The Bustling Thrift Scene … from Dicey to Divine

“Thrift Talk” Diva

From farm girl, to fashion model, to frugal fashionista, Barb Tobias’ “tell-all” book, Tossed & Found, chronicles her journey into the thrift world, launching her “Frugal is Chic” speaking tour.  www.ThriftTalkDiva.com.

The Bustling Thrift Scene … from Dicey to Divine

As the economy spiraled downward, Americans tightened their belts and secondhand shops made their move onto Main Street. Spencer James, lead writer of the Brigham Young University Study, states that thrift shopping increases when the economy slows, and that middle class families are shopping at thrift stores with the same regularity as lower income families. The study goes on to suggest that while high-income shoppers scour the secondhand market for antiques and unique finds, the average family is just trying to make their dollars stretch.

According to NARTS, National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops, resale continues to be one of the fastest growing sectors of the retail world, boasting over 30,000 thrift, resale and consignment shops. According to a NARTS spokesperson, the number of thrift stores has grown by 7% per year over the past two years with sales climbing 12% a year.

Thirty years ago, when I first dabbled in the thrift game, it wasn’t chic. I would duck around a corner if I spotted someone I knew as I viewed the endeavor to be quite seedy. But, times have changed.  And, we who love thrift have watched the nation embrace the resale movement.

So, put on your shopping shoes and check out these trendy, cheap venues that range from dicey to the divine.

• The garage sale season kicks into high gear with the approach of spring. On any given weekend, garish signs point shoppers toward scores of promising moving sales, subdivision sales, or regional favorites; garage sales, tag sales and yard sales.  Although plowing through piles of castoffs might be a lot of work, amazing bargains await those that have mastered the art of finding treasures in the piles of household rejects.

Competition is keen in the early hours of a sale when the professionals arrive to compete for the top finds. So take an hour or two to use an Internet mapping system to lay out a strategic plan. www.gsalr.com is my favorite online locator that pinpoints sales within cities nationwide, complete with addresses and descriptions of merchandise offered.

Adventurers should be prepared for muggy days, restricted hours and haphazard organization. But with a bit of preparation, GPSs and water bottles in hand, those who arrive early are most likely to grab the best deals.

• Flea Markets range from seriously squelchy to trendy. A bounty of wares, from corroded kitchen items to new eveningwear can be found strewn across tables and stacked in layers at these unpredictably exciting events.  An afternoon of poking through rust-filled boxes or the interiors of shabby-chic furniture can be fun and profitable for families who enjoy a jaunt filled with surprises and new-to-you goods.

One of my favorite haunts is the Paris Street Market which sports a flurry of veteran vendors selling very chic merchandise. This makeshift market sets up in the parking lot of the Aspen Grove Mall on Santa Fe the second Saturday of the month, May through October.  It is a local gem.  In my opinion it is one of the best flea markets in the city, offering discerning shoppers an array of antiques, an interesting selection of shabby chic items and new baubles such as jewelry, clothes and accessories.  

• Ah, thrift stores. When the winds of winter discourage most fair-weather thrifters, this Colorado gal prepares for a good shopping spree at the local thrift stores. Hours of season-less shopping pleasure hide within the corridors of these efficient businesses offering a profusion of home goods, trendy fashions, regular store hours and hefty sales.

I’m often asked what my favorite thrift stores are.  I love them all.  I know, it sounds like a reach, but each has its own flavor and set of rules. In order to “work” a thrift store effectively, consumers should pay attention to location (Stores located in high-end neighborhoods often carry better merchandise.), store hours and sale days. Some thrift venues, such as Goodwill, are now developing “boutique” stores that will exclusively carry designer and high-end décor.

My fondness for thrift stores, especially during the winter months, is that they are open year-around, offer organized displays, regular store hours and frequent sales.  Imagine the savings when buying resale on sale!

• Estate sales are designed to sell the contents of a family’s estate held within the inhabitant’s home for a two to four day period. Whether a modest abode or a palatial residence, these affairs offer a wealth of merchandise tagged by professional resellers hired by the occupant’s family. These experts appraise inventory with a keen eye and set prices accordingly, and typically consider offers on the last day of the sale.

These events are efficiently advertised and well attended, so shop on the first day to get the best merchandise and the last day for the deals … when bantering and bargaining is expected.

