Shopping the Garage Sale 101

     Having a garage sale is hard work, but very rewarding both financially and feng shui-ishly. (new word – but doesn’t it feel wonderful to have less stuff?) Now, this blog will teach how to get new stuff on the cheap. I know, but we just went to the trouble of purging old stuff! I will keep the above quote going because this time when you are ‘shopping’, you will remember these words – must be useful & beautiful.

      To start, begin checking Craig’s List, local newspaper ads & signs that begin to pop up on telephone poles, etc. starting Thursday & Friday for sales that might interest you. Most ads give an overview of what to expect & times to arrive. You can usually get there a little sooner unless they specifically say ‘no earlybirds’. Map out your route & times. Neighborhood sales are wonderful because you hit dozens of homes at once & get some exercise too! Bring a great cup of coffee or tea & a snack with you. (You will need sustenance to keep you going!) Think outside the box when it comes to possibilities to improve your home & garden. I personally love garden chotskies, but sometimes they need some refurbishing. (more on that in a later blog) Think outside the box on gardening containers & sweet little statues you might tuck into your plantscape here & there. (I have an angel garden & a bunny garden all from rummage/garage sale items) It’s fun to collect & so inexpensive. The majority of decorations my Mom admires at my home/garden have come from these sales. (It’s now our running joke, and she’ll say “how much?” & I’ll say “a dollar”.)

      Now a word on pricing; this should not be an expensive proposition. If you are buying a few items say totaling $4.00, you may ask for a ‘bundled’ price of $3.00 for everything. (Channel your inner American Picker). Ninety-five percent of the time you get a yes on that. Rummage sales/flea markets at churches, etc. usually price things so cheaply that you don’t need to bargain. They have checkout lines & it makes it hard to haggle. But, since it’s such a worthy cause, it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is to have fun with the adventure & anticipation. You can get some retail therapy at non-retail pricing. (I can’t tell you how many Yankee Candles I’ve gotten over the years for a dollar or less – now that’s fun!) Every week is something new & remember – useful & beautiful!