Choosing the right date to have a garage sale is critical.

Garage sale season has arrived. Here are the top 10 things you need to do to make the most money at your garage sale.

- Choose the right date. Yes, it must fit into your busy schedule, but it also must work well for everyone else.

This means avoiding major holidays and choosing a date near the 1st or the 15th of the month, which lands on or around payday for most buyers, said author Jamie Novak.

A weekend in the early or late summer, when it’s not as hot usually does best, said Andrew Schrage, co-owner of Money Crashers Personal Finance.

- Make it a group event. Multifamily sales get about 50 percent more traffic, so ask neighbors, Novak said.

Or ask friends and family if they want you to sell their items at your sale. “The more things you have, the more people will stop,” said Denver-based author Aaron LaPedis.

- Figure out the value of your items.

If you have something that your grandmother gave you, then Google it and make sure it’s not a $100,000 item that you’re trying to sell for $10, said author Lynda Hammond. You don’t want to see your items on “Antiques Roadshow.”

n Spend time on your expensive items. If you have bigger, pricier items, then make sure they look good, LaPedis said. Put air into the tires of the bicycle; dust and wipe down the table. But don’t put in a ton of time on items that are priced at just a few dollars.

- Stage the items. Transform your yard into a story with a little staging, Novak said. For example, group a dress with a bag and a necklace that go together, along with a full-length mirror; place a picnic basket with a fishing pole, and make a sign that says, “Gone fishing.”

“Taking an extra moment to make these little groupings will really pay off; they’ll fly off the table,” Novak said.

- Set up a children’s table. This table should be stocked with crayons and coloring paper for children to keep busy while parents shop, Novak said. Fewer distractions will lead to more sales, she said.

n Stock measuring tape. Keep measuring tape handy for customers to check the dimensions of your furniture, Novak said. You may even want to put little pencils and paper throughout the sale, so everyone can jot down the dimensions, along with notes about their favorites.

- Get spare change. Have this handy ahead of time, so you don’t miss out on a sale, Schrage said.

- Advertise the event. Use the newspaper and social media to get the word out about your sale, Hammond said. Start about a week before the event.

- Get your signage. This will make or break a garage sale, said LaPedis, who makes 20 signs before each of his garage sales. These need to be large. LaPedis suggested doing them on either white foam board or on bright, bold cardboard.

“Put them within a few blocks of your sale at really great intersections, plus the exit of supermarkets and libraries, and go at least 3 miles out,” he said.

When you get closer to your house, use signs with arrows. Put the signs up the morning of your sale because the weather may ruin them if they’re up any earlier, or a competing garage sale host may take yours down, LaPedis said.

Go back right before your sale begins to make sure your signs are still up.