-- Advertise. First, pick a date. Then pick a rain date. Once you've settled on both, take out an ad in the local paper, to run the day before the sale. If you wait until the day of, says Fulghum, your potential customers will already be out scrounging for deals while their paper -- and your ad -- sits on the doormat. You should also hit Craigslist, where advertising is free, and distribute fliers where you can. Supermarkets, Laundromats, drug stores and local banks are prime targets, as are telephone poles. (Just be sure to remove the fliers after the sale is over.) And nothing spreads faster than word of mouth, so tell your co-workers, your friends at the gym, and other parents at your kids' school. They may even want to join you, and when it comes to yard sales, the more the merrier.

-- Set the scene. Organization is key. You can't just throw a bunch of things on a blanket or table and expect to make some cash. "Think about how a retail store is set up. They have departments, and you want to set up departments throughout your sale. So in one area, you might have purses, jewelry and accessories," says Smallin. By placing similar items together, you'll make sure that a potential buyer sees all of the options. Make sure that any clothing you've decided to sell is marked with the correct size. Fulghum also suggests hanging clothing up individually. (A broom suspended on two ladders imitates the metal racks you see in retail stores.) "That way, people can rummage through them without creating a lot of disorganization." Make sure you also have the ability to plug in electronics, so buyers can verify that they work.

-- Have a back-up plan. You may sell everything, but if you don't, it's up to you: Do you want to shove the leftovers back in the closet? Try your hand on eBay? Reopen shop another day?

If the idea of lugging everything back inside isn't appealing, I suggest putting your items on a "super sale" about an hour before closing time. If books were $1 before, start offering them at two for $1 or 25 cents each. Throw in a few enticing extras -- if someone is considering taking that shelf off your hands, offer the set of dishes for free. You'll still make some cash, and get rid of your stuff in the process. With reporting by Arielle McGowen