Greetings everyone!  I'm Jayna Sheffield at the business desk.
With a fast approaching summer I am sure that many of you will be thinking of holding those garage sales in order to rid yourselves of unwanted stuff.  However, what you should keep in mind is that there are several prowlers and identity thieves just waiting to pounce on you if you do not take the right precautions. 
First, be careful when you hold a garage sale and have several pairs of eyes watching over your stuff.  Make sure that all times that the doors to your  house are always closed and that no one can just wonder in and out.  For so many times when your back is turned these grubby and creepy folks would slip unnoticed into your house and quickly obtain important info about you.  IE your bank statements, address book, and personal IDs and credit card numbers are some of their favorite targets.
Here are some other tips for you to consider:
Hold your garage sales on weekends or on evenings when more people are around to help you monitor who comes and who goes. 
Try holding your garage sales together with other neighbors so that you can look out for each other. 
Don't sell big ticket items such as pianos and washers because most people would rather buy these items at stores that sell them. 
Don't sell clothes because people won't have anywhere to try them on and even if you could provide a place for them to try them on, it's not a good idea unless you can guarantee yourself that you are able to monitor the areas set up for trying on stuff.
Don't sell baby strollers and high chairs because the safety requirements have changed for these types of items and it may be better for you to stay away from selling these types of items.

 

Of course there are other things for you to watch for when planning your next garage sale but I hope that these tips help.
Enjoy your weekend.