To actually hold a yard sale, you must put up signs, collect items for years before you have enough to necessitate the event and you have to sit there, rain or shine, and hope the people come to buy and not only to haggle.

Or you could join the JBLM Ready, Set, Sell! group on Facebook and just make life easier. There, members can constantly list items they have for sale - or post inquiries about items they are seeking - in the manner of an online yard sale, dedicated to the residents and families stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

The group was created in August of 2012 in order to allow people to have a spot where they could list items for sale at no cost. Even bookoo.com, another virtual yard sale location popular with military base residents, charges for members who wish to list in a premier spot, however, on Ready, Set, Sell! all items are given the same amount of prominence.

While the original group creators and administrators have since moved on from JBLM, there are new spouses who've assumed the roles of moderators, like Megan Kelly, Melina Hanuszczak, Jessica Osterhout and Nicole Beight.

"The group seems to be growing mostly through word-of-mouth, and people adding their friends to the page," explained Kelly, who is the main admin. "Or sometimes people new to the base search for JBLM groups and then they find us."

The closed group, which does require admin approval before a new member is added, has swelled to 2,910 members and is continuing to grow.

Items for sale can range from curtains and furniture to kid clothes and toys. There are sometimes even appliances, like washing machines, dryers and televisions - especially when a member is moving or as PCS season draws near in coming months.

While rules for posting on the site are fairly explicit, they can be summarized easily: There are no business posts allowed, however, charities benefiting the military and/or military families will be approved at discretion of the admins; ?pet sales are never permitted; posts that include a link are not allowed (even to other Facebook pages) so as to avoid potential scams or viruses; and no recalled items are to be posted. For instance, if an item requires a safety fix, which typically applies to children's items, that must be remedied before it is listed for sale.

All posts must include a description, as well as the option of a photo, price and general location, i.e. which side of base or which neighborhood so that buyers can plan accordingly for pick up. Furthermore, once an item has been sold, it must be marked as sold and then deleted. If the item's seller cannot delete it, admins will take down posts marked as sold in order to keep the newsfeed controlled. Likewise, duplicate listings are prohibited.

"Our group is not only free, but it means that your posts get viewed by almost 3,000 people in the surrounding area," Kelly said. "It is a really good way to get your unwanted stuff sold quickly without the hassle of a garage sale."

To check out the current listings, clear out your own garage and join the evolving online sale, go to www.facebook.com/groups/JBLM.Ready.Set.Sell.