Tips for a Successful Garage Sale Outing

Last time, I did a post on how to host a successful garage sale. Today I will give some tips that can help ensure you have the best outing when you head 
out to garage sales on the hunt for new treasures.

(Click on images to view larger).

1.  Find out where the sales are and plan your route.

I belong to a couple of local facebook groups that list both on-line garage sales with items available for sale at any time, and traditional weekend garage sales.

I also check kijiji, a popular on-line buy and sell site here. They have a category specifically for upcoming yard sales.

(Image via Calgary Herald)

Our local newspaper has a garage sale section in their on-line classifieds.

I also signed up for free notifications from gsalr.ca and receive daily emails regarding yard sales in my area. I love this service, they use maps showing the location of a listed sale, as well as having a section at the bottom indicating other sales in the area, and how far they are from that listing.

Once I have compiled a list of sales, I determine which one I want to visit first. If there are any church sales, I usually go to those first, because they have such a great selection, including vintage items, and their prices are always so good.

Next on the list for me would be any street or neighbourhood sales. Being able to visit multiple sales in a single area is always a good thing.

If there are no church or street sales, I plan my first stop in one of two ways. If there is a sale whose listing sounded particularly intriguing, I will plan to visit that first. Or, if there is a sale that starts earlier than others, for example if one has a start time of 7:30 a.m. while other sales do not begin until 8 a.m., I will plan to begin there.

Once I have determined where I am going first, I then plot out the remainder of my route, starting with the sales that are closest to the first, and working outward.

Usually there are additional sales that were not listed anywhere, so I watch for signs along the way and will stop for those as well.

(Image via flickr, copyright bzoing)

Planning a route in advance came take a bit of time, but I find it well worth it. I make a written list that I take with us, and next to each address I will note the nearest main intersection, the hours of the sale, and any items they are selling that might be of interest. 

I do this so that I can ask about something if I do not happen to see it. It could be at the bottom of a box, or forgotten in the garage, etc. Otherwise I would never remember which sale advertised what.

While there are always exceptions, generally you will find more vintage items in older, more established areas, and more modern home decor items, sporting equipment, and children's items in newer subdivisions. Take that into consideration when planning your route.

2. Bring a map book or have access to a GPS system.

You will see signs for sales that were not advertised. Some signage is really good, and you will simply be able to follow arrows that will direct you right to the sale.

But most signs are not very effective, or list only an address, usually for a street that you will never have heard of and probably have no idea how to find.

I am old school and always have a local map book in the van. We used this system for years. Lately though, my husband has been using the GPS on his cell phone.

Either way, I recommend having some way to track down those elusive sales without having to waste time driving around, potentially missing them altogether.

3. Wear comfortable shoes.

This is especially important when you are doing community wide, neighbourhood or street sales where you are likely to be doing a lot of walking between sales.

If you might be looking for footwear, like me, I suggest wearing shoes that you can slip on and off easily. I like these slides, they are comfortable and easy to remove if I want to try on shoes or boots.

4. Don't forget sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. 

Remember that even in early mornings, and even on overcast days, you are exposed to UV rays. If you are going to be out for at least a couple of hours, and most garage salers are, protect your skin and your eyes. Use sunscreen and sunglasses at a minimum.

I wear a hat too, both because I have lots and consider them a fashion staple, and because too much sun can give me a headache or even bring on a migraine.

You don't want to come back from a successful outing to discover you have a sunburn, nor do you want to have to end your day earlier than you want to because you weren't prepared to be outdoors.

I also keep an umbrella in the van at all times, just in case of rain showers.

5. Bring change.

While most sellers will have a small float of change on hand first thing in the morning, some will forget, or won't start with much and will get cleaned out early. These days many people do not carry cash regularly, and some garage salers will hit the bank machine and have only larger bills.

You could always ask for change at the bank if you do your banking with a teller.

We usually stop at the ATM to make a withdrawal, and then go to the drive-thru for a coffee before we head to the first sale. We will break a $20 bill there and get back a $10, a $5 and a bit of change, which is usually sufficient.

Occasionally, if we are going to a community wide sale, and I want additional small change, we will stop at a local do-it-yourself car wash and use the change machine there.

We don't have $1 or $2 bills here in Canada. The change machine will give me $20 in $1 and $2 coins, so that I know I have a good amount of change for those first sales.

We don't do this often, and we only go to the car wash that my husband regularly patronizes. But it is an option.

