For sale by owner signs:

Composition basics:

Make sure your sign is large and the print bold enough to be read from the street. Don't try to include the features of the home, leave that for your flyer / fact-sheet For the phone number, use reflective, stick-on letters that can be read in the evening  (about 50 cents per digit at hardware stores). Do not use magic markers!  Markers are almost impossible to read from a car at night. Add "Agents Welcome" to your yard sign if you are open to paying  3% - 3.5% of the purchase price to a Buyer's real estate agent.

Where to get a "For Sale" sign:

• Realtor: If you listed your home with an agent, the agent should provide a professional sign, plus a water-resistant envelope or cylinder for your flyers. 
    
• Hardware Stores: "For Sale By Owner" signs can usually be found at Home Depot & Lowes. Under $3 for light-weight 15 X 19 inch signs;  under $8 for heavier stock  18 X 24 inch.  For homes over $150,000 consider Home Depot's $27 metal framed, plastic sign.
    
• Internet Listing Services: FSBOFreedom.com and many other services will include a yard sign with their basic fee for listing a home on the Internet. 
    
• Hand Made:  Staples, OfficeMax and other office supply stores carry sturdy sign-boards and stick-on letters.  Many homes have been sold with hand-made signs, but ten or even thirty dollars for a sturdy, professional sign is a good investment if it adds to the "curb appeal" of your home.

Flyers / fact-sheets: 

The "For Sale" sign announces your home is for sale, but it is the 81/2 x 11 inch flyer that describes the features of the home and the price. Passing drivers are more likely to call if they have a copy of your flyer rather than just a phone number. 

Envelope for Flyers:  Staple a weather resistant envelope to your lawn-sign or mail-box-post and fill it with flyers. A transparent plastic envelope is best, but a zip-lock freezer bag will work.