What Should I Put In My Free Box?
A Free Box is a magnet for Garage Sale shoppers. Fill a cardboard box with freebies; write "Free" or "Free Stuff" on the side in big, bold letters and set the box near the curb. You'll be amazed at how many people stop to see what you have to give away.
Why You Should Have a Free Box
The extra traffic from people stopping to see what's free isn't the only benefit of a free box. Seasoned Yard Sale hosts swear by them for several reasons:
- When people stop to see what sort of freebies you have, more shoppers follow because they get the impression there's something worth stopping for.
- A free box is a demonstration of kindness and generosity that creates goodwill with customers, whether they grab freebies, or not.
- It's a means to get rid of things that probably wouldn't sell otherwise.
- People who grab freebies often buy something in return.
- Everyone loves to brag about getting something for nothing —which is free advertising for your sale that money can't buy.
- Freebies always make someone's day. It feels good and it's fun to make people happy!
"Have a Free Box front and center...Once you've got them roped in, they're more likely to stick around and check out what you have for sale."
-- — Bungii.com
This is a great way to get rid of things without dumping them in the trash and sending them to the landfill. The last sale I had, we put out a box of free items, including coat hangers, plastic cutlery from takeout food, an old printer and a few other random things. Mercifully, they were all gone by the end of the day."
-- Mary Hance aka Ms. Cheap/Main Street Nashville
The trick is finding good freebies to give away.
What Sort of Things Make Good Freebies?
Whatever you choose to give away in a free box — as long as it isn't trash — someone will come along who's happy to take it off your hands.
Just keep in mind that the infamous Garage Saler's creed, One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure, doesn't refer to literal trash.
Non-recyclables and things with fresh stains on them belong in the garbage —not a free box.
For example, cardboard boxes are popular freebies, but pizza boxes with grease stains are not. Ripped t-shirts and torn towels washed and folded are appreciated because they make good cleaning rags. While unwashed raggedy, stained clothing and linens are just gross. (That should go without saying, but I couldn't help myself.)
In general, it's okay if you don't value the items in your free box, as long as someone else might. But it can also feel counter productive if you give away things in a free box that you could sell for a profit.
So what does that leave to give away?
Tons of stuff, actually.
Some good candidates to give away in your free box are:
- Items you would typically donate.
- Things you acquired for free.
- Stuff you have in large quantities that you won't miss
- Stuff that's not trash, but got the ax when you decluttered
- Things that can't be used for their original purpose anymore
- Incomplete or broken things that still have value
- Items worth less than a quarter
- Things you would feel bad about putting a price on
My Favorite Free Box Finds
I've personally picked up a lot of freebies at sales over the years. These three are my most memorable:
1. My all-time favorite free give-away felt like divine intervention. I had spent the week feverishly packing for our move from Oklahoma City to Stratford and I was almost out of supplies when I took a break to go garage saling. The family at my third stop had literally just moved in and —lo and behold— there were three huge trash bags of Styrofoam peanuts and packing paper plus half a dozen moving boxes sitting on the front lawn with a sign that read "free."
2. Equally special, were the hand-made vintage Barbie clothes I found one year near the bottom of a free box after some digging. They were in surprisingly good condition (too good for a free box) and the details were incredible —sequins, tiny pearl buttons, lace collars, ruffled sleeves, pleats, pockets, even matching vests and hats. The host made them twenty years prior for her daughter and it was a privilege to give them to mine.
3. My third favorite free box give-away was a big Wal-Mart sack filled with cross stitch and needlepoint projects in various stages of completion. Some were stitch-printed canvasses still in the hoops and I found thread in the sack for nearly all of them!
Some of my recent free box finds are more typical:
So far this season I've found a free • kiss-the-cook apron • nice pot holders • used pillar candles • random faux flowers • a perfectly salvageable Farmhouse style lantern with missing and broken glass and • 5 partial rolls of contact paper.
Check out this list of 101 more free box freebies that I've personally given away or have seen in a free box over the years:
101 GARAGE SALE FREE BOX FREEBIES
1. baskets (cheap)
2. belts that come with come with clothing (like cargo shorts and pants.)
3. bookmarks
4. bubble wands
5. bumper stickers
6. cake toppers
7. campaign buttons
8. car window sun shades
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9. cardboard boxes
10. catalogs
11. children's books (well-used)
12. chop sticks
13. clear glass florist vases (the generic kind that came with a flower arrangement)
14. coin purses
15. coloring pages
16. costume jewelry (kid's or broken)
17. coupons and fast food game pieces
18. crayons (loose, broken)
19. dishes (cracked or broken)
20. drawstring jewelry bags (that were free with purchase)
21. drawstring mesh laundry bags (cheap)
22. empty jars
23. empty pill bottles (labels removed)
24. empty plastic containers
25. empty plastic spray bottles
26. empty popcorn tins
27. empty soap refill dispensers
28. eyeglass cases
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29. fabric trim remnants
30. fast food condiments, napkins, drink carriers/trays
31. fingernail polish you don't wear anymore
32. folding travel maps
33. garden tools (broken)
34. garment bags (promotional or cheap)
35. gift boxes
36. Glade plugins warmers (empty)
37. Halloween masks (cheap)
38. Hangers from the cleaners
39. Happy Meal toys
40. iron-on patches
41. keychains
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42. koozies
43. laminated recipes, info cards and posters
44. laptop sleeves
45. leftover birthday decorations and supplies
46. leftover craft supplies
47. leftover paint
48. license plate covers
49. magazines
50. make-up and perfume samples
51. make-up bags and totes that were free gifts with purchase
52. markers
53. mis-matched socks
54. mouse pads
55. novelty toys, party favors & cereal box prizes
56. old blinds (cheap)
57. old calendars
58. old cell phone covers
59. old phone books & neighborhood directories
60. paint chips
61. paint stirs
62. paper shopping bags
63. photos you don't want (like that roll your husband shot of a car he didn't buy)
64. plastic nursery pots and planters
65. school projects and research papers you don't want to keep.
66. plastic spoons, knives & forks
67. pocket size books
68. posters
69. promotional cups
70. promotional videos
71. puzzles missing pieces
72. rain gauges
73. random hardware
74. refrigerator magnets
75. restaurant menus
76. reusable straws
77. rusty kitchen items (cookie sheets, graters, etc.)
78. scrap paper
79. scrap wood
80. scrunchies
81. shoe horns
82. faux flowers & greenery (from outdated arrangements you don't display anymore.)
83. state souvenirs
84. stickers
85. stick-on nail art
86. stress balls
87. sunglasses (cheap)
88. to-do notepads
89. travel sewing kits
90. Hotel soaps, shampoos, shower caps
91. used file folders
92. used glade candle holders
93. used greeting cards
94. used signs
95. wall-paper remnants
96. water guns
97. well-loved baby dolls
98. wooden box packaging
99. wrapping paper remnants
100. zip-up vinyl comforter bags
See? I bet you have more free box freebies to give away than you thought, don't you?
I'd love to hear about freebies you've found in a garage sale free box. Please, make my day and list your favorites in a comment below!
— Thank You for Reading