There are twelve chief estate sale companies that hold events in the greater Denver area.  A weekly list of their proceedings, addresses and pictures can be found by going to www.EstateSales.net.

• Consignment stores operate on agreements that pair the selling efforts of a store owner (consignee) with the merchandise offered by a seller (consignor).  The agent is responsible for displaying and selling the goods for the persons owning items they wish to sell. Once a sale is made, a portion of the proceeds is paid to the consignor.

These upscale shops range from pleasant to opulent and offer an array of beautifully merchandised fashions or household décor perfect for the discerning secondhand shopper.

I have yet to locate a national website that effectively registers all the shops in a given area, but I find many unique listings come up when I Google, Where are the best consignment shops in Denver?

Here is a list of my favorite consignment haunts:

• Antiques – Ski Country Antiques in Evergreen, Colorado, at exit 248 (Beaver Brook/ Floyd Hill). www.SkiCountry.com
• Designer clothing – Haute Couture, 600 Downing Street, Denver, Colorado 80218
• Our nation is blanketed with trendy antique stores and mini-malls. Some of my most beloved crystal and decorative boxes come from the halls of these collective establishments, and are, without dispute, the sanctuary for antique, vintage and retro finds.  But shoppers beware; merchandise varies greatly. One store may boast a profusion of dusty kegs, like and tarnished vintage wares while another unfolds rooms of fabulous European treasures displayed against rich tapestries. Jenny’s Junk Emporium at 6625 W Mississippi Ave, in Lakewood, Colorado boasts both.  A potpourri of finds enthralls the most discerning shopper displaying items from trendy home décor to mechanical antiques and collectibles such as model steam engines, model trains, typewriters and sewing machines.
• Auctions can be intimidating… at least, for first-time adventurers.  These fast-moving events boast a broad range of experiences, from the sale of farm and livestock to the primly proper atmosphere of a Christie’s Auction House.  Typically, a fee is paid giving buyers the right to bid on the items put on the auction block.  A viewing of the inventory is frequently offered the day before the sale; however, the order in which items are put up varies from auction to auction. Patience is required at these events as it may be hours before a wanted item is up for bid.  However, at the end of the day, when the throngs have fled, amazing bargains can be realized for those who have lingered until the bitter-sweet finish.

One of the most prolific auction houses in the greater Denver area is Corbett’s Auction House, Estate Sales & Liquidation located at 4921 S Santa Fe Dr, Littleton, CO 80120 offer their customers a full-service solutions liquidation, estate sale and auction needs.

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Tips

• Historically, most valuable treasures, purchased for pennies on the dollar, have been found at garage sales. According to www.AllThingsMundane.com, a painting used to cover a hole in a wall was eventually bought by a museum for $1.2 million, a baseball card put on eBay for $10.00 sold for $75,000 and  65 Ansell Adams photographic negatives, found at a garage sale and stored under a table for 10 years, was eventually sold for $ 200,000,000.
• Shop garage sales as soon as they open.  Ads placed in www.gsalr.com post the hours of the sale and may find that they warn, “NO early-birds.”  However, you can bet the professionals will be waiting in the driveway right along with you.  My suggestion is to arrive 30 minutes early at the sales that post specific items you are looking for.  Be friendly and courteous and always ask if you might shop early.
• Shop estate sales late to negotiate the best prices. Because these sales are run by professionals, hired by an estate, they are hesitant to negotiate before the last day. However, the situation changes when they are faced with storing or unloading all the items that haven’t moved. The last hour of the last day  is the perfect time to get in low-ball offers.  I used this technique with a hutch that now sits in my dining room.  Not only did I get an amazing deal, but I had it delivered free of charge to boot!.
• Competition at thrift venues is keen…be decisive in selecting and purchasing. If you are uncertain about an item…pick it up as possession is ten-tenths of the law.  When I first started thrifting I passed up items that I wanted to think about only to see them in the arms of another shopper minutes later.

Come on … Celebrities Holding Garage Sales?

What do Barb Tobias (The “Thrift Talk” Diva), Tori Spelling and Carol Burnett have in common?

We all have yard sales!  Yes, it is true.  Six degrees of separation be damned!  I’m in good stead.

