Forget department store sales and online-only specials; the real place to find great deals is a garage sale.

Based on the premise that one person's trash is another person's treasure, garage sales are an opportunity for home-grown entrepreneurs to set up shop outside their own residences and earn a decent dollar for their unwanted and unused goods.

But as easy as it may appear to set up a garage sale, successful sales require planning and organization. We've collected some tips from experienced sellers that can turn your garage sale from mediocre to moneymaking.

Timing is everything

First, selecting the right day and time can mean the difference between everyone and no one attending the sale.

"I do an 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (sale). The reason I do that is because I know 'looky loos' are going to come at 7 a.m.," said Ronna Adler. Adler has been staging garage sales in her Carlsbad housing complex for 18 years.

"I always do a Friday-Saturday sale. I try not to do Sunday because Sunday is a day people usually try to do things with their kids," Adler said.

In Encinitas, Gerard Vanderloop helped a friend set up a garage sale, which was scheduled to start at 8 a.m. on a recent Saturday.

By 7:30, Vanderloop had seen multiple cars drive past the house and had turned away more than a few early birds hoping to get a deal before the sale officially opened.

"A lot of people drive around looking for (garage sale) signs. It's kind of like a feeding frenzy with a little bit of blood in the water Ö throw the signs out and that's the blood," Vanderloop said.

Get the word out

Advertising is another key component to a successful sale. Street signs can call attention and direct passing traffic to your home. Adler recommended using neon-colored signs with black writing for the best effect.

Because many strategic shoppers plan their garage sale routes days ahead, both the Internet and newspapers are effective ways to publicize your upcoming sale.

"I try to put as much information in the ad as I can," Adler said. In a recent posting on Craigslist, an online site for classified ads, she listed the address, time and phone number for the sale, as well as a roster of items offered at the sale.

Items such as furniture, jewelry and antiques are certain to draw shoppers, she said.

Also, group garage sales tend to draw more customers. Customers will feel it's worth their while to visit a block- or cul-de-sac-full of sales at once.

Stacey and Morgan Werner of Encinitas handed out fliers to their neighbors asking them to participate in a community garage sale on a July Saturday, hoping for a boost in sales. Although few of their neighbors responded to the flier, three homes did open up shop Saturday morning.

Equally important to a garage sale's success is the display and pricing. Although some sales appear to be nothing more than piles of unorganized household goods dumped on the lawn, some sellers take pride in their displays.

"You want it to be pleasing to the eye. Put like items with like items," Adler said.

Price it right

Thinning out a garage sale by spreading out the for-sale items can make it more appealing to potential buyers.

"You don't want to knock anything over when you're picking up an item," Adler said.

As for pricing, there is an even division between sellers who price items and those who choose not to.

The Werners priced their items to avoid haggling. "I don't like bartering that much," Morgan Werner said.

Preprinted price stickers, which make pricing each item a breeze, can be found at department stores, office stores or ordered from online shops.

At Lizzie Reardon's Solana Beach garage sale on a recent Saturday, prices were nowhere to be found. Reardon chose a looser approach, letting customers barter with her.

"As far as pricing Ö if it's something good quality, (I sell it for) just a couple bucks," Reardon said. "For me, at this point, I just want to get rid of it."

At every garage sale, it is a good idea to have change on hand. Small bills and quarters make for faster sales and less hassle.

By day's end, many sellers are willing to cut prices to be rid of the items cluttering their homes. In Solana Beach, Reardon was determined not to take any unsold items back to her apartment.

"Basically, today I'm going to sell what I can, and then I'm going to put a big 'Free' box out here," she said.

Items that do not sell often become donations to local charity organizations.

"Whatever comes out of the house never goes back in. Whatever doesn't sell Ö will go to (the) Salvation Army," Vanderloop said.

Savannah ThomasArrigo is a freelance writer.

Garage sale savvy

Garage sale organizers are not the only ones strategizing about the best sales. Shoppers such as Carolyn Cope of Encinitas are garage sale regulars who map their Saturday mornings out according to the advertised garage sales.

"We don't go to the mall, we go to garage sales," Cope said, as she perused a garage sale in Encinitas. Wearing a black printed dress and flip-flops, both of which she purchased at garage sales, Cope questioned the need for retail stores.

"They (garage sales) are like a treasure hunt," Cope said.

Being a savvy shopper means knowing what to look for. Because shoppers are sifting through someone else's unwanted goods, understanding what is junk and what is valuable is essential to making good buys.

Here are a few tips for savvy garage sale shopping:

- Arrive early for the best selection. But remember, early birds attempting to catch a sale before it starts are not typically welcomed by sellers.

- Joleen Woods of Encinitas recommends looking for "tush tags" on the bottoms of stuffed animals. Depending on the brand and year the animal was made, it may be worth more than the seller knows.

- Keep a running tab of people to shop for; relatives, friends and co-workers. You never know when you might find the perfect item for one particular person.

- If you plan to purchase furniture, bring a vehicle large enough to haul it away on the spot.

- The hidden gems of garage sales are often the most unique items, Woods said. Look for out-of-the-ordinary items.

- When shopping for clothes, keep in mind that items may have been washed multiple times, rendering them smaller or larger than the tag indicates.