Best method for hunting, advice needed...

[keif]

I am fortunate because I live in an area with lots of garage sales, but my problem is I really have not found the best way to "hunt" and pick at all of the garage sales in the area. I have came up with an excel chart and I am trying to figure out the best way, but I would love to hear some advice from people who have been doing this a lot longer then I have. What do you do when you look online and see 40-50 garage sales out there? Which ones do you go to and which ones do you ignore? Thanks for any advice.

 

[mojjax]

If you have the addresses of the sales a day or 2 ahead - drive around and see how old the houses look , and plan your route . Don't rule out newer places - they may have inherited a bunch of stuff . If the ad says ''no early birds '' get there just before . If it just gives a time - go there 1 hour or 1/2 before the scheduled time & ask if you can help lug stuff out . Some times they say "yes" and you can set aside stuff in your "pile"

 

[Tallone]

Welcome to TNet, keif. I'm looking for items to sell that are relatively easy to ship and that I can make a profit of at least $50. Personally, I don't find it worth my time to spend most of a Saturday going to dozens of yard sales hoping to find some items that meet those criteria. My experience has been that 90+ percent of yard sales have nothing of any interest to me.

When reviewing ads, I'm looking for pictures or descriptions that at least hint at having good potential for high value items like that. I generally dismiss yard sale ads that advertise mostly clothes and/or kid stuff or give no info (or very little info) about the type of items they have. I also pay attention to the neighborhood where the sale is located. I usually look for an attractive sale in a higher income area as these locations tend to have better quality stuff. Here is an example posted on Craigslist today that I have NO interest in:

Multi-family Yard Sale this Saturday (7/11) to include housewares, clothes, and baby/kid's clothes & toys!

This sale is also in an area with a lot of apartments and small "starter" houses for young families. The odds of finding anything of value at this sale are very small so I won't waste my time on it. I usually find only one or two sales each weekend that are worth going to.

I also avoid estate sales run by professional outfits. These are commonly known as "tag sales" as the company will put a price tag on everything. My experience has been that these companies ask full retail value for everything and I HATE the mob of people that invariably show up to these things. I have found a few good deals on the second day of such sales when they reduce the prices but that is rare.

Also, I don't limit myself to just yard sales. I also frequent auctions but I'm selective about these as well. Generally, the auction companies will post LOTS of photos of the items being sold so I need to see some indication there is valuable and interesting stuff. Online auctions tend to be expensive so I prefer on-site auctions. The down side is you can spend a lot of time waiting for the items you want to come up for sale. But I enjoy the auction atmosphere so I don't mind spending a few hours hanging around and watching the action.

It's really a question of what fits your personal style. All of the above is more guideline than rule and I do deviate from these on occasion. I hope that helps some. Best of luck to you. I hope to see you posting you cool finds soon!

 

[mojjax]

What ever happened to the thread " things I look for at yard sales " I'm not sure if that is the correct title - but it was a good long thread .

 

[mojjax]

I found it - by randazzo1 -
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/g...p-look-out.html?highlight=vintage+spray+paint

 

[mojjax]

And this one by Diggumup is a classic - Study it and learn -

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/g...ost-your-1-less-finds-here-w-sold-prices.html

 

[Beachkid23]

I have no reason or method to my yard sales . However the early bird gets the worm. And don't be afraid to ask for things. But definitely being the first one there is the biggest benefit. I will search on craigslist for things they are selling to see if there's anything that seems more interesting versus some other houses. Estate sales, jewelry, antique, vintage so on and so on. But being early for me is definitely key.

 

[mojjax]

There are a lot old books out there - I was forced to read them in High School , back in the 70's - the classics - Animal Farm , The Great Gatsby - I never read any back then , I just bought the "monarch notes ''
dust jackets are good- don't get book club editions .
the great gatsby book | eBay

 

[Paleo_joe]

I just have never been as successful at garage sales as at estate sales. Garage sales, you just have to work so hard. Be there first, in a good part of town, sounds like good advice either way.

 

[Beans]

I use to think I had to be the first one and have a planned route. That really burned me out so I started a new method and now I am back to having fun. I get in my car, get a cup of coffee and go. I have had the philosophy of "If it is meant for me to have it, then I will get it" for the last two years. Still find good stuff. Just remember every one is looking for something different and never look at what other people bought and think if only you had gotten there sooner.

 

[diggummup]

I used to plan my sales starting with the closest to my house and ending with the furthest away. This was when I used to hit 20-30 sales on a Sat. morning. Nowadays, I concentrate more on the neighborhood. I don't do 20-30 sales anymore, I was buying too much. Remember quality over quantity. Don't dismiss estate sales, you just have to know which companies are realistic and which aren't, with their pricing. You won't know that until you go to one of their sales. You gotta know how to buy "under the radar" with most of them. Like NH Bandit did with that hood ornament he posted. Remember they don't know everything. I agree with Beans, if it was meant to be mine, then it will be.