I was stunned to learn, after reading numerous reports on People.com, Omg.com, and Thefrisky.com, that real celebrities were raising serious money through holding all types of sales; garage sales, tag sales, yard sales, porch sales, divorce sales, downsizing sales, moving sales…and are now moving into the corridors of high-rise apartment buildings where city dwellers are holding “lobby sales”.   And, here I thought that this Thrift Talking Diva had the corner on making good money at my fancy Diva Sales.

Yikes! Little did I know that I was going up against the likes of Tori Spelling, Scott Baio, Teri Hatcher, and Pamela Anderson. I’d been snookered and outclassed.  And, I would have to imagine that my stuff was probably pretty paltry in comparison to their stuff.

Sure, I’ve yakked for years about the benefits of holding tag sales and purging homes of unwanted and unloved things.  And, I’m still a strong advocate for the yearly cleanse (because it’s the only cleanse that’s capable of making a fast buck).  But, I was still having trouble wrapping my arms around celebrities hawking their junk … like the rest of us.

I kept asking myself, “Why would outrageously wealthy superstars hold yard sales?” So, I started doing a little celebrity snooping, and, voila, Diva Detective was born.  True, most stars hold sales through auction houses, but a few, such as Tori Spelling, Scott Baio, Teri Hatcher, and Pamela Anderson actually worked their own sales, albeit with professional and agent assistance. Many of them do it for charity; however, Tori actually pocketed the cash.

Star Willie Aames sold off his belongings at his suburban Kansas City home.  Apparently dozens showed up while Aames bargained with treasure-hunters and even signed autographs. Hundreds of people stood in line to snap up movie memorabilia, taxidermy, antiques, artwork, furniture, and even his piano. And, the shocker…his production crews were even there to film a television documentary.

A cable network recently shot a pilot for the project, titled “Celebrity Garage Sale,” staring actress Illeana Douglas.  Apparently the hook is that Douglas is on a mission to help her famous friends get rid of their unwanted junk by holding, you guessed it, a garage sale. They’ve brought in Tom Arnold to mix it up because his  garage sale is said to have raised $5,000 for Camp del Corazon, a summer camp for children with heart disease.

Scott Baio’s sale raised funds as well as awareness for mandatory newborn screening in all fifty states after his daughter tested positive for GA1, a metabolic disorder.  Fortunately, she is fine, after it was discovered that her results were a false positive.

Teri Hatcher raised $20,000 for her favorite charities through an invite-only, fifty-dollar entrance fee, yard sale and served Buttercream Cupcakes & Coffee to her customers!

And, Pamela Anderson was reported have sold one of her homes with all of the contents with the proceeds going to PETA.

Now here’s one that shook the fibers of my “divaness”. Supermodel Erin Wasson held a garage sale  selling off pieces from her personal wardrobe … the likes of  Balenciaga and YSL. Now, rumor has it that these rags sold for under $100.  Where was I when all this was happening?  According to Erin she was attempting to “edit down my wardrobe and be very Japanese, where you have one rolling rack…I love the idea of being super edited.” Awww…

So what’s the difference between their yard sales and mine?  So okay, the autograph signings are probably a draw. I’ll give them that.  And, maybe their furnishings are a tad more elegant.  And then there are the gowns, and posters and the jewels.  Hmmm…

77 Year Old Woman Makes a Difference by Holding Garage Sales

 Rochester Hills, Mich: Neighborhood gives back for 19th year

Here’s a tip: When visiting Joanne Marcil’s home, watch your stuff. Just ask her husband, Ray, who left a jacket lying around. Joanne grabbed it and sold it at her community’s Make A Difference Day flea market. When Ray later asked her about it, she just smiled.

The project began in 1992 as a garage sale, raising $150 to buy high chairs for a soup kitchen. Marcil, 77, had such a good time she enlisted family and friends to create bigger events every year. The two-day market is now tradition, requiring 150 volunteers and five families’ garages to store donated items.

In 2010, the sale raised $13,000 for women in crisis, the homeless, people with chronic diseases and others. In 19 years, the project has raised $71,000. It’s hard work but well worth it, Marcil says. “I’m doing something to help this world, not just wishing things were better.”

$10,000 Make A Difference Day Award from Newman’s Own goes to The Baldwin Center, Pontiac, Mich.

