About Yard Sales

Yard sales can prove to be a win-win situation for everyone involved. Homeowners who want to clear their homes from the over accumulation of "things" get needed motivation (cash) to rid their homes of all the things they no longer use or need. Bargain hunters and those who are interested in the reuse of manufactured goods use yard sales to stock their home with needed items at prices that equal big savings. Yard sales offer big benefits to both the buyer and the seller.

Time Frame

Yard sales are typically held at the end of the week, usually beginning on Thursday or Friday and ending on Saturday. The busiest day in terms of yard sale shoppers is the first day of the sale. Most yard sales have a start time of 9:00 a.m., but it is common for bargain hunters to lurk at the edge of the driveway before the scheduled start time in an effort to be the first person on the scene and thus become the yard sale shopper who scores the best deals. The typical closing time for a yard sale is 5:00 p.m., though sellers often close the sale early on the last day.

Type

Yard sales can exist under several aliases. Depending on the culture of the region where a yard sale is held, yard sales may also be called a garage sale, moving sale, rummage sale, barn sale, porch sale or junk sale. Similar to a yard sale is the estate sale. These sales are held when a death forces a family to sell the deceased's belongings or when a long time homeowner decides to downsize. One other variation of the yard sale is the mom to mom sale. Such a sale is the combined effort of several parents who have large quantities of infant and child care supplies to sell.

Expert Insight

From the shopper's standpoint, the best way to shop yard sales for valuable goods at bargain prices is to approach yard sales with a plan. Experienced yard sale shoppers comb the classified ads on Wednesday and make a list of all of the yard sales they'd like to attend. From this list they map out a shopping route that leads them geographically through the sales they plan to visit.

Risk Factors

Though most people who hold yard sales mark their wares with prices that represent a reasonable value, there are others who attempt to make a large profit on goods that are not worth as much as the seller would have the buyer believe. Buyers should approach the purchase of more costly items with caution. It is also prudent to test the working condition of an item before purchase since most yard sale purchases are considered a final sale.

Misconceptions

There was once a stigma regarding the purchase of secondhand goods but with the increase in environmental awareness people are adopting a new and favorable opinion of shopping at yard sales. In addition to being an environmentally friendly decision, the decision to shop at a yard sale is also a financially friendly decision which has also helped the practice to become more mainstream.