Negotiating pay when I have been out of work after 10 years as a sales associate

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as a sales associate. There are 10 people counting on me, so I am trying to be careful. I also do not want to sell myself short. Does giving a range hurt?

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.