This year’s judges:

Charles Gabrielson: President & Publisher, USA WEEKEND Magazine

Brian Gallagher: President and CEO, United Way Worldwide

Michael Havard: Vice President of Marketing, Newman’s Own Inc.

Kim Martin: President and General Manager, WE tv and Wedding Central

Michelle Nunn: CEO, Points of Light, Institute & Co-founder, HandsOn Network

Bedbugs Infesting Thrifty Finds

How to Hold a (Diva) Garage Sale

An excerpt from Tossed & Found by Barb Tobias, America’s “ Thrift Talk” Diva

It was a Diva of a Sale!

Part I

Selling used goods from driveways, yards, or inside a home has been referred to as garage sales, yard sales or tag sales. People hold these weekend events to raise money or get rid of unwanted stuff. Although these sales are a lot of work, they are a great way to purge, turning unwanted items into profits.

The following schedule outlines how to chunk down tasks so that preparations are organized … and doable. With this parceled approach, the magnitude of a project does not have to be overwhelming.

A Diva of a Sale

Two Months Before the Garage Sale

I’ve learned to set the dates of my sales by considering the financial mindsets of my customers. They are typically scheduled for the 15th or 30th day of the month. Paydays! People are more likely to splurge after they’ve been paid versus the weeks they walked around with no money in their pocketbooks. After all, my goal is to attract buyers not window shoppers.

Two Weeks before the Sale

The transformation of my garage into my Diva Shoppe begins.

• The entire garage is rearranged. All the things that are not being sold are moved to the back of the garage.
• Areas that are off-limits are draped with sheets or tablecloths so that people won’t be tempted to examine items that are not for sale. I have learned that this ounce of preventions averts distractions, saving time once the garage sale is in full swing.
• The garage is then cleaned from top to bottom.
• Next, display tables are set in a u-shaped pattern, allowing for an easy traffic flow. People should be able to walk around and examine the merchandise without tripping over things. Sometimes a row of tables is placed right down the middle depending on the room I have.
• Each table is topped with a  pretty tablecloth or piece of fabric.
• Next I haul out my boxes and stack the labeled containers that hold similar contents next to each other.
• I love to create scenes at my sales, so I place the same type of items, kitchen, family room, household, décor, clothing or toys in groupings so that I can pull the items out of the marked boxes and make my arrangements quickly.
• My next project defines a labor of love. Tables are arranged attractively, with attention to every detail.  I go to great lengths to create eye-catching “tablescapes.” My reasoning is simple.  People like to shop in pleasant surroundings despite the fact that they are shopping at a garage sale.
• Furniture is arranged in scenes or quasi rooms. In turn, each area is festooned with accessories, throw pillows, pictures and silk plants to create a warm inviting designer look.

Over time, it was obvious that my extra effort spent pulling together artful arrangements and furniture groupings resulted in heavier traffic and substantial sales.

Watch for the Diva Garage Sale – Part II

How to Find and Promote Your Garage Sales, Yard Sales, Tag Sales and Estate Sales

Most people get lured into the thrift craze by accident.  Maybe they got hooked by simply stopping by a sale that enticed them into their tattered halls with the promise of tempting treasures.  And some, like me, found a lifelong passion hidden in the dark reassesses of someone else’s garage. 

Whatever first drew us into that initial sale the memory has probably faded into the distant haze of thrift mania. The fact remains that once we have been bitten by the frugal bug, we join the ever-growing ranks of America’s thrift aficionados. 

And, as we take ownership of our parsimonious passion it makes sense to organize our forays as we approach our coveted weekends of bargains and haggling. 

 How To Locate Estate Sales

When I am deep in the throes of garage sale season I attend as many estate sales as possible and I always ask to be put on their mailing lists. That way I am always informed of their upcoming events. 

I also search the internet and find many great sales by logging on to www.EstateSales.net.  This site affords an easy way to find estate sales, tag sales, and auctions in local areas across the country. I click the desired state on the map of the United States and I am directed to estate sales in whatever part of the country I am in.  

How to Find a Consignment Shop

Locally owned and run consignment shops can be found scattered throughout the towns and burgs across America. There are several online sites that list consignment shops by state:

 www.ConsignmentShops.com

www.ConsignmentPal.com

www.HowToConsign.com

 

 

Craigslist

Craigslist is one of my favorite sites. Not only do I scour it regularly to find sales but I post my own garage and yard sales as well as my famous Living Estate Sales.

