My Garage Sale Bargains
Every Saturday at 7am, from the time the snow melts (April) until it starts to snow again (December), you will find me trekking off to garage sales. I have so much fun! I have found the most interesting items - things that you wouldn't necessarily see in stores. I thought I would list a few cool items I've purchased (and maybe convert some of you!!) at great prices, just to show you what's "out there"! Do you have any great garage sale bargains you would like to share? Send me some email elizajody@geocities.com and I'll post it here.
- 1. Bike rack: in great condition, no rust, holds 2 bikes. They were asking $5 (an amazing price already), and I paid $4 (that $4 Canadian of course, so imagine how far your American dollars would go!)
- 2. A beautiful soapstone chess set from Kenya. A round board with soft pink and ivory coloured pieces. A real treasure! I love African art and I like chess, so I was very pleased. $3
- 3. A carved wooden figure (black wood) of a woman sitting hugging her knees and looking up smiling. It looks African. $4
- 4. The Bionic Woman Board Game. I've seen it at TV collectible shows selling for $20. I paid $0.25 for mine!
- 5. From Wendy: My brother in fact goes around on garbage night to see what he can find. He gave my mom a white drink cart that he touched up with some white paint that looks as good as new. He also has found about five old t.v.'s.
- 6. We found a beautiful Sherman pin (VERY collectible).
- 7. We got some decorative fish - they're from Mexico. 12 for $15.
- 8. We found two African silk prints, for only $2 each! I love African art, and I'm thinking of keeping the one with giraffes. My mom will sell the other (with flamingoes)!
- 9. Another bargain: Limoges plates (again, VERY collectible) for only $1 each. We didn't even bother to bargain, it was such a good price.
- 10. A lady was selling two medium sized wooden elephant heads (looking straight on) where the trunks curved up and outward to form a hook. Each elephant had one tusk missing, and she was asking $5. Not an unreasonable price as she told us she bought them at an antique store for $75, and I love elephants....but did I really need these? I was humming and hawing, and SHE (sensing my indecision) said "I'll take $3" to which I said "Sold!" It's great when the seller bargains for you. That was so easy!
- 11. I bought a nice unused guest book (original price said $12) for $0.25 and gave it to a friend that night for her housewarming party (don't worry - I told her it was from a garage sale).
- 12. I got some writing paper for $0.50. It included 8 envelopes. When I got it home I found 5 32¢ stamps inside. Now that's a bargain!
- <13. My first garage sale of the season on April 10. I got a couple of small masks (from Jamaica) for $1.
- more to come...
The Rules of Garage Saling and Garbage Picking
Never pay the ticket price.
Really. Offer less and bargain to an agreeable price. If you really really really want it, and the seller won't budge, what the heck, pay full price. That way you'll both be happy. I know that it's sometimes hard to bargain but keep practicing and it will get easier.Always arrive earlier than the advertised hour.
If they advertise at 8:00am then you arrive at 7:00am. Don't even bother going out after 9:30-10:00am.... all the good stuff is gone.Check over the merchandise.
If you're looking for collectibles to sell, make sure there are absolutely no chips or cracks as dealers rarely purchase items that are less than perfect.You don't have to buy the first thing you see
I know this is something of a contradiction. Usually you should snatch up an item if you see it at a great price. In fact, I whole-heartedly recommend this! But patience is good too. Remember that bike rack I bought for only $4? I had seen a similar bike rack a couple of months earlier. It had some rust and it wasn't in the greatest shape and they wanted $15. I decided to wait in case I saw something better, and WOW did I ever!Be a hero and take a nice long walk the night before garbage pickup day
People can be really dumb. They throw out wonderfully useful items. Our landfills are already overflowing with trash, and now these idiots put out good stuff that could be reused instead of taking up valuable space in a landfill. My mom once found a lovely wooden rocking horse (it was in great shape) out for the garbage. Only a few doors down was a church and nursery school that would have loved that horse. These people were too lazy to drop it off there. Unbeliveable. Only a few weeks ago I found some really great stuff. A beautiful white wicker table - in perfect, and I mean perfect condition. It now sits in my room! My mom picked up a nice cat bed and a laundry basket - again these were in "like new" condition. There's a hero I see from time to time who drives around with his old station wagon picking out good stuff. I imagine he re-sells it. If you don't want to keep it or sell it, then why not take it down to Goodwill or the Salvation Army? Anyone who keeps stuff out of our landfills is my hero.
