Finding the Best Garage Sales

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

07 May 2008 10:57 AM

Whether you call them garage sales, yard sales, tags sales or rummage sales, the fact of the matter is that the season for sales of great stuff is here. One downside of shopping at garage sales is that it can often be hit or miss. Sometimes you find amazing bargains, while other times you can spend a whole day of driving around with nothing to show for it. It makes sense to minimize your frustration by choosing to visit the best sales and ignore the worst. But how can you predict what sale will be big and what sale will be a bust? Here are some of my tips for finding the best garage sales.

Garage sales can be broken down into two types. Those sales that are hoping to make a lot of money and those sales that just want to get rid of stuff. The biggest benefit of garage sale shopping is to find the second type of sale in which the sellers just want to get rid of stuff. One group of sales that fall into this category are sales by people who are moving. So if you see a "moving sale" or find a realtor sign on their lawn, then you will probably get some great deals.

I have found that the way people advertise can sometimes determine which category of garage sale they are having. Those with colorful, well-placed signs tend to be in it for the fun and for the ability to pass on their stuff. Those who advertise online tend to expect more for their money. Those who advertise in the newspaper tend to be a mixed bag.

How is the sale described? If there are a lot of "antiques," "collectibles" and "tools" mentioned, then the sellers will probably be pricing their items high. A "something for everyone" or "lots of toys and clothes" will often have lower prices.

Next up, I'll talk about how the type of neighborhood affects the garage sale bargains. Check back later!

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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