My Strange hobby Thrift Shopping and Yard sales- do you yard sale or Not?

[foxxycat]

yeah i very rarely ask to get a better price unless I think they will say no. usually I just look and if its expensive I move on to the next one. As far as book prices-sometimes if they have tons and they are talking about moving then i will offer a flat rate little less than the total by the piece-most of the time if its $.25 I don't bargain, if its $.50 and there are more than a boxful then I ask if they will take 3 for $1-most of the time they do. But that's because I buy at least $10 worth so I don't nickle and dime. One yard-sale they sold them for $.05 each but they were old zebra historical romances that no one wants. I still read them. 

I usually work weekends but this sat I wanted off because of a yardsale that this organization puts on-they didn't set up yesterday. this is the 3rd time they did this. so next sat I may have to work so I wont be able to make it. My work has been really annoying with overtime being mandatory even if there is nothing to do. So hopefully I wont be called up to work next Saturday or I can put in for a half day and get out by 12 but by then it will be too late. I learned along time ago that if I want to find newer books I need to go early and same with clothing in latest fashions. So I was mad about them not being open but we instead went into maine and followed side roads so it wasn't a wash. Maybe I will ask it to rain next Sat. But anyways I just enjoy site seeing but now I am going to go finish reading a book

 

[hatchytt]

Bargain huntress extraordinaire!

 

[nurseangel]

Bargain huntress extraordinaire!

Indeed!  

 

[Winchester]

Around here, people go trash-seeking. I think I mentioned before that we live next to two towns with major universities. Private universities that cost a lot of money to attend. Meaning there are a lot of rich students around here. Their parents buy homes in the area for their children to live in while they're going to college and then, after the child has graduated, they'll turn around and sell the house. And when they leave, they take almost nothing with them; they simply put it out by the curb for the trash men to dispose of. Meaning that you can find a veritable ton of good (really, really good) stuff. I know people who specifically wait until it's time for the students to start leaving for the summer and then they load their trucks up with stuff simply by driving around town.

It's not as worthwhile as it used to be because both universities are pulling their students back on-campus, so the general public doesn't get access the way they used to. But I remember people talking about some of the great things they used to find sitting on the curbs of student rentals. All from just taking a walk through the student section of town.

 

[foxxycat]

we have that too with college. We have a few universities around and the pickings are good. and people are lazy and don't take their stuff. I remember riding around in May and finding furniture for my new place a few decades ago. In the city we used to walk around the block and check out the yardsale left overs or whatever was put out for the dump day. We used to see the same people come around looking for scrap metal back when you could get a decent price for it. It always amazes me what people toss. I try not to throw out stuff but Jon throws things away all the time. I am constantly pulling good clothes he throws out. I think now he waits until I go to work-but I did send those clothes to salvation army-most were brand new with tags. I don't buy him clothes anymore-I figure he knows where the store is and he is fussy.

as far as dump picking, growing up my dad used to take me to the dump and we would pick through the metal bins. I found a almost brand new 18 speed mountain bike-flat tires which dad fixed with a new tube-I had to make some adjustments for the brakes. I had that bike for many years. That was my favorite free find. That bike went from Windham up to Pembroke and all over the Manchester area. I put a speedometer on it and logged 1500+ miles on it when the frame cracked. I was so mad. of course back then I didn't know any welders but it was probably just as well. dad used to find this and that and fart around with it until I got ready to move out and he did a clean sweep of the barn-he had all kinds of stuff stored up for hardware and clutter-filled that van up several times..he stopped being a pack rat then. Amazing how many years ago that was.. :/

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

It is amazing what people get rid of. I have found new clothing with the tags still on in yard sales and thrift stores. This weekend one of our thrift stores had everything in the store one half price. The best buy I found was a yellow ink cartridge in the paper for twenty five cents.