8 Tips for Shopping at Yard Sales

As Spring cleaning continues, yard sale season begins! I LOVE going to yard and garage sales! My mom used to hold garage sales often as supplemental income when I was young. I have been on the selling and buying end of yard sales for the majority of my life. We currently live in the countryside so it is too difficult for me to hold a yard sale. But I still enjoy buying from yard sales!

If you are attending yard sales to buy items here are some tips:

If you are buying an electronic item, make sure it works! Ask to plug it in. Go through all of the buttons, switches, etc. to make sure the item is in good working condition.
For clothing, make sure the zippers work, check the seams for holes and look for stains. My favorite kind of sale for clothing is the “fill a bag” sale. Usually for $3-$5 I can score a ton of clothing!
For games and toys, make sure all of the pieces are present.
If you are looking for furniture, start out early. Furniture is usually the first thing to go. Get to the sale as soon as it opens. Bring a tape measure.
Don’t be afraid to ask for a lower price if you think an item is overpriced. If they won’t budge on price, it’s okay to walk away.
Bring small change to make it easier.
If yard saling with your kids, set boundaries ahead of time. Give them a set amount of money or tell them they can buy one item. If you don’t set boundaries, they will ask for something at every sale!
Map our your route. You can find yard sale listings on Craigslist and in newspapers. Have a plan in place to make your adventure go smoothly and to avoid backtracking.

If you are going to hold a yard sale, make sure you read over my post on How to Hold a Yard Sale. There are some useful tips on timing, preparation and advertising. I would also suggest reading my post on Garage and Yard Sale Pricing. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is overpricing your items. If your items are priced right, you will have a successful sale.

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Renae Chiovaro

Renae is a married working mom of two handsome boys. She works as a registered dental hygienist by day and blogs here at How to Have it All by night. She enjoys cooking from scratch, working in her vegetable garden and functional training.