garagesalesign.jpg$$ There are two kinds of garage sales — the ones where people want to make money and the ones where people want to get rid of stuff. The object is to find the ones where people want to get rid of stuff.

$$ Get a map and newspaper and map out your route. Xeroxing maps from a phone book also works great. If you’re a beginner you might hit neighborhoods you are familiar with first.

$$ Have kids help you out. Give kids a dollar or two to buy a few good deals. Let them help pick out gifts for the grandparents, cousins, etc. Always bring food in a cooler to ease the fatigue.

$$ Wear Comfortable Clothes. Always check the weather before you leave and have an umbrella handy.

$$ If you find something you are unsure about, pick it up and carry it around with you. This will give you time to think about it before anyone else can buy it out from under you.

$$ Always ask politely if they will come down on the price, most of the time they will. If I find a name brand sweater in perfect shape for 25 cents, I don’t ask for less.

$$ If there is something you really want, but the seller is asking more than you want to pay, offer them a lower price. If they say no, leave your name and number and ask them to consider selling it to you at your price if they still have it at the end of the day.

$$ Always check items well for hard to see tears, stains, or breakage. Remember it is a garage sale so everything won’t be perfect

$$ It is best to go early, but don’t panic if you can’t. Sometimes you get the best buys after lunch when sellers are tired and don’t want to have to drag everything back into the house. It’s great to go on the last day of a sale because most sellers will almost pay you to take things so they don’t have to keep them.

$$ If you don’t have success in one part of town, try somewhere else the next time. Sometimes the best garage sale neighborhoods are the ones you don’t expect.