Garage Sales : How To Choose ?

So you are all set to start garage sailing. You open the paper or look on the internet and there are zillions of garage sales. How do you choose the best ones?

Are you looking for a specific item that is harder to find? For example,you looking for a dining table, treadmill, double stroller etc. then you should scan the garage sales for that specific item. If you want or need that item badly, then go to sales that advertise that specific item.

Just looking for good deals, then the best garage sales are the town sales, neighborhood sales, and block sales. You will save money on gas and be able to go to more sales in a shorter period of time. Of course, lots of other people have the same idea so you need to go early. The larger the area of sales then the earlier you need to go. For a town sale, try to arrive 1 1/2 hours early. Someone will be setting up and let you look. For a block sale, try to arrive 1 hour early. Then you can catch each garage sale as it opens. Fewer sellers means less of a chance that any will open more than an 1 hour early.

There are 3 exceptions to early opening guidelines. If they say no early birds on a single household sale then go about 20 minutes early. If it is raining, then deduct 1/2 hour from your early starting time. People don't like to open when it's raining. Go to yard sales about 1 hour early because people have to set up outside.

Looking to sell collectibles on Ebay? Your best bet is still the large neighborhood sales. Otherwise, you can go to the sales that say collectibles, antiques, etc. but don't overlook the other sales. Look for sales that are being given by people with older kids or senior citizens. How do you know? You need to look for clues in the ad. My favorite is knickknacks! This is a term generally used only by the older generations. Also look for sales that advertise only dishes or household items but no clothes.

Do you know the neighborhood? New neighborhoods tend to have more baby and younger kid items. Older neighborhoods will usually have a higher percentage of senior citizens. More affluent neighborhoods tend to have more new or never used items.

Have fun! I love looking for a bargain. It is more fun when you take a friend. Stay positive that the next garage sale might have a great deal !