There's nothing like a garage sale to turn clutter into cash flow. The trick is to give garage sales — not go to them yourself. Whether you're selling from the garage of your house or out on the front lawn of your apartment complex, here are a few ways to make your garage sales great.

• Bagging and Boxing. Start collecting paper and plastic grocery bags as soon as you decide to have a sale so that your best customers have a way to carry their loot away. Also, assemble as many boxes as you can to use for display. Pile one full of stuffed animals, or stand an open box on its side to act like a bookcase. Arrange the books with the spines out. As boxes are emptied, give them to buyers to carry their purchases.
• Collecting and Marking. A week in advance, collect everything you plan to sell in one room so you can see what you have and start pricing. Group like items together — clothes in one place, toys in another, jewelry in a third — and decide the selling price.

Give yourself at least two days to price and mark everything. Start with a sheet of paper and a general price list: T-shirts $2, pants $3, games $4. Once you have your list, mark each item with colored stickers. You can use different colors for different dollar amounts, or code them to family members or neighbors if you plan to divide up the proceeds by sales of individual items.

• Changing Money. Go to the bank the day before the sale and buy two rolls each of quarters, dimes, and nickels, and at least 20 $1 bills. Find a covered box to use for cash; one with dividers or sections is best for keeping different denominations sorted out. Write down your initial change amount on a slip of paper and store it in the box so you can subtract it from the total to figure your profit at the end of the day. As soon the box hits $50, start taking additional cash into the house.