Garage Sale Tips

Garage Sale, Tag Sale, Rummage Sale, Yard Sale….whatever you call it, they can be the BEST place to find vintage treasures and antiques at reasonable prices! I grew up going to garage sales with my Mom and her best friend in New York. I loved going out and hunting for toys early on, but later developed collections and I just never stopped! I wanted to share my favorite tips for going to garage sales as we embark on the greatest garage sale season ever!

Cash is King

Let me tell you cash is always the preferred method for a garage sale. Sometimes if you run out of money, a garage sale owner will accept a local check. Also cash is quick! Most times my goal is to hit as many garage sales as quickly as I can, so cash is the quickest payment option.

The Early Bird Gets the Worm

I can not tell you how many times I have walked up to a garage sale 5 minutes late only to see the item I was searching for walking away in someone else’s arms. Get there early, if you can arrive early sometimes owners will let you start to shop early too!

Wear Layers

Most garage sale mornings start early, which can be quite chilly in our area, but then it warms up throughout the morning. I love to wear layers to shed throughout the day and they serve as the perfect piece of clothing to wrap glass treasures in too! I have linked up a few of my favorites down below!

Good Shoes

When you are out and about at garage sales you will definitely get your steps in, so having a comfortable pair of shoes is very important to get you to the treasures quicker! This is my favorite pair of shoes, mostly because of their pretty green color.

Snacks

Garage sales always start early, so I pack a breakfast! But also save room for all those lemonade stands along the way. Did you ever have a small lemonade stand at a garage sale with treats and tasty drinks? I did and I will always remember how proud I was when I sold a cookie or cold lemonade to a customer!

Bring your Kids

I love to bring my kiddos as they get a little older and give them a budget. It is so fun to watch what they buy and I am so thankful that my Mom took the time to take me when I was younger.

Bargain & Bundle

I almost always ask for a lower price at garage sales, because the only bad thing that can happen is that they can say no. Often times if you are buying a few items together I like to bundle them and ask for a lower price all grouped together. Try not to seem too invested in the piece and point out flaws if there are any.

Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover

We have all done it, driven by a garage sale and kept driving because it didn’t seem interesting. But I’m here to tell you take a quick minute to walk through, you never know what treasures might be hiding at the garage sale! Some of my favorite finds were ones I found at garage sales I almost passed up!

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Specific Items

Oftentimes I will ask the owner if they have any vintage glassware. Sometimes people have items inside that they never put out or that they just didn’t have time to price. Don’t be afraid to ask, they may have a treasure or two hiding inside!

Have a Little Vision

I like to start my garage sale season with a list of items that I am looking for because I feel like it keeps me on track. Having vision with different pieces is important because I don’t like to collect clutter. Each treasure I pick up should have a purpose or an idea that I plan to do with that piece.

Pick IT UP!

If you like an item, if it’s a maybe, or you MIGHT want it, pick it up! You can always put it back down if you decide you don’t want the item anymore. This washstand below was a steal and the woman that was first at the garage sale kept kicking herself because she didn’t claim it right away. So again pick it up or claim it right away!