7 Tips for Getting the Best Garage Sale Deals
Garage sale season is in full swing and with that means deals! Garage sales are a fantastic way to pick up items that you need or want at a fraction of the price you would pay retail. While yard sales are awesome, they can also be a bad thing if you don’t watch what you’re doing. Not everyone is honest and those people have no issue charging more than they should or selling junk. Before you head out to the sales this year, take a look at these 7 tips for getting the best garage sale deals. You’re sure to shop smart if you do!
Shop with a Budget – A lot of us can get into trouble hitting the yard sales because for some reason, we don’t equate them in our minds as actual shopping. After all, it’s only a few bucks, right? Well that few bucks adds up and if you’re not careful, you can totally tank your finances. To get the best deals, shop with a budget. When you have a set amount of cash you can spend, you are less likely to pick up junk and will instead be a bit choosier in what you buy.
Carry Batteries – I know this sounds silly, but a lot of electronics, especially kids toys and games run on batteries. Carry a few in a couple of different sizes (AAA, AA, C & D) with you so that you’ll be able to test those toys before you pay for them.
Make a list – Just like grocery shopping, don’t just hit the sales with no clear purpose in mind. Make a list of the things you are looking for. Doing this will help keep you on task for finding the really good deals on products you’ll actually use. It will also help you pay more attention to quality and price since you are keeping it in the forefront of your mind.
Dig, Dig, Dig – Not everyone is great at staging a yard sale so they will use boxes or bags to put items out. So what does this mean for you? It means there could be a goldmine worth of deals stuffed in bags and boxes. Don’t be afraid to get down and dirty and dig through them! I’ve found antique books stuffed in boxes that I paid $0.75 each for. I then sold them for over $30 each.
Negotiate like the Pro’s – People who hold yard sales expect two things and the biggest is to be negotiated with on their prices. Don’t be afraid to ask if they’re willing to take a lower price. Chances are, they will. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know and by not knowing, you can easily miss out on a great deal.
Leave the kids at home – I know, some kids love yard sales, but between the “I’m thirsty’s” and the “Mom! Can I have?” you can easily be distracted. This means you could pay more for items than you should or even miss out on something you need.
Lastly, don’t be afraid to walk away – If the deal is not what you need it to be, don’t be afraid to walk away. This actually serves two purposes. The first is that if you do walk away, you won’t spend more money than you need. The second is that most yard sale hosts won’t let you walk away. Instead, they have a tendency to call you back and deal with you. This is an excellent strategy for getting a deal that you might not otherwise be able to.
Yard sale deals aren’t hard to get, but you do have to stay on your toes. Keep these tips in mind and you’ll score all of the deals you want. Do you have any other tips that I missed? We’d love if you shared them with us!
