Yard Sales: Do You Go?

[Winchester]

Do you go to yard sales? What do you look for? Anything in particular or do you just peruse the stuff?

We were going to participate in my sister's community yard sale at the beginning of May, but it didn't work out as it rained pretty much all weekend and we were dragging stuff over there in the rain. Now we're thinking of trying to have one here the weekend after July 4th. I need to go through totes in the basement to see what all we have and what we are willing to display.

I know we have a lot of glassware. We have many Amish/Mennonites in the area and they're always looking for glassware, silverware, and such. They have their church services in their homes and they do a big meal after church, so things don't even have to match. If it's in good shape, they buy. When we do a yard sale, we do things cheaply because we want to get rid of the stuff, not make a pile of money.

We don't have much in the way of clothing, nor do we have any kids' stuff and I know those are things that people around here always buy. I have some exercise equipment, but I don't know how well that will go over. A Cardio-Glide and an AB lounger. No furniture or anything like that.

We don't go to yard sales that often. When we do, it's usually to look for books or cookbooks. If I see an interesting bowl or casserole dish, I'll buy it. But that's pretty much it.

 

[weebeasties]

I freely admit it. I have a problem. I am a yard sale/estate sale junkie. It's a good thing I work weekends so I don't have the option to go very often or I would be broke.

 

[AbbysMom]

If we are driving by one and see something interesting, we may stop, but that is rare. We have zero interest in having one. Losing a full weekend day and not really making much money for the work you put into it isn't worth it in my opinion.

 

[denice]

I freely admit it. I have a problem. I am a yard sale/estate sale junkie. It's a good thing I work weekends so I don't have the option to go very often or I would be broke.

I don't go to them but my mother in law had the same 'problem'. Every Saturday from spring through Fall she went to yard sales. She would go through the list in the Thursday paper and make her list with addresses. My in-laws and another family had moved to Youngstown from West Virginia years before and they still lived next door to each other and the two women would go to yard sales every Saturday. My mother-in-law finally had a yard sale of her own. My father-in-law said she had it so she could get rid of some of the stuff she had bought at yard sales. He was convinced that there was a mass of things that just went from one house to another by way of yard sales.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I'd rather sleep.

My Great-Aunt was a Nun and she ran her parish's bazaar every fall. They always had a big rummage sale inside the center. I loved looking through all the things for sale. That's actually where my favorite cat painting came from. My Mom bought it for me when I was maybe 9 or 10 and it's hanging in my dressing room now. I have a few other things too. Like a very small porcelain vase. I've browsed Craigslist for furniture; but that's about all I think I'd go looking for at garage sales. Although a friend recently mentioned getting a PawPatrol toy at a garage sale that retails for about $50 and my son really wants that toy. That's TOO specific for a garage sale find.

As for hosting a sale; I'd rather give stuff away! DH has sold a few things when the neighbors had a sale or just by putting it curb side when he was out front doing yard work. The best deal was when the "meat van" (Its a legitimate company; I just can't think of their name. But they only sell meat.) guy stopped to try to make a sale. He ended up trading 2 boxes of meat for Dh's old canoe. And those were some of the best steaks I have ever had!

 

[muffy]

Never would I ever go to a yard sale. Not ever. I would never want anything that has been used by someone else. Especially clothes and dishes. I am a germ freak. My mother loved to go to them. She would go every weekend and would end up with a lot of used furniture and sewing machines. She had a whole room full of sewing machines. My sister used to go with her sometimes when her kids were young to get clothes and toys for the boys. My mother and sister had one once and I gave my stuff that I didn't want anymore. They did pretty good.

Muffy

 

[betsygee]

I like consignment stores and thrift shops but I don't go to garage sales, just because I don't see them much around here.

 

[weebeasties]

When we go I feel like I'm on a treasure hunt. We usually look for home improvement stuff. I still brag about the $25 box of decking screws that I bought for $1! We used them when we built the deck for the pool. We also have gotten lots of birdbaths and garden statuary at yard sales. Oh and so many cookbooks that we had to buy another bookcase - that came from...yep...a yard sale!

 

[dalpaengi]

We don't have any garage sales around here and for the first time in my life I'm admitting that I kinda miss them. When I was a kid I'd whine and complain whenever my mom wanted to stop to check out a yard sale or estate sale. Now that I'm older I realize that many of our families valuable antiques were acquired through estate sales.

If I drove past one, I'd stop to look for good books, at least.

 

[Mother Dragon]

We used to have occasional garage sales. A good one takes time to organize and display effectively. Lots of good, well-placed signs are very important, too. We would use a bright yellow cardstock that was 11" x 17" with big, thick letters and arrows so people could quickly and clearly see them. We used them to lead people in from some of the main roads. We live well off the main road, so we'd put out about 60-70 signs. It worked well. We were careful to pick them up at the end of the sale. Abandoned signs are a pet peeve of mine.

We also had two huge book sales. At one we sold over 1500 books and the other sold about 1000, if I remember correctly. It didn't make a dent in our collection. We organized them by subject and displayed them on ten 8' tables we rented. Each section was labeled. People loved how organized it was.

We've found that if things are just dumped into boxes on the ground, people don't buy as much. It's too much bending over. We put out every folding or camping table we have and even suspend sheets of plywood between sawhorses. We don't sell clothes because they don't really sell well. I've seen people hang them from ladders so they're easy to spot.

When I could walk I used to stop at a lot of sales, which start here on Thursdays. Now it's a hassle to assemble the scooter so I can get out and look. If we stop I usually send my husband to reconnoiter first. I always haggle over price, so he lets me take care of that part of it. I'm usually successful.

