The Buffalo News, N.Y., MoneySmart column.

(From McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - The Buffalo News - New York)

Byline: Samantha Maziarz Christmann

It's that glorious time of year again, folks: garage sale season!Here's your opportunity to make some extra cash, clear the house of stuff you don't need and have fun with your family in the process.We've put together a MoneySmart guide to help assure your sale goes off without a hitch:

Advertising

A winning yard sale starts with effective advertising. It doesn't matter if you've got the best goods on the block if people don't know your sale is happening, if they can't find you, or if your ad doesn't catch their eye.

Post newspaper and online classified ads. Most papers and websites have sections devoted to advertising yard sales, and people who make a day of going to sales use them to plan out their day. Start advertising the week before the sale and be sure to run ads the morning of the sale, too.

Make the headline something clear, concise and catchy. Be sure to check your spelling. Consider including the days of your sale in the headline for patrons who are scanning quickly to plan for a particular day, as many people do. If your sale includes an abundance of a particular type of …