The list was started in 1995 by Craig Newmark in the San Francisco Bay area. By 2007, Craigslist had established itself in approximately 450 cities in 50 countries. Here’s the kicker…its sole source of revenue is the sale of their job ads. This site gets a whopping nine billion page views a month. The good news for us thrift seekers is that the garage sale, estate sale, and yard sale ad portion is free!

 

EBay

I have never sold much on EBay, specifically because I have focused and enjoyed the hands-on, belly-to-belly repartee that garage sales, flea markets and estate sales offer. However, that doesn’t mean that a tidy profit can’t be had. The key to making money, I would venture to say, lies in what an item is purchased for versus what it is sold for. A good guide for buying the right things to sell on EBay is The eBay Seller’s Guide to Finding Profitable Hidden Bargains at Garage Sales.  http://www.auctionebook.com/?hop=dscoombes

• http://www.yardsalers.net/ - This site offers some great tips on garage sales and estate sales. And it leans toward reselling things on eBay. 

Auctions

Auctionszip.com is a great resource for those who want to explore the auction world. Go to the site and enter a zip code, select the distance that you desire to travel, and a calendar with all of the auctions will appear. Voila!

•  www.auctionszip.com
  •    http://www.AuctionBytes.com - This site is several things; an independent trade publication for about ecommerce and the online auction industry, and a do-it-yourself place to make your own Garage Sale signs that are large and colorful.  There is a charge, but if you enter the coupon code “queen”, you get a $1 off.

 

Locating and Mapping on the Internet

• www.gsalr.com

This site is hands down my favorite place for locating and mapping garage sales, yard sales, and estate sales throughout the country.

• www.TheThriftShopper.com

Although this is a great resource for finding local thrift stores and links to other thrift-related sites, it also contains thrifting tips and frugal shopping maneuvers.          

• www.AreaGuides.net

Simply enter the city, then the venue (thrift stores, antique or consignment shops)and presto, the establishments in the area line up.

• http://www.garagesalestracker.com

This website lets a shopper or seller find a sale, post a sale, blog, print coupons, find consignment shops and flea markets, and get tips under their FAQs section.

• http://www.yardsaleportal.com

This location offers the opportunity to advertise yard or garage sales, sell online, and search to find garage sales, estate sales, or yard sales in a variety of states. There are also thrift tips and a guide for online buying and selling.

• http://www.yardsaleAD.com - You will find this fairly easy to use. List your yard and tag sales, map them out, and even save your finds in their portfolio section.  Also search using; Categories, Dates, Times, Description, and Radius from your home.
• http://www.garagesaletime.com/ – Look for a garage sale near you, or post your FREE garage sale copy. 
• http://www.WeekendTreasure.com - this site is free for those looking to find sales, but charges a fee for posting you own sale. 

 

I Love Bargain Hunting at Thrift Stores and Garage Sales

Below is an email that I received from a very excited client. We are working to transform her somewhat worn home into a chic and stylish habitat.

Just last garage sale season, Jo learned how to shop using a newly frugal but creative eye. She quickly learned to spot the potential treasures beneath the tarnish.

After holding a garage sale of her own, we spent a few fun and productive weekends looking for bargain furnishings to replace the items we literally hauled out of her house and sold on the spot.   Remember the old addage; One woman’s junk is another woman’s treasure? (Okay, so it is close enough.)

Jo was very hesitant at the beginning of our project.  She was skeptical of finding quality items at local thrift venues.  Now, she is an ardent believer and often ventures out on her own to find her bargains. She has learned that imagination and resourcefulness are key factors in finding the right deals.

Hi Barb,

I just made the best buy of the day… a love seat – FREE, courtesy of Aurora Library. I was actually looking at all their $1 books because the library is closing for good.

I found a free bookcase and had just taken it to my car when I walked back in to find that they had just pull a love seat from the back room and pushed it onto the sale floor.

I was the first to look at it, then another lady started pushing it around and inspecting it.  Since I had already made my decision to buy it, the sales person let me have it. Can you believe that?

I felt like  I just gave myself a big ole’ Christmas present. I can’t even tell you how great my family room feels to me – it’s beginning to feel more like home every time I add something.

Oh, and I picked up a fabulous lamp Goodwill for $24 with my Senior Citizen’s discount!  Ha, ha! My family room is so cozy and the lighting is great now. I love it.

