Garage Sale Guidelines

I decided to hit some garage sales today. I used to go quite frequently a number of years ago but haven't for a while. Consequently, I was a little rusty. So this post is an opportunity for others to learn from my garage sale mistakes.

Most garage sales open at the crack of dawn. (In my city it's 7:00 a.m.) That means that if you want the best chance of finding anything you have to be there before it opens. Otherwise, some other thrifter will be walking away with YOUR great deal. The good stuff goes fast. (Even the not so good goes fast.)

Effective garage sale shopping requires some preparation. It's a good idea to bring water (especially if you live in an area with temps that rival those on the surface of the sun), a snack (or in my case, snacks), hand sanitizer (for obvious reasons), and blankets to wrap fragile items in (or to conceal great items you've already bought.)

Make sure you have explicit directions to the sale. Don't just assume that if you find the neighborhood you can follow the signs. Because the sale you're looking for will NOT have any signs posted at all and then you will drive aimlessly around the subdivision for an extended period of time like a fool feeling very frustrated and still never find it. (Not that it happened to me this morning or anything...)

Make sure you bring your money in small bills. It won't be well received if you're bargaining hard for a discount and then hand the seller a much larger bill requiring a lot of change back.

Location of the garage sale is very important. An area that looks junky will probably sell junk. Which is great if that is what you're looking for. Stained clothing, broken toys, cheap furniture, chipped dishes and ugly decor. Although you may be more likely to get a good deal.

Garage sale shopping in a nicer area may yield nicer things. (But the seller may want to charge a king's ransom for it...)

It's a good idea to bring a friend for a number of reasons: It's more fun. It's safer. Your friend can help you load the heavy items into your car and talk you out of purchasing that half empty bottle of shampoo. (Yes, people do try to sell things like that.)

The last thing to remember is that you may not find anything worth bringing home even after hours of shopping. But that is okay.

Because sometimes you find a really great deal that makes it all worth it.

Happy garage sale shopping!

(photo credits: goodhousekeeping, freelancewritinggig, monvat, ballardundressed, makingmoneyman, washco junk, wikimedia, clevelandseniors, prairiehill.org)