6. Use a purse that allows you to keep your hands free.

This only applies to anyone who plans to bring a bag, of course. I have learned through trial and error that it is better to bring a purse that I can sling over my shoulder, rather than one I have to hold onto.

This allows me to keep my hands free both for picking up and examining items and for carrying purchases.

Another important consideration is that if you have a purse you need to hold onto, there may be times when you need to set it down to look at something. Though thefts at yard sales are rare, they do happen, and when your purse is out of your hold it gives a dishonest person an opportunity.

Plus, in the excitement of possibly finding a new treasure, a bag that gets set down could potentially be forgotten behind. It's just easier and safer to bring a purse, if you plan to bring one, that is a cross body or hangs from your shoulder.

Fanny packs are an option too.

I really like this small leather backpack that I purchased this season for $2. It has multiple pockets and is roomy enough inside to hold my wallet, my cell phone, my point and shoot camera, and a small notebook.

7. Take a measuring tape.

If you are going to be looking for furniture, draperies, larger pieces of artwork, or anything where you might have a size requirement for a specific space, make sure to measure that space before leaving home.

And bring a measuring tape with you to measure potential purchases. The size of something can be deceptive when you are just eyeballing it. And a china cabinet sitting at the side of an expansive driveway will appear smaller than one indoors among other furniture.

There are no returns at yard sales, so you want to make sure that larger purchases are going to work in your space.


8. Have a written list of items you are looking for.

You would think that you would know everything you were looking for, or at the very least that seeing that item for sale would trigger your memory. 

While that is true for most things, sometimes there are things that I tell myself I should remember to be on the look out for at yard sales, that I totally forgot about when I actually go.

I sometimes see ideas on pinterest for re-purposing things, or for things to use as photography props, and plan to look for them at yard sales. But since they are things that I might not ordinarily buy, I pass them over.

For example, I saw a cute idea for using salt and pepper shakers on stakes as garden decor. I decided to look for them at yard sales this season. But since they are not something that I would ordinarily buy, it is likely that my eyes would skip over them even if a seller had some out on a table.

(Idea and image found on velvetonthepage.blogspot.ca)

For this reasons, I have a small notebook where I write down some of the things I want to watch for, that I might not remember once I am in the midst of the hunt. I read it over in the morning before we head out, just to refresh my memory.

I also use the notebook to mark down measurements and sizes of things that have to fit into a specific space in our home, the batteries that my DSLRs take, and the model of the charger that works with my laptop.

9. Know the average prices on common items.

There will be things that you can expect to see offered for sale every weekend at yard sales. Some of these include DVD movies, glass wares, paperback and hardcover novels, table linens, exercise equipment, children's toys and clothes.

(Image via flickr, copyright JeepersMedia)

Know the average prices so that you don't overpay. While one seller in our area might be asking $10 for a hardcover copy of last year's bestseller, I can pretty much guarantee that I will find it again soon for $1-$2. 

Don't overpay. The $8-$9 saved on the book would cover the cost of my pasta maker, my stationary bike, or my vintage typewriter. 

If you attend sales regularly, you will quickly learn what the going prices are for things in your area. Make a mental note of them, even if you are not in the market for any at the moment, so that if and when you are ready to buy (or you decide to host a sale of your own) you will know what the average prices are for these items locally.

10. Check items carefully for damage.

Caveat emptor - let the buyer beware. 

Again, there are no returns at yard sales. While generally you won't be making high priced purchases, there is no point in wasting even a dollar or two.

Check clothing for stains, and to ensure that all of the buttons are there and that the zippers work.

Check furniture to make sure drawer slides move easily, that the item is level, and that there is no damage.

Look over plate sets, glass ware, ceramic or porcelain items, etc. to check for chips or cracks.

Sometimes even a piece with some minor damage can be repaired or reused in some way, and might not cause you to forgo a purchase. But noting any damage to the seller should give you some bargaining room.

This concrete squirrel had a broken ear tip, but since it was going in the garden, and I like distressed items, that didn't preclude my purchasing it.

11. Don't be afraid to ask to test electrical items.

Most homes have electrical outlets on the exterior of the home, or in the garage, and most sellers are more than happy to allow you to plug something in to test it before you purchase it.

12. Bring along an item you are wanting to match.

Exact colours and shades can be very difficult to remember, and something can look very different under the lights at home compared to natural sunlight.

If you have something that you want to match or co-ordinate with, bring it along with you and keep it in your vehicle. Whether it's a sofa pillow or a skirt, if you need something in a specific colour or shade, and the item is portable, toss it into your vehicle just in case.