I can’t believe that I’m so looking forward to next garage sale season!  I would have never thought I would be such an ardent convert!  This is fun and it is not costing me any more money because I am using the funds that I made when we held my garage sale.

Thank you so much . . . and, Happy New Year!
To your success,
Jo Guerra
www.YourMarketingGal.com
Denver Entrepreneurs LinkedIn Group

Using the Internet to Find and Post Yard Sales, Estate Sales and Auctions

Most people get lured into the garage sale craze by stopping by a sale that enticed them into their tattered halls with the promise of forgotten treasures.  And some, like me, found a lifelong passion hidden in the dark reassesses of someone else’s garage, or scattered in wonton display across their lawns.

Whatever first lured us into that introductory sale is probably lost on us as that event fades into the distant haze of thrift mania. The fact remains that once we have been bitten by the frugal bug, we join the ever-growing ranks of America’s thrift aficionados.

And, as we take ownership of our parsimonious passion it makes sense to organize our forays as we approach another weekend of bargains and haggling.

The Internet has become a great resource for finding and posting sales.  Below are some of my favorite resources.

http://www.gsalr.com/ – Hands down, this site is my favorite.  I can map out a whole morning of sales or post my own sale with the click of a button.

http://www.yardsaleAD.com – You will find this fairly easy to use. List your yard and tag sales, map them out, and even save your finds in their portfolio section.  Also search using; Categories, Dates, Times, Description, and Radius from your home.

http://www.garagesaletime.com/ – Look for a garage sale near you, or post your FREE garage sale copy.

http://www.yardsalers.net/ – This site offers some great tips on garage sales and estate sales. And it leans toward reselling things on eBay.

http://www.WeekendTreasure.com – this site is free for those looking to find sales, but charges a fee for posting you own sale.

http://www.GarageSaleTracker.com – Post, sell and find yard sales on this online at this site.

http://www.AuctionBytes.com  - This site is several things; an independent trade publication for about ecommerce and the online auction industry, and a do-it-yourself place to make your own Garage Sale signs that are large and colorful.  There is a charge, but if you enter the coupon code “queen”, you get a $1 off.

This is a Garage Sale?

Selling used goods from a driveway, a garage, a yard, or the interior of a home has been referred to as a garage sale, yard sale, or tag sale.  Typically these events are held to get rid of unwanted household items with the secondary benefit of raising money.

I contend that every sale should be approached in the opposite way because people are usually motivated by positive results.  Therefore creating abundance should be the primary goal.  Along the way, the process can even be enjoyable, cathartic, or rejuvenating.

• The benefit to purging a home is often seen as much as it is felt.  When a homeowner bites the bullet and does a thorough organization and purging of their things, magical things happen.  Their home is organized, soothing space is created, and the overall feeling of orderliness takes over.  The results are often tangible.  A feeling of well being pervades the home, inviting inhabitants and visitors alike to a warm and inviting welcome.
• Setting up the sale should be viewed as a study in creativity.  People like to shop, and tend to buy more items when they are surrounded with interesting items that are beautifully arranged.  Take the time to arrange furniture in rooms, and make attractive table arrangements.  The time spent doing this creative arranging is rewarded by a more profitable return for your time.

• The actual sale should be a festive, friendly occasion.  Friends are a great help and often will bring their own things to sell at the sale.  A community effort is a lot of fun. Helping hands reduce the burdens involved with running a sale alone and there are more people to assist customers and keep an eye on the merchandise.

The entire process from start to finish can be truly cathartic…and profitable.

Eight Divalicious Tips That Will Turn You Into a Garage Sale Maniac

I never attended a garage sale until I began my secondary career as a thrift diva. But once I got started, I realized that they are one of the best ways to find bargain pricing on just about anything you need – as long as you aren’t in a hurry to find it!

That’s right.  No other source, not even Goodwill, the Salvation Army or your favorite  flea market sells stuff as cheap as people who are purging, cleaning out closets,  moving or settling an estate. Which is why garage sales are always on my “hot list.”

Granted, if you’re shopping for a specific item, you may not find it on any given day no matter how many garage sales you hit. But, then again, even if you don’t find what you came for, chances are you’ll find something else you can use at a price that’s negligible – sometimes even free!

