Become a Garage Sale Warrior

They say one person’s trash is another’s treasure – but what’s better than finding treasure for as much as 90% of its original price?! That’s right – summer is here and it’s time for the all-out, buying extravaganzas known garage sales.

Maybe you’ve stopped by a sale once or twice, pawed through someone else’s junk for a few minutes and left, empty-handed and disillusioned, wondering how that guy on Antiques Roadshow managed to unknowingly pick up the $50,000 comic book at a local yard sale. Garage sales can be frustrating, but knowing the right strategies can turn you into a garage sale warrior, leading to bargains beyond your wildest dreams.

The key to kick-butt garage sale-ing is the planning. First, identify what you’re looking to purchase. If you need to furnish a new apartment, your plan will be different from someone looking to expand a work wardrobe. With your list in hand, pick up a local newspaper - most run classified ads once a week listing all the upcoming sales and what they’ll be carrying.

Sit down with your list, the newspaper and a city map. Read through the listings and identify sales that look promising. Look for sales in affluent neighborhoods as they may have higher quality items for sale. Search these listings based on what you’re hoping to find – if you need furniture, a listing that says, “Moving – All Furniture Must Go!!” should be a high priority for the day. Make a list of the sales that specifically mention the things you need.

Using your list, look at the timing of each sale. Typically, most sales occur on the weekends between 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. However, if you have flexibility in your work scheduling, you may be able to attend sales that begin on Friday, or sometimes even Thursday. Identify the sale you’d most like to attend and plan to arrive as early as possible – the early birds get the first shot at the goods! Then, map out a game plan for the rest of the day, based on the items mentioned in the listing, the time of the sales and their geographic locations. Don’t blow all your savings on gas money!

On the day of the sale, wear comfortable shoes, pack a snack and carry cash (or a checkbook for bigger ticket items). Be quick but thorough in examining the merchandise and don’t be afraid to haggle. By conducting a yard sale, the seller has already indicated that he/she would like to get rid of things – use this assumption and see how low you can go. A poor secretary knows that every dollar matters.

If you’ve found something you love, but you and the seller can’t agree on a price, offer to leave your name and contact information. Ask the seller to call you if the item is left at the end of the day. You can get some terrific deals stopping by at the end of a sale, when the seller is faced with lots of leftover items – most recognize that making a few dollars is better than nothing. At the end of the day, sit back and enjoy your bargains.

Maybe this all sounds a little extreme to you. Perhaps you’re having visions of overzealous soccer moms stalking through neighborhoods, lists in hand, territorially defending piles of someone else’s trash. But don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. Garage sale-ing can be a fun way to find great deals on new or barely-used items. In fact, this secretary walked off with a washer and dryer set for $100 that’s been working for over two years. So keep a look out for me this summer – I’ll be out there fighting with the best of them to score my next big deal.

Sarah Russell, aka "The Sexy Secretary," is a connoisseur of living the good life on a budget. Check out her website at www.thesexysecretary.com for more fabulous ideas on how to trim down your expenses without reducing your quality of life.