Bowie, Chas
Yard Sales 101
Issue #28
A guide to finding all the loot you can haul away, all summer long
By Susan Beal
Published: June 1st, 2006 | 12:00am
So you need a new lamp? A few more coffee mugs? Why not grab the classifieds section of the newspaper or look on craigslist.org for a yard sale in your area this weekend? Summer is the perfect time to try your luck at digging for 10-cent treasures.
Venus hooked me up with $20 and a mission to find some cool stuff on the cheap. I considered three kinds of sales as I planned my attack:
• Yard or garage sales are seasonal (spring, summer, and fall) and, for the most part, dependent upon good weather. They’re a real grab bag — some have tons of great housewares, clothes, and furniture, and some are just a few odds and ends spread out on a blanket in the driveway.
• Rummage sales are usually held in a church or community center and are much bigger, since dozens of people have donated their stuff. Be on the lookout for specials such as “Fill a Grocery Bag for a Buck Day.”
• Estate sales, which are mostly held between March and December, offer the chance to wander through an entire house and browse things for sale in every room. In addition to offering affordable goods, estate sales are often run by professionals who sell higher-end furniture and vintage collectibles. Prices are typically more firm than negotiable.
IT WAS A GOOD SATURDAY IN PORTLAND
I hit nine sales. A few of them weren’t worth more than a glance, but two of them in particular were pure gold. I stopped by a huge rummage sale at the local Elks Lodge and picked up some nice vintage sheets and pillowcases, books, and magazines. The second-to-last sale of the day that I hit up was amazing. I found an exquisite antique scrapbook (with a dried corsage and dance program from 1929 tucked inside) and a truly remarkable hand-beaded map of Oregon in the dusty garage. My heart was beating extra-fast as I asked the owner how much he wanted for them. The map was $1 and the scrapbook was $5. Sold! I hung up the map over my fireplace as soon as I got home.
ESSENTIALS FOR YOUR TOUR DE SALES
Cash (especially smaller bills, since some sales run out of change quickly), water, a snack, a map, and a notebook to keep a list of the sales that look good. If you stop by a sale the first minute they open for business, you’ll get the best selection, but if you go during the last few hours of the final day, you’ll get the best deals — like 50% off everything, or a bagful of things for cheap. Serendipity is key here. Of course you’ll have a wish list, but keep an open mind, and you’ll probably run across something amazing you never knew you needed.
SUSAN BEAL’S SHOPPING LIST
BUDGET: $20
• vintage crocheted shawl: $5
• vintage sheet: 50¢
• vintage metal flower pin: 25¢
• vintage pillowcases: 3 @ 10¢ each = 30¢
• 7 back issues of Martha Stewart Living @ 10¢ each = 70¢
• book (Deliverance): 25¢
• book (The Wind-up Bird Chronicles): 50¢
• book (Man in Black): 50¢
• hand-beaded map of Oregon: $1
• 1929 scrapbook of pictures and cards: $5
• vintage mail sorter: $4
• New Earth Catalog: 50¢
• vintage dress: $2
Total: $20.50
ADVICE FOR HAPPY SHOPPING
From Susan Campbell, a Virginia-based estate-sale planner
• Early on the first day of a sale can be competitive, since dealers, eBayers, and store owners often show up to shop then. It can be a lot easier to get around if you wait an hour or two. Don’t show up before the advertised start of the sale.
• If you definitely want to buy something, hang onto it or ask the person running the sale to hold it for you. Whatever you do, don’t set it down. You’ll risk losing it to another customer.
• You can often find great bargains on basics. Look for nice towels, books, furniture, dishes, and clothes in good condition — for example, rather than just Fiestaware dishes or more collectable and sought-after brands.
• Wait until you’re ready to pay for your purchases to ask about discounts. You’ll have a much better chance of getting a deal if you’re polite about it, and buying several things helps, too. You also can make an offer on big-ticket items, or leave your phone number in case something doesn’t sell by the end of the weekend.
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