Then if you believe you've found the perfect top to go with the skirt, or complimentary pillows for the sofa or a new lamp shade for the living room, you can check to see if the item will work.

I would like to get a top to go with this skirt, probably something in pink or coral, but I will have to put the top next to the skirt to ensure that they work together.

There's no point getting something home only to realize the new lamp is more teal and you needed turquoise, or that the new top clashes with your skirt.

13. Don't be afraid to haggle.

People will expect a certain amount of haggling at a yard sale, so don't be afraid to ask for a price reduction. This is especially true if you are making multiple purchases or if it is later in the day and an item has not yet sold.

I don't haggle just for the sake of haggling though, or automatically offer less for every item. If a seller has something priced fairly, I will pay full asking price.

I might ask for a bit of a discount if I am buying multiple items. This past weekend I was at a sale that had clothes for $1 a piece. I picked up four tops and three pairs of pants, which would have come to $7 and offered $5. I thought that was fair and the seller agreed to the compromise.

Previously I found these magazines, marked at a quarter a piece. I took all of them, and ended up getting thirteen for $2.

If I know that something is priced higher than what is common in our area, I will offer the going rate. At a recent sale, a seller had DVD movies priced at $5. The usual price around here is $1-$2. They did not have anything that interested me, but if they had, I would have offered what most people usually ask for DVDs in our area.

It should go without saying, but be polite. 

You do not have to purchase anything and sellers are under no obligation to sell their belongings. 

You are not patronizing a business, this is someone's home and these are their personal things. Some of them may be very personal or have sentimental value, especially at moving or estate sales where a yard sale may be held more from necessity and where a seller might have mixed emotions at letting things go.

Be respectful of that and remember that you are essentially a guest at someone's home.

If you don't like the price someone is asking, and cannot negotiate a deal to your liking, move on. I have seen people become rude, or angry, because they didn't like a seller's asking prices.

It doesn't matter how unrealistic you think someone is being, there is no excuse for boorish behaviour.

14. Don't be afraid to ask if the seller has a particular item even if you don't see it out for sale.

It is often difficult to anticipate what buyers might be looking for, and people sometimes have items that they think won't sell or simply forget to put out.

Sometimes a seller will ask if you are looking for something in particular, and that gives you an opening. But don't be afraid to ask if there is something special you are on the hunt for, but don't happen to see.

At the beginning of this season, I helped my mother at her neighbourhood's annual sale.

One woman looked things over then came to ask whether my mother had any old costume jewelry.

As it turned out, she did have some pieces that she had meant to include but had simply forgotten about. It only took her a couple of minutes to find them and bring them out.

They were exactly what the woman was looking for and she bought all three pieces. If she hadn't asked, she wouldn't have gotten them. And they were very nice, well made pieces passed down from my mom's aunt who had an eye for nice things. Mom had other keepsakes, the jewelry wasn't something she would ever use, and she was happy to see them go to someone who would appreciate them.

As it happens, I love vintage costume jewelry as well, and managed to snag a pretty brooch before the others were offered.

15. Think ahead and buy out of season items.

You can get some of your best deals on out of season items. Many people shop for their immediate wants and needs.

It is often difficult for someone who is out in the blazing July sunshine to think about Christmas. Christmas decorations are often great deals at yard sales.

The same holds for other seasonal decorations, such as those for Hallowe'en, Easter, or Valentine's Day.

Fall and winter clothing is usually priced cheaply during the summer garage sale season as well.

I bought this great wool pea coat for $1.

16. Look beyond items in their current state to use in non-traditional ways, to paint, to remake or to re-purpose. 

To be honest, this is not something that I do a lot of myself, but pinterest and message boards are full of amazing things that people have remade or re-purposed. 

Wooden furniture that is need of refinishing and unattractive or dated in its current state can easily be painted. Re-staining is usually more work and involves having to strip a piece first and sand it.

These makeovers can sometimes be costly, and I generally shop garage sales to save money. I tend to wait for something that I can make work in its current state rather then buy things to redo.

But if you enjoy doing this kind of thing, then cost is not so much an issue, and you can create some lovely personalized pieces.

Years ago, when I was expecting our daughter, I purchased a small dresser for $15 that I planned to paint for her room. I used acrylic craft paints and then sealed it, and it has lasted us for sixteen years so far.