I used to buy cookbooks but now my collection is over 4,000 cookbooks, so I've had to stop. I need to have a cookbook sale to winnow them down to manageable size. I've already done that twice, but they're all so good it's hard to get rid of them.

I used to belong to a group that knits chemo caps for a cancer hospital and lap blankets for veterans.When I would find yarn, I'd ask the seller if they would donate it to the group. Most times they would. I once got three huge boxes and two tubs of yarn that way. If they weren't ready to let go, I would ask them to donate it if they didn't sell it.

I love kitchen gadgets and I found some neat stuff that way. Right now I have my husband scouting for CorningWare cookware. So far, no go.

I zip on by sales with a lot of baby stuff. Don't need that, thank goodness.

Usually estate sales are commercially managed and those folks won't bargain. The prices are usually high, too. I remember one sale where a lady tried to bargain and was told to leave! I left, too.

What I hate most are the resellers who get there early to cherry pick the sale. They snatch up all the stuff that would lure people in and get them to buy good stuff and then stay to pick up impulse items. I usually tell vultures we're not open yet or I refuse to bargain with them. I'd rather ordinary folks get the bargains.

I guess the strangest thing I've ever gotten at a garage sale was either the air potato cutting I bought or the two pasta machines and the electric dehydrator a lady gave me because it was the end of the sale and she just wanted to get rid of her mother's things so she didn't have to store them.

What's the strangest thing you've ever bought?

 

[Kat0121]

No. I don't go to them. We used to go when I was a kid. Now I can't be bothered. I have too much stuff already. I don't need anyone else's. I'd also rather sleep. I don't get up early on the weekends unless I absolutely have to.

 

[Winchester]

I'd rather sleep.

The best deal was when the "meat van" (Its a legitimate company; I just can't think of their name. But they only sell meat.) guy stopped to try to make a sale. He ended up trading 2 boxes of meat for Dh's old canoe. And those were some of the best steaks I have ever had!

There's a dirty old white van that comes around our neighborhood sometimes, trying to sell meat door-to-door. Manned by a really scruffy bunch of men. They come through about twice a year. Now I have no idea whatsoever where that meat comes from and, I'm telling you, I don't think I want to know. The last time they were here, The Beast ran them off big time. She sounded a lot meaner than she really is and they didn't realize that she's pretty much a wuss. Hopefully the old meat van won't be back now for a while.

Never would I ever go to a yard sale. Not ever. I would never want anything that has been used by someone else. Especially clothes and dishes. I am a germ freak. My mother loved to go to them. She would go every weekend and would end up with a lot of used furniture and sewing machines. She had a whole room full of sewing machines. My sister used to go with her sometimes when her kids were young to get clothes and toys for the boys. My mother and sister had one once and I gave my stuff that I didn't want anymore. They did pretty good.

Muffy

I don't have a problem with glass dishes, simply because I can throw them into the dishwasher when I get them home. I do check them very carefully for nicks or chipping. And it has to be an "interesting" bowl or dish, something that catches my eye.

When we go I feel like I'm on a treasure hunt. We usually look for home improvement stuff. I still brag about the $25 box of decking screws that I bought for $1! We used them when we built the deck for the pool. We also have gotten lots of birdbaths and garden statuary at yard sales. Oh and so many cookbooks that we had to buy another bookcase - that came from...yep...a yard sale!

See, now, I would love to find some good finds like that! One day a few summers ago, I was out walking at lunch. And there was a yard sale that just looked "good". I stopped and found cookbooks out the giggy! I started looking through them and decided that I wanted them all. I never take money with me when I walk, because.....why? Well, I guess that's why. I asked the guy to PLEASE set them aside and I was going to get my car now and I'd be right back. He started laughing because he'd seen me out walking pretty much every day for the last 100 or so years and I guess he figured he knew me. So he moved all the books, I ran back to work, grabbed some money, and Clarence and I went up and the guy and I stuffed his trunk with books. What a steal that was!

One of my co-workers found three pieces of Le Cruset at a yard sale. $20 for the three pieces. He snapped them up so fast. And his GF adored him for weeks for those pieces.

And I would love to find some interesting garden stuff at a yard sale, but we never have. Tools....yes. Neat statuary....no.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

There's a dirty old white van that comes around our neighborhood sometimes, trying to sell meat door-to-door. Manned by a really scruffy bunch of men. They come through about twice a year. Now I have no idea whatsoever where that meat comes from and, I'm telling you, I don't think I want to know. The last time they were here, The Beast ran them off big time. She sounded a lot meaner than she really is and they didn't realize that she's pretty much a wuss. Hopefully the old meat van won't be back now for a while.

I've seen that sort of thing too. This company is nice. The van is custom painted and you can also order from their website. The steaks and burgers were individually packaged inside extra thick cardboard cases. They are based a couple hours from here. If I could justify spending their prices on meat I would order in a heartbeat. The quality was definitely superior. I'd have been leery of meat being sold from a junker. If DH ever gets me a freezer for the garage I will go the buy direct from a farmer route. I just bought a No Soliciting sign for the front door too.

 

[Willowy]

I don't have a problem in regards to germs, etc. Probably the new stuff we buy is just as bad, from the factory (many hands putting it through the machines, and the machines probably aren't sanitized often), to being packaged, to being pawed though at the store. Just wash it with a little bleach (or hot cycle dishwasher for dishes) if that's a worry.

I enjoy garage sales to some extent. If you find something you've been wanting/needing for a long time, that's the best. But mostly it's a lot of twiddling around for no reason, so I don't have much patience for saling most of the time. If I had a baby, though, there are very few things I'd buy new. Babies go through their stuff just way too fast, no point getting fancy. I'd have to hit the sales then.