Beyond that, garage sales are a blessing for those with babies and small children. Why?  You can stop the constant “baby needs it” cash outflow by letting other people’s kids be a steady supply of new-to-your kids toys and clothing.

Here are eight of my best tips and tricks for garage sale success:

1. Timing Matters.

• Most garage sales occur on the weekend starting on Friday, as early as 8:00 a.m., and run through Saturday or Sunday.  (Although not as many are held on Sundays.)
• Early birds have been known to show up an hour and a half early (yes, at 6:30) so if your heart is set on an advertised item, plan to arrive early. However, be courteous. If the sale is not open, wait in your car.  Don’t knock on the door at 6:00 in the morning.  (The sellers may have been up until 3:00 a.m.)
• When shopping garage sales go on the first day.  The good things will go first and prices can still be suprisingly low.  
• Estate sales are often houses full of items.  Since the merchandise is usually better quality, it will also be more expensive.  You will find better bargains if you wait until the end of the last day.

2. Shop late and bargain to save money.

• Most of the time, the better deals are found at the end of the sale when sellers are faced with the prospect of hauling their stuff back inside or to the thrift store drop-off center. 
• Bargain harder at the end of the day when there is less opportunity for the seller to get asking price.   
• Basically prices are always negotiable at garage sales. You may not get it, but it never hurts to ask.
• Buy multiple items to get a “bulk” rate. 
• Early in my thrifting “career”  I snagged a sterling silver butter dish for $5. Strangely enough,  many sellers do not price items, seem indifferent to how much money they make, and will essentially let you name your price even early on in the sale — so aim low.

3. Plan your route to save time and gasoline.

• Pick one promising sale to visit first, and plan the rest of your stops to flow out from your first stop.
• Shop at Subdivision Sales.  Homeowners band together to offer house-to-house sales all on the same day. What a boon!
• Look up sales online in advance, but be aware that many people only advertise garage sales via signs posted around the neighborhood and on major streets the morning of the sale. So anticipate that whatever the route you’ve planned – you’ll likely end up with a lot of small detours.
• In the height of the garage sale season, plan to visit only one general area each week. Driving ten miles out of your way for one sale that may or may not be any good isn’t a productive use of your time or gas money.

4. Choose your neighborhoods wisely.

• For the discerning shopper, patronize the upscale neighborhoods.  Yes, they might be a little pricy, but that is where the nicer things are found.
• A good rule of thumb is to haunt the middle class neighborhoods. They typically offer the best ratio of good stuff to good prices.

5. Choose your sales wisely.

• Moving Sales are the best places to get deals because people are limited by time deadline and how much they can move.
• Estate sales are best for higher end items, but you’ll pay higher prices as well.
• Ordinary garage sales are a crapshoot.
  • Cruise the Internet and pick out the best ones by reading the ads on Craigslist, although I’ve found that you never know until you get there and take a look. 
  • To save time, simply cruise by uninteresting looking sales.  You might miss some good things hidden in boxes, but at the height of the season, there are so many sales and limited time. 
  • If you’re looking for a specific item, like an antique dresser, you can try emailing and calling all the people who have actually posted ads in advance and seeing if anyone is selling that item. If so, they might be willing to set it aside for you until a certain time (say, 8:30 for a garage sale that starts at 8:00).

6. Plan ahead so that you don’t waste your money.

• Set a budget before you head out the door.
• Avoid buying things just because they are a great deal.
• Be honest with your time and talents. For example, unless you love to refinish furniture, you’re unlikely to suddenly take up the hobby and that shabby chic chair will be collecting dust in your garage for quite a while. 
• For sales with unpriced items, make sure to ask about prices before you let yourself get attached to things. 

7. Shop with a friend.

• Be careful not to compete with them for every thing you find . . . you just may loose a friend.  Rather, consider someone with strengths you lack.
• If you aren’t good at bartering . . . bring someone who is.
• Bring someone who knows more about an area (furniture, glassware, jewelry) than you do. 
• If you drive a small car, enlist a friend that drives a pickup truck!

8. Loose the great expectations mentality

• There will be days when you don’t find anything you like or can afford.
• You are under no obligation to stay any length of time at a sale.  There are too many out there to waste time at a sale that has nothing to offer you.

And now, let the garage sale fun begin!!

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