8.18.2012

why you should yard sale

If you know me or have read my blog for long, you know I'm all about a deal.  I'm naturally thrifty-minded and, for me, it's a thrill to seek out a deal.  Many Saturdays, I get up and hit the yard sales around town.  Some mornings we go out as a family.  Some mornings it's just Adeline and me.  And occasionally, Justin stays home with Adeline while I go out for a bit in the morning.  This morning I flew solo and had tons of luck!


Total yard sales: 5

Total time:  1.5 hours

Number of items purchased: 12

Total spent:  $6

I found Adeline gobs of books at a couple of the yard sales! I was able to buy 5 board books at my first yard sale for $1.50, including Tigger Bounces into Fall (so cute!).  I then bought Clifford's First Halloween and a Max Lucado board book, as well as a sing along nursery rhyme CD for $2 at my next yard sale.


After that I headed to another yard sale and found an awesome oval frame that I've been wanting for a crafting project that's up my sleeve! I'm currently giving it new life with some spray paint and a little makeover.  (Justin was disturbed that the family left their family photo in the frame.  Seriously...it's a reprint of an old family photo.  He wants me to burn it so it doesn't haunt us. ha!)

My last planned yard sale was a flop.  High prices and junk I didn't need.

The last yard sale I went to probably excited me the most and I just found it following signs.  Love when that happens.

At this yard sale I found a Bailey Boys gingham romper set and two pairs of shoes for Adeline!

I had just told Justin the night before I wanted to find some bright red shoes to go with Adeline's lady bug Halloween costume...found them! I only paid $0.50 for these and they're Gap!

The deal of the day...century maybe...was the Bailey Boys outfit.  This thing was probably between $30 and $40 new!! I bought it for $1!

Tips for "Yard Sale-ing":

- Search Craigslist or your local paper around Thursday or Friday for listings. On Craigslist, under "for sale, garage sales"...search by the town names you want to shop in.  I search by my county, then I search by the specific cities I know I want to shop in.

-Go early but don't worry if you aren't there when they first open.  Sometimes you'll get better deals as the day goes on because people just want to get rid of things!

-Take cash and coins...and preferably set a limit.

-Look for prices that are about 10-20% of what they originally would have sold.  (Or try to do even better!)

-If something isn't priced...ask!

-Just think: sanitize.  My favorite option is Clorox's Anywhere cleaner.  Makes toys and books brand new! Porous items such as fabric, can be thrown in the washer.  Small pieces like plastic blocks can be put into a mesh laundry bag and put into the top rack in the dishwasher!


-Be bold and ask for a lower price if you think it should be lower.

-Group items together and ask the seller for a price for the group.  (For example, I bought 5 books for $1.50.  Originally, they wanted $0.50 a piece for the books, meaning I would have paid. $2.50.  I just approached the seller with the group of books and politely asked if she would take $1.50 for all of them.  It was a yes and I got an even better deal!)

-Don't give up.  Some weekends you will have a lot of luck, while others you won't have any.

-Go with items in mind and think about how you can repurpose or give new life to an item! If you're willing to put a little creativity and/or elbow grease into something, you can save SO much money by shopping at yard sales.

-Look at the tags! (Often, you can find designer kids clothes for super cheap at yard sales.  I know I can buy many clothes, such as Target, Kohl's, etc. very cheap on clearance and with store coupons in the store.  I often don't buy those types of clothes at yard sales.  However, you can't even find yard sale type deals on designer clothes when you buy consignment.  I don't pass up a designer outfit that's priced right at a yard sale.  Often kids clothes have been worn once or twice and look brand new.)

-Make it fun.  I often stop by McDonald's and get a large diet coke to take along with me for the ride.


still in her jammies...enjoying her new treasures!
Enjoy the hunt!


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11 comments :

  1. Love this post! You just gave me a major itch to hit up some yard sales next weekend! I love that you always get a drink from McDonald's to take along with you. Fun!

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  2. the "hunt" is for sure the best part! I got a smocked dress for G at goodwill for $1.50. Smocked dresses are like 40-60 new!

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  3. Love the bailey boys find and the adorable red shoes! You did great! For the first time today EC and I came home empty handed! That doesn't happen to us very often! Cannot wait to see how the frame turns out! ;-)

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  4. Agreed! I love finding good yard sales!! We hit up some at the beginning of the month (it was a community yard sale..THE best kind!) and came back with all kinds of goodies!

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  5. You got such great deals!! I can't wait to get back to the States so I can get back into yard sales. You can find so many fun things for kiddos!

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  6. Love the outfit and shoes- how awesome that you wanted red shoes and then so randomly found them! God gave you the desires of your heart on that one! The family photo left in is creeping me out, too. Why wouldn't they have taken it out?!

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  7. ow, you got a great deal! I usually check thrift stores, but I've beenw anting to go yard-saling this summer . . . it just hasn't happened yet, though.

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  8. I never have the patience for yard sales but my mom loves them as does my husband and his parents. In fact my father in law went this past weekend and bought an almost new Le Creuset pot for $2!!!

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  9. I am a BIG fan of deals! I really love children's consignment stores. After all, they only wear most things a few times before they grow out of them. I enjoyed reading your tips for garage sales! All good advice! We love repurposing furniture. Sometimes you can find solid wood, made in U.S.A. items that just need a makeover. It's fun!

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  10. Yard sales are the best for kid stuff!! LOVE them!

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  11. great finds! I want to start yard saling but I have to convince the hubs to stay at home that early with the boys.ha!

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