Just call me the Miss Manners of garage sales.

You see, there’s a certain unspoken moral and ethical code governing the sacred act of selling one’s stuff. Contrary to popular belief, a yard sale is not an anything-goes, no-etiquette-needed free-for-all. As in any social situation, there are certain things you do or don’t do in order to be polite.

Being avid yard sale shoppers, my husband, Michael, and I often run across examples of bad manners, both by shoppers and by sellers. Here are a few of the faux pas we’ve seen that could have been easily avoided by the simple practice of good yard sale etiquette.

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Sellers’ Slips

Not Pricing Items Clearly – Or worse yet (in my opinion), not pricing items at all. Buyers shouldn’t have to work at figuring out the prices. If it’s too confusing, some shoppers will get frustrated and leave without making purchases.

Accommodating Early Birds – Allowing early shoppers to get the bargains is unfair to the shoppers who are careful to respect your wishes. Remember that accommodating early birds provides positive reinforcement to this inconsiderate behavior.

Trying to Sell Used Stuff at “New” Prices – If your stuff means that much to you, take it to a consignment store or sell it through a classified ad. Yard sale shoppers are looking for bargains, not prices barely below what you’d find at a discount store.

Being Careless in Yard Sale Preparations – There’s nothing worse for a buyer than hearing, “How did that get out here? That’s not for sale!” If you are working with someone else in preparing for the sale, make sure there’s good communication so that things don’t get out that aren’t supposed to.

Not Taking Down Old Signs – After the yard sale is over, the signs you posted are litter that should be disposed of just like any other garbage. Carelessly leaving old signs up ad infinitum is extremely inconsiderate to both shoppers and neighbors who must look at your weather-beaten signs for months to come.

If you have ever violated any of these social graces (as either a seller or buyer), take heart. Yardsalers are a forgiving bunch. Just make a silent vow that in the future, you will always be on your best bargain-shopping behavior.