So yesterday I was a little hard on yard sales, telling you all that they are a waste of your money. Well, they can be a waste of your money but that doesn’t mean they have to be. Here are some of the ways that I think yard sales can save you money and be worth your time.
1. Put Cash In Your Pocket – Checkbook At Home
If you go to yard sales all summer long as more of a fun hobby, I can understand that. Be smart about it! Put cash in your pocket that you don’t mind spending and bring NO other form of payment with you. That way, you have your fun but don’t over-spend.
2. Something You Intended To Buy
Sometimes people are selling items that are nearly new for a small fraction of their value. If you’ve been looking around for a basketball hoop for your son, intending to purchase one, and then come across a nice one for $15 at a yard sale – then THAT is a great deal!
I was selling my old sewing machine at one of my yard sales. A lady came and was so excited because she had been planning on going to the store and buying one just like it. What a great thing to stumble upon for her!
3. Something You Didn’t Plan On But You Need
My mother sold a BUNCH of canning jars at a yard sale. Canning jars can be very expensive and they are a wonderful thing to buy at a yard sale. If you come across them, and you need them – get them. Other things fit in here too. If you find a winter jacket for your daughter to use this Fall or maybe a good pair of boots. Things like that sell for CHEAP at a summer yard sale and you know you’ll need them this winter.
4. Something Rare Or Difficult To Find
Perhaps there is a very particular type of old coffeemaker that you’ve been wanting but is no longer produced. Let’s say you’ve looked online and found they were either too expensive or non-existent. Then, one day you’re at a yard sale and you find one for an affordable price. You may not have planned on buying it, but it was a lucky find and something you’ve been wanting and haven’t been able to get – so it’s worth it to you.
Antiques fit in here too. Sometimes people sell things for cheap but don’t realize their value. Be sure you know what you’re looking for. It can be very easy to be fooled or get ripped off when it comes to antiques. However, if you have an eye for them – then yard sales are the way to go.
When done correctly, yard sales can be a great thing for both the seller and the buyer, yielding mutual gain. Know what you’re selling and know what you’re buying for the most success.
Have you ever found a steal at a yard sale? Ever found just the right thing at just the right time? Do tell … 
Why I do what I do ~ Last night at dinner Chloe said, “Daddy, do you know what says ‘hunk, hunk?’” Amused, David said, “No Chloe, what says ‘hunk, hunk?’” Chloe answered, “A Hunkback Whale.”
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I found a wooden cutting board that was just like my mom’s when I was first setting up house in college. I still love it and use it today. Probably cost around 25 cents!
Elisa | blissfulE´s last blog ..triplex nursing
I go to garage sales often, so it would be impossible to list all of the great deals I’ve found.
Last week I bought a clean, working, electric tea kettle for 50¢. This was great because I’d just mentioned them a few days earlier to my husband, wondering if they are really as convenient as people say they are. Now I get to try one with hardly any money spent on it. I like it, it’s a steal, and if I don’t, it will become a charity donation or make it’s way to my own garage sale.
I’ve found Sterling jewelry for a quarter, a new but out of box Pelican Case for $5 that we sold on eBay for $145, and a pair of jeans for $1 that not only fit me when I got them home, but had $24 in the pocket. I had been to sales all day and had no clue which house I’d bought them at, or else I might have tried to return the money.
I had a good friend who bought a set of cow-shaped salt and pepper shakers and found a $100 bill tucked up inside one of them!
Annie Jones´s last blog ..Monday Morning Chit Chat – Downgraded Edition
Annie & Elisa – GREAT deals!!
Yard sales are a great place to find inexpensive and interesting furniture. I like to visit yard sales to look for interesting pieces that can easily be spruced up with a coat of paint. It’s much cheaper than buying retail, and if you’re lucky you can end up with a very unique and lovely piece!
- Shannon from FabulousSavings.com
I have found so many things for my home and new grandson! I just make a list, sizes, measurements etc and go have fun.
I chase silky oak furniture (a native Australian wood that’s now extinct). At yardsales and on eBay it’s useually reasonably priced and I find cheaper than IKEA for most pieces (ie cheaper to buy antique table than new from IKEA) and the best this is the resale value will still be the same I won’t loose any money to depreciation.
Bankruptcy Ben´s last blog ..FFJ – Ways to Save Money