How to Become an Expert Garage Sale Shopper
For some avid garage sale shoppers it’s a hobby, for some it’s a weekend tradition, yet for others it may well be an addiction. Whatever your level of commitment to the activity of rummaging through other people’s outcasts, hoping to find the ultimate treasure, the first step to becoming an expert garage sale shopper is to have an organized plan.
Instructions
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Check your local newspaper to decide which garage sales you will attend. Do this the day before your shopping expedition. Most sales are listed Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. If a sale is starting on Friday, you may find an ad for it in Thursday’s newspaper. Mark all of the sales to which you will be going.
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Know where you are going and then map out your garage sale route. If you’re not familiar with some street addresses, locate them on a city street map or on the Internet. Take note of the start of each sale. Once you are familiar with all the locations, create a list. You will want to start with the one closest to your home or the garage sale you most want to attend, taking into account the starting time. From that point, map out the rest of the sales in a fashion that will require you the least amount of driving distance and time.
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Bring lots of small bills (ones, fives and tens) as well as change. The seller will quickly run out of small money denominations as people ply her with twenties and fifties. Also, as you are haggling over a price that you work down to $9 you don’t want to pull out a $20. It’s best to have the exact change or as close as possible.
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Carry your own bags. In many cases the seller will not have them or hadn’t thought to supply them. It makes shopping easier and it is less likely you will drop and break an item on your way back to the car if it’s in a bag.
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Dress with layers in order to keep warm in the early morning. You’ll want to remove layers as the day warms up. It’s a logical thought, but not everyone thinks of it.
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Eat a big breakfast or bring a snack to eat between locations. Garage sale shopping can burn up a lot of calories and you may find yourself running out of fuel before you are done. You won’t want to have to stop and eat while you miss the best deal to someone else.
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When you first arrive at a garage sale, take a quick scan of the items for sale. Grab those things you think you might be interested in. If you have picked up quite a few things, ask the seller if you can create a pile. Then when you’ve looked through everything you can go back and sort through your pile.
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Haggle. Most people have sentimental feelings about their belongings and will often overprice them. Have a fairly close idea of the top amount you are willing to pay for an item and walk away when that price is not agreed upon.
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Tips & Warnings
Bring a bottle of water and decide ahead of time where you will take a bathroom break.
Leave books and music until the end of your shopping as they don’t sell as fast.
Best times for shopping at garage sales are early, just after they’ve opened (to find the best treasure) and just before closing time (to get the best deal).
Leave your purse in the car trunk and take the amount cash you think you’ll need, for each sale, in your pocket. That way you won’t be walking around with a big wad of cash that an unscrupulous person may notice.
