ukay-ukay 101/P>
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Ukay-ukay's main purpose is to dispose of unwanted kalat that others might find useful. As the saying goes, "One's man garbage is another man's fortune." It will also help you earn a little profit as opposed to giving away things to people you're not sure will appreciate them. At the same time, it's a way of helping less fortunate individuals afford something they need or want. It can also provide a venue where folks in your barangay or village can interact and get to know each other better. And lastly, it's one rewarding activity, you'll be glad that at the end of the day, you did something worthwhile. So, to get you started, why not follow this step-by-step guide to organizing your own ukay-ukay?! 1.WHAT YOU CAN SELL AND WHAT OTHER THINGS NEEDED Anything you want to dispose of in your house - clothes, shoes, bags, belts, hair and make-up accessories, kitchenware, toys furniture, etc. /P> Other thing needed: several dozens of hangers, tables or benches, masking tape, small notebook and pen, calculator, boxes, ribbons or strings. Tip: Other items, sell well depending on the time of the year. For example, during May sales, children's outgrown uniforms sell out quickly. In October and November sales, people are more interested in looking for sweaters and jackets. 2.WHEN TO HOLD THE SALE Anytime is all right, as long as you have stuff to sell. Parents welcome summertime sales because school is over and they have more shopping money. 3.HOW LONG SHOULD YOUR SALE BE One whole day is enough if you don't have too may goods. If you can spare a weekend, you'll have more time to welcome word-of-mouth customers. Tip: cut prices in half on the last two hours of your sale to speed up sales. 4.WHERE TO HOLD YOUR SALE If you don't have a garage, the front yard is okay. Bring out a table or wide benches where items can be arranges. Have a rolling rack to hang clothes on. If you have no space whatsoever, you could ask permission from your barangay or village to use some space in your place. You can also ask a kind friend or neighbor to lend you his/her garage or yard space. 5.HOW TO PRICE Visit a secondhand goods store and observe the range of prices for similar items in your inventory. Then slash half or more of that price fro your wares. For example, you can price t-shirts and polo shirts from P5 to P30 apiece. Remember that you're selling first and foremost to dispose of what you don't need anymore; the profits come second. It's not sensible to have high price tags because you might not sell anything, which will leave you with unwanted items. Tip: You can also bundle items, like tying together three pairs of socks for P10, so the less sellable items can be sold along with the more popular pieces. 6.HOW TO TRACK SALES You can devise a simple system wherein items are placed in categories and given codes. For example, shirts and polo shirts are assigned code S, socks are code S, kiddie clothes and toys are K, pants and shorts are code P. then write down each item, one paper for each similarly coded items. Sample Kodigo: Code B: Bags Item # Description Price Sold 1 Purple bag P25.00 / 2 Red bag with ribbon P15.00 / The SOLD column gets a check mark once the item is paid for. At the end of the day, it's also an easy way to see what was not sold.7.HOW TO PRESENT THE MERCHANDISE It's a wise investment to buy several dozens of hangers and hang all the clothes as much as possible - hanged clothes are easier to sift through. When items are lumped together, on a tabletop, people get easily tired of rummaging through the pile. Display items by categories. You can devote one table for kitchenware, one for toys and knickknacks, etc. whatever your system, make sure to display everything in such way that they are easily seen by and accessible to customers. 8.HOW TO DEAL WITH TAWAD Refrain from giving discounts as much as possible. Once you allow a customer to get a discount, she's likely to tell others that she got the item at a much lower price, and you'll have customers coming at you with requests for tawad. Gently tell the customers that your prices are already lower than those in commercial ukay-ukays. 9.EASY LABELING You can use masking tape to be the ideal label. It's easy to peel off and causes less damage to things. Just cut a square piece, write down the code, item number, and price, and then stick it on the item. 10.HOW TO DRAW BUYERS Make a large sign with the date and time of the sale and place it in your gate or fence. It's best to have it known one or two weeks before the sale so passers-by can find out about it. You can also make a couple of posters and hang them around your place. Ask neighbors to help spread the word too. 11.MANPOWER REQUIREMENTS At least two people should manage the garage sale/ukay-ukay. One should act as the cashier and the other as the checker, making sure that the price tags match the kodigo descriptions and checking the sold column. 12.WHAT TO DO WITH UNSOLD ITEMS Leftover stuff from the sale can be packed in boxes and stored for next garage sales or donated to institutions. So, what are you waiting for? Ukay-ukay is one great idea to have fun and at the same time, earn a little profit for yourself and help others too! ENJOY!!!! |
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