It no longer sits in her bedroom, but is now a storage piece in our living room.

I have been intrigued recently by an idea I have seen on pinterest to turn an end table upside down to create a dog bed. If we had the room in our home, I would love to do this.

Also consider using things in non-traditional ways or settings. I likely would not have purchased this lovely oil painting for inside our home, but I love it hung outside in our patio area. It is a great bit of colour along the fence in the corner near my herb garden. 

Even if it were to deteriorate over time due to sunlight or rain (I will bring it indoors in the winter) it is worth the $1 that I paid for it to be able to enjoy every day when I sit outdoors.

Pinterest is a wealth of ideas that can help you look at things in new ways. And those ideas will inspire additional ideas of your own. So take a look at some of the things you see at perhaps you will consider that while you don't need a rusty old enameled cooking pot, that it might make a cute planter for the garden.

17. Avoid non-buyer's remorse.

This doesn't happen to me often, but now and then I walk away from something at a sale, only to be kicking myself about it for years afterwards. I call this non-buyer's remorse.

My advice is that if you see something you want, and are not likely to see it again, buy it! Chances are you can always resell it if you change your mind about it. Non-buyer's remorse is the only negative aspect in my years of frequenting garage sales.

There are different reasons that I might not buy something; I think its priced too high, I am not sure whether I really want it, I am not sure where to put it or how I will store it.

There have been a couple of occasions where I have gone back to a sale later in the day and ended up buying an item, but usually when I try to do this it has been sold, of course.

One time, I actually went back to a sellers house the day after the sale. I could never do this on my own, but my husband has an incredible memory for direction and can recall not only what homes we have visited in our yard sale travels, but what I purchased there.

This particular time I had seen a  couple of large handmade teddy bears that interested me. I used to make bears myself, and appreciated the time and effort that had gone into them. But the asking price of $25 seemed too high to me and as much as I loved one in particular, I walked away.

Later in the day I regretted that. My husband remembered where the home had been, and the following day I returned. I knocked on the door, asked if the bears had sold the previous day or whether the one might still be available. As it happened, it was, and I was able to bring Albert home.

Other times I have not been so lucky, or my non-buyers remorse didn't kick in until long after the sale.

One of the things I have regretted not purchasing was a Christmas Story Monopoly game, for only $4. I offered $3, and would have paid $4, but the seller was very snotty and I got a bad vibe from her, so I walked away. I have never seen another, and I kick myself about it to this day. It is my husband's favourite Christmas movie and I think it would have made a cool gift for him.

(Image via flickr, copyright mikecardsfan)

Another was a vintage View-master and a large box of old reels. I loved my View-master when I was a girl and had been looking for one for years. It was unmarked and I thought that it might be around $10.

Unfortunately, the seller wanted $40 for it as a collectible. That was far more than I was willing to pay. Sadly, I put it back down and left it behind with a heavy heart.

I do not regret not paying that much for it, but I do regret having to walk away without it. The following year I found another, though it came with fewer reels, for $10 at an estate sale. That has helped to soothe the earlier loss.

I still think about that other set though, and wonder about what reels it might have contained. There were dozens more than I got with this set. I wonder whether they might have considered a lower offer, and wished that I had at least tried and offered $20.

18. Be patient.

This applies to those items that you have a good chance of seeing again soon, not to hard to find or unique items (see non-buyer's remorse, above!).

I brought this lesson home to our daughter when she was younger. We used to garage sale every weekend as a family, and our son and daughter would each get a few dollars to spend as they liked.

They could spend it all that day, they could buy one item or multiple items, or they could save some or all of it for another weekend.

One summer our daughter decided that she wanted a Furby. This was after the first Furby release, and before their comeback. So Furbies were something that we saw, perhaps not every week, but regularly.

Once she decided that she wanted one, she found one the next weekend. The asking price was $5. I suggested that she wait, because I knew that I had seen them for much less than that. She wanted it then and there of course, but decided to wait.

A week or two later we found another, same size, slightly different colour, great working condition, talking, movement, etc. for a quarter. Because she was patient and willing to shop around, she saved $4.25 and as you know that can go a long way at yard sales.

(Image via flickr, copyright blamethecrane)

In the same vein, don't settle or buy something just because it is priced cheaply. If you are looking for a set of all white dishes, don't buy the green ones because they sort of go with your decor, and are a great price. 

It doesn't matter how amazing of a deal something is if it isn't really what you want and eventually won't be happy with.

Be patient. You will find the item you want for the price that you want to pay.

