I love finding great deals during garage sale shopping. I like the excitement of searching for hidden treasures and even getting to talk to other garage sale shoppers. For me, the experience is as enjoyable as the savings we reap by shopping at garage sales.
However, my main point of shopping at garage sales is scoring great deals. Over my years of hanging out at neighborhood garage sales and talking to other frugal moms about what can and can’t be found in them, I’ve developed some pretty basic techniques to finding those elusive deals. Here are some of my favorites:
Shop early. Admittedly, this tip is easy for me. The old adage about the early bird really is true when it comes to garage sales. You have to get there early if you want to find the really good bargains. Forget straggling in at noon, you need to start your bargain hunting by 8 AM.
Visit community garage sales. The more merchandise that is offered at a garage sale, the larger your chances of finding the items you need are. For this reason, my favorite garage sales are the ones that include lots of people. Looking for neighborhood garage sales is a great start. My favorite sale, though, is a semi-annual one hosted by my friend’s parenting club. Her club consists of parents of multiples (you know: twins, triplets, and so on), and those ladies know how to put on a heck of a garage sale. Look for sales hosted by groups in your neck of the woods; multiple families’ items will make for much more diverse shopping.
Bring a measuring tape. If you’re looking for something of a certain size, you need to be prepared to measure the items you’re considering. Don’t forget to make sure your purchases will fit into your house, by the way. If you found a deal on a dining room table, you won’t appreciate having to cut its legs off to get it into the dining room.
Carry cash. I know this tip should go without saying, but I always see someone trying to write a check at a garage sale. Although I like to believe that everyone is basically honest, the reality is that asking a stranger to take a check is asking them to take a pretty big leap of faith. The seller will likely just sell your item to another customer who has cash in his hands.
Negotiate on prices. At garage sales, almost no price is set in stone. Simply ask the person working the sale if the price on the tag is the best price available. They can respond with a polite “yes” if they really don’t want to haggle on the price. Otherwise, you’ll get an instant discount and be even happier with your purchase.
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Shopping early will get you better selection, but shopping late will often get you better prices! Many people are eager to be rid of their stuff rather than pack it back up and will often offer things at half-price or priced “by the bagful”.