Garage sales, or yard sales, are great ways to find bargains on many different items, often scoring some very unique diamonds in the rough that are difficult to find at the mall. You can also save a ton of money with the low prices you’ll find. They’re not for the faint of heart, though. To brave the garage sale mayhem, one must know what they’re doing. We’re here to help.
The Preparation
When you walk out your front door, you are stepping into a yard sale battlefield… and you better be prepared. In the weeks and months before you make your first garage sale purchase, look for yard sale ads in your newspaper, online (check websites like Craigslist.com) and on bulletin boards in your local stores. Write down the addresses and times of all those that you find interesting, devising a plan of attack. It’s helpful to map out your route so you can be efficient.
Figure out your timing as well. There are benefits and drawbacks to attending the early or later portions of the sale. If you’re early, you’re sure to get the best selection. The tables will not have been picked through yet. Keep in mind that most hosts don’t want “early birds”, so try not to show up before their scheduled start time. Also, they may not be completely set up yet, and you could miss some great items. If you show up to a garage sale late in the day, you’re taking a gamble. The tables could be bone dry by then, but anything found late in the day will be more likely to go for a cheaper price. You can save money by taking advantage of the host’s urgency to sell everything.
The Hunt
With a list of garage sales you want to attend, you may find yourself eager to leave the one you’re at. If you’re at a good yard sale, though, be aware of it. In a full day of bargain hunting, you may only find one or two great garage sales amongst a majority of sparse, undesirable collections.
If you find an item you’re interested in, investigate it thoroughly. Yard sale purchases don’t usually come with 90-day money-back guarantees. They are “as-is” sales, so make sure you want to buy it “as it is”. If it’s in a box, open the box! You want to make sure that the product inside is actually what you think it is. You’d hate to buy what you thought to be a new TV only to find that it’s a picture frame. Yes, it happens… You may want to also bring some batteries to test out potential buys and ask to plug in and test any electric equipment you find.
The Haggle
When asking a price, attempt to get the seller to state their desired price first. If what they ask for is too high then let the haggling begin! If it’s seems low, lucky you! You’ve just scored an awesome deal.
Haggling is really an art. You shouldn’t be afraid to negotiate; the worst thing that can happen is the seller says “no”. However, you also shouldn’t haggle just for the sake of haggling. If the item is a good bargain, you don’t need to negotiate intensely. Don’t waste his time (and yours) by trying to purchase a 50-cent offer for 25 cents. Also, if you do haggle someone down to a low price, say $2, it may be frowned upon to pay with a $50. To avoid this, always carry small bills.
The Patience
Don’t feel that you NEED to buy something at every yard sale you go to. You’ll just be collecting inventory to sell at your own garage sale in the future. If you find something that you really like but it seems too expensive (and the seller won’t budge), give him or her your contact information so that they can get ahold of you if they change their mind. If they have chosen to put it out with the sale items, then they want to sell it, and odds are they’ll eventually drop the price.
Do you have any yard sale advice? Tell us here!