19. Don't discount or drive by smaller sales.

I admit that I do do this on occasion; drive up to a smaller sale or a sale that appears to have only tools, or children's toys, and then drive away without stopping.

I usually only do this on a day when there are a greater number of sales listed and I believe that I probably won't be able to get to them all.

But sometimes those smaller sales, or the ones that don't appear to have anything of interest to you, hold hidden gems. 

My friend and I almost didn't stop at a very small sale last summer. There looked to be only a couple of items on one small table, and a wooden dinette set. But because there hadn't been that many sales that day we decided to give it a look.

As it turned out, there was an additional larger table further down the driveway, close to the house, that we hadn't been able to see from the street seated in her car. Not only did we both find some things we wanted, the prices there were great.

A woman who had gotten there just before us was paying $10 for a beautiful wooden sofa table.

I can't remember everything we bought that day, but these were the highlights.

My friend bought some large, intricate puzzles, new in box for ten cents each.

I picked up these lovely decorative plates from Bradford Exchange for a quarter a piece. 

I bought this lighted reindeer that I got so much enjoyment out of last winter, for $1.

This great wooden lamp was only a quarter. (I purchased the shade separately). Not only is it perfect in my living room, I also use it as a hat stand, to display my hats when photographing them.

So you just never know. That small sale might have the vintage Chatty Cathy doll, pristine in box, that you have been searching for for years. Though I don't always follow my own rule, I do recommend stopping at each sale you encounter and not trying to judge them from the interior of your vehicle.

20. If you are buying things to resell know your stuff.

I never purchase items at yard sales to resell. I know that there are people who do, some very successfully. I often see things that I know, or have a pretty good idea, I could buy and resell for a profit. 

I have no issues with other people doing this, it just isn't something I am interested in. Part of it is that I have always had such incredible luck buying things for my own use, that I am afraid that if I get too greedy that luck will vanish.

Not that I think anyone else is greedy buying to resell. It fills a niche and helps to get valued items into the hands of people who will appreciate them and might not otherwise have access to them. I have purchased things on ebay before that probably came from yard sales and am glad that I had an opportunity to do so. So, no negative judgement here. It just isn't my thing.

In my experience the people who are most successful buying and reselling are those who concentrate on a specific niche market, and on things that they are particularly knowledgeable about. 

This seems to work better than just buying something because it looks old, or you think it might be valuable, etc. 

So if you have a particular hobby, interest or knowledge about something, whether it is comic books, vintage Pyrex, vintage jewelry, Star Wars memorabilia, or dolls, you might want to concentrate on that.

You will have a better idea of the market, both what is collectible and what the average prices for things are. This will prevent you from over paying, or getting stuck with something that turns out to be more common than you realized.

This past weekend I found this old Columbo detective board game from the 1970s. I love the television series, and last Christmas my husband gave me the boxed set of the entire series and all made for t.v. movies. 

I had no idea that there was a Columbo game. I bought this one just for myself, to keep to display and to play. I paid $1 for it.

It is the kind of thing that you might come across and consider reselling. But if you have no idea of what it might be worth, you are taking a risk. You might pay $5 for it, only to find out later that they are selling for less than $10 on ebay. Not really worth it, when you factor in your time to create a listing, package the item and ship it off.

If you do prefer to just take your chances and trust your gut instincts, that just might work for you as well. But the risk is greater. Of course, if you are only paying a couple of dollars for something, it might be worth the gamble.

21. Have fun!

These tips are all just suggestions and things that have worked for me over the years. Perhaps some of them can increase your success when you are out hunting for treasures at yard sales. Perhaps some of them you totally disagree with. For example, maybe you prefer to just head out in the morning and drive around and see what you can find.

Either way, garage saling should be a fun activity. Some weekends you might not find much, or even buy anything at all. That's okay. Another weekend you might hit the mother lode and fill your vehicle.

Yard sales are a way to save money, to be green and keep good, usable items out of the landfills, and to find things that you might not otherwise be able to purchase, either because they are older, or one of a kind, or not available in your area. 

I know that it is always a thrill for me to head out each Saturday morning, and that in three decades I have never gotten tired of going to yard sales. And I get an adrenaline rush whenever I find something I have been looking for for a long time, or when I come upon something unexpectedly that I might not even have known existed.

If you have any tips of your own, please feel free to share them. 

Take care, and happy hunting!

Nifty, thrifty, and (over) fifty,

Cathy