’ shoes on the ground. But as table space clears, we get it up on a table as quickly as possible.
Pro Garage Sale Tip: Get clean white (or any color) sheets from thrift stores, estate sales or garage sales to use as table cloths. This will keep items from snagging on plywood tables, protect borrowed tables and make everything look clean and unified no matter what kind of “table” you use. I usually pick them up for $1 – $2 each.
How to Set Up for a Garage Sale with No Display Tables
1. Borrow Tables
This kind of goes without saying, but if you have friends or a family member in the area, see if you can borrow any type of table or table supplies for the week. If you have a table with a vinyl top (ie card table) make sure you cover it with a sheet to protect it.
Types of tables or table supplies to borrow:
- Card table
- Long folding table
- Plywood and sawhorses
- Ladders and narrow pieces of wood
2. Rent tables from Facebook Marketplace Ads
In our area, there are a couple individuals who rent tables for $5 – $10 each just to garage sale sellers. Yes, you want to limit the amount of money you put into a sale, but in a pinch, this is a great way to secure the table space you need without spending a too much money. Party rental companies also rent tables, though their prices will probably be higher.
Search Facebook Marketplace for: “garage sale table rental”
Pro Tip: On city wide or neighborhood garage sale weekend, these rentals run out quickly! It’s a good idea to reserve yours at least 1-2 months in advance.
3. Buy Cheap Used Tables (or get for free)
Keep your ear to the ground, because in the weeks leading up to your sale, you might be able to find free or very cheap tables off Facebook Marketplace or a free Facebook group. I admit to dumpster diving a table one year and several old doors another year to use for our sale.
At the end of the sale, I put a “FREE” sign on the table itself. Someone got a heavy duty table to take home for free, and I’m not left storing it at the end of the day. (The doors we threw in the trash.)
Pro Tip: If you score free or cheap tables or doors for your sale, have Habitat Restore or another charity thrift store like Salvation Army come after your sale to pick them up for free as a donation. (They need to be in good condition if you donate them.)
4. Plywood on Sawhorses
This is the most common idea for how to set up for a garage sale with no display tables. A lot of people have a piece of plywood or an old door in their garage for whatever reason. If you don’t, then search Facebook Marketplace for some. Simply put it on top of two sawhorse stands and cover it with a sheet or large blankets from the thrift store for a “table” that looks pretty decent for very little money.
If you have problems with your plywood sagging, try the following:
- Move outside sawhorses in further
- Cut plywood to a shorter piece so it’s not so wobbly
- Double up the plywood
- Use a third sawhorse in the middle underneath
- Display lighter items on it like clothing (save the boxes of books and dishware for the real tables)
5. Old door or Wood on Top of Storage Tubs (aka Totes)
I went to a garage sale where the table-less owners stacked two storage totes on top of each other at each end and laid a piece of wood across. Brilliant! Most people have totes sitting around, even if they’re being used for other non-garage sale things, and this is a very good use for them.
Of course, you can’t put very heavy items on these makeshift tables. Also you won’t be able to move them around very easily, so make sure they’re along the edge inside a garage with items such as adult clothing on top.
6. Narrow Piece of Wood on Top of a Multi-Function Ladder or Between Two Traditional Ladders
If you’re not familiar with multi-function ladders, they have various sections that can fold in different directions. Most of the time, you can create a flat surface with two sections acting as “legs.” Then a narrow piece of wood can be set across the flat part.
If you don’t have a multi-function ladder, simply set up two A-frame ladders and put a piece (or several pieces for multi-layer table) of wood in between. This is not the most sturdy of tables, so no glassware or similar types of items on top! Ideally, you should place it inside the garage along a wall so it doesn’t tip over. But I have seen these type of “tables” work well.
7. Ping Pong Table
Have a ping pong table? Awesome! These are wonderful and huge garage sale display tables for clothing, home decor, household items or anything else. Just put it as the main table inside your garage because you are not going to want to haul it in and out on the big day.
I would also put some sheets from the thrift store over it to keep it from getting scratched or from it snagging clothing.
8. Flatbed Trailer
Many times I’ve seen a flatbed trailer on the side of the driveway displaying everything from tools to boxes of vinyl records to home decor. It’s a little difficult for potential buyers to reach items in the very middle of the trailer, so keep things around the edges for easy access.
Make sure it has a trailer lock on it and a large tarp weighed down with stones at the corners to cover everything each night.
9. One Storage Tote Stacked on Top of Another Tote
If you simply don’t have a table, put the lid on a storage tub and stack another one on top that has items in it. At least it gets it closer to yard sale shoppers so they don’t have to bend down.
10. Storage Totes on the Ground
Yes, our successful yard sale is so big and we run out of extra totes so that we do have items on the ground in storage tubs. This is not ideal, and we get it onto tables just as soon as possible. But for large collections of things like purses, kid shoes, baskets or gift bags, it works…so so. Just know that lots of shoppers will walk by without bending down and digging through small items, so the larger the items in the tub, the better.
Pro Tip: As a general rule, place these storage tubs of items right in front of similar items. (ie A tub of kid shoes should go right in front of the table of kids’ clothing.)
11. On Top of Furniture for Sale
You might be selling a couch, a table or a dresser, and you can certainly use these as makeshift display tables. Yes, if someone buys it, then you have to find another spot for your remaining items, but it will get you by for a while until other table space clears up (because you’ll be making so many sales).
Pro Tip: Don’t load up your furniture for sale so much that buyers can’t see the furniture. Also, place signs in front stating the furniture item is for sale.
12. Outdoor Patio Furniture NOT for Sale
Again, not ideal, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. If you have a patio table or picnic table NOT for sale, you can pull it to the driveway, drape it with a sheet and add items on top.
Pro Tip: Make sure to drape patio furniture not for sale with a sheet though or lots of people will constantly try to buy it.
13. Hang Items on a Fence
If you have a fence that runs right next to your driveway, you can hang a great deal of non-clothing items such as purses and bags, bedding, curtains, rugs, etc. Make sure to hang them from hangers for a nicer display and to keep clothes from snagging on the wood or metal fence.
Pro Tip: Get extra hangers for display at local thrift stores (usually not chain thrift stores like Goodwill). They will either give them to you or sell for super cheap.
Overall, your goal for your garage sale is to get everything (except for large items) off the ground as much as possible, as soon as possible. Time and again, we will have items in a tub for a day and as soon as we spread it out on a table, it will sell within the hour.
I can’t tell you how many garage sales that have tarps spread on the ground or boxes full of items. I usually just walk.on.by if I am required to get on my hands and knees. There are usually lots of garage sales open at the same time, so you need to entice people to browse your items, not give them a squat workout getting down to things. Don’t waste your weekend sitting at a garage sale with unsold items. I trust these ideas on how to set up for a garage sale with no display tables helps you get creative! Put effort into your display and people will reward you with pieces of paper called money at your successful sale.
Read more successful garage sale tips below
Garage Sale Tips for Organizing Kid and Baby Clothes
What Supplies Do I Need for My Garage Sale?
How to Take Great Pictures for a Garage Sale Advertisement
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