Garage sale, jumble sale or white elephant stall
- Outdoor: weather matters
Collect donated household goods and clothing and sell them at a one-day sale or gala stall.
Typically raises
$700
$200–2,000 per eventest.
About $31 per organiser hour
Based on one one-day sale or gala stall
Is it right for us?
- Money
- $500–2,000
- Work
- Weeks, part-time
- Helpers
- 7–15 people
- Lead time
- 1–2 months
- Red tape
- Light
Fairly common: familiar, though less common since online selling
- People
- 6-12 for collection, sorting and selling
- Organiser time
- 15-30 hours incl. sorting (estimate)
- Lead time
- 3-6 weeks to collect goods (estimate)
- Up-front cost
- $50. Signs, tables, price stickers (estimate)
- Risk
- Low; real cost is disposing of unsold goods.
How it works
The money, as an example sum
Take about $750, pay about $50 of costs, and you keep about $700 per event: the typical result for one one-day sale or gala stall.
From the typical figure on this page. Your result will differ.
Where the money figure comes from
Estimate. No NZ totals published; NZ school galas commonly run white elephant stalls of donated pre-loved clothing and household goods (Bell Block School, school Facebook posts).
Last checked October 2026. Ran this? Tell us what you raised and we’ll use real results to improve the figures.
Step by step
- Set a drop-off window and a 'clean and working only' rule.
- Arrange storage.
- Sort by category and price simply (fill-a-bag pricing works).
- Advertise locally.
- Run the sale; drop prices in the last hour.
- Book a charity shop or recycler to take leftovers.
Getting the word out
Even a well-run plan fails if nobody hears about it. There are two asks, and the first one goes out first.
- Ask for help
- Families to give goods to sell, and helpers to sort and price them.
- Ask people to buy
- People to come and buy on the day.
- When to start
- Ask for helpers first, as soon as the date is set. Start the public ask about 3–4 weeks out, and book newsletter and paper notices before that: small newsletters close early.
Where to put it
- School, club and church newslettersYour own newsletter is free and read by the families most likely to say yes. Check when it closes.
- PostersPosters at the school gate, the clubrooms and shop windows, with the date, place, price and how to pay.
- Local Facebook pages and community groupsPost in your town’s community page and local groups (check their rules), and share from your group’s own page.
- Billboards and roadside signsYour school’s or club’s own sign by the road, a banner on the fence, or a sandwich board on the day for passers-by.
The full guide to getting the word out: every channel from flyers to the evening news, with lead times and costs.
What you’ll need
- Place
- NeededYour own grounds or hall
- Landowner’s permission
- NeededYes, in writing
- Council permit
- CheckCheck with your council
- Food rules
- Not neededNo food sold
- Alcohol
- Not neededNo alcohol sold
- Gambling rules
- Not neededNot gambling
- Health and safety
- CheckA simple risk check and briefing
Usually no permit on private or school land; roadside signs may need council approval. Don't resell recalled products or unsafe electricals.
Make more from it
$200-500 (estimate)
bargain hunters arrive early and hungry
$100-300 (estimate)
low effort beside an existing crowd
$100-300 (estimate)
books sell well and are easy to sort
Stack it: on its own, about $700. With the 3 priced add-ons above, roughly
$1,500est.
What you can get donated
Pre-loved goods from families; storage space from the school or a member.
Tips
- Sell higher-value items separately online for more.
- Fill-a-bag pricing clears clothing fast (estimate).
Watch out for
- Being left with a skip-load of unsellable goods.
- Accepting broken electricals.
Garage sale, jumble sale or white elephant stall: checklist
0 of 15 done
Before
On the day
After
Usually no permit on private or school land; roadside signs may need council approval. Don't resell recalled products or unsafe electricals.
* General fundraising information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Money figures are examples and estimates, not promises. Check current official requirements before you commit. About this guide