Garage Sale Fever

[Bucky]

Here it is the beginning of February . . . oh, how I miss my garage sales.   

It will be another seven weeks until Spring is officially here and "most" garage sales don't start until the very end of March ( heated - indoors) or well into April for those outdoors (garages).

Thrift stores are nice, but I prefer a "garage sale" (and a g.s. is usually cheaper than a thrift store).

I wish we had a small barn or something that I can leave tables set up in and I can take boxes of "treasures" out to as I gather them up for my own sale this spring.

It's a lot of work to sweep out the garage, hang plastic (to cover tools, etc.), set up the tables, haul up the garage sale items from the basement that I've saved from my last sale, fix any of the signs that need fixing, and price the items if I've taken the price stickers off of (some times I take them off, some times I don't).

I'd have a sale now if it weren't for two things:  1)  It's too cold yet to sit out in the garage all day  2)  There is no one available to sit out there with me - I don't like to be home alone during a sale.

I would definitely have the market on a sale as there are no other crazy people who would have a garage sale in February around here!!      

I'm going to put up a flier in town this week again (tried it in late fall with no success  ) to try and sell a few of the "big ticket" items.  This option is "free", versus putting a classified ad in the newspaper.  I don't want to use Craigslist - I've heard too many horror stories about using that.

This year I'm looking for things to decorate my house with.  I've had the same decorations for years and I want to change them out.  Some of the "cheaper" decorations I use to decorate with is vases.  I like all different colors and use them in groupings.  Some I fill with flowers (silk and/or real), others I leave empty.

I'm also looking for picture frames.  That's another inexpensive way to decorate.  We have so many pictures that have been taken through the years, I'd like to display them so we can enjoy them.

I'm always on the lookout for books (now with the Kindle, etc. I imagine there will be more and more books in the sales), music, and jewelry.

Anyone else have garage sale fever??   

Bucky

[Cheryl]

Bucky,
I like a good garage sale, too, but I'm not the shopper that you are!  (I will be welcoming spring with you because of flower season.)  Can we start counting the days yet?
Cheryl

[Winnie]

I used to have garage sales every summer before I got sick.  Last summer was the first time that I didn't have one and the basement is being taken over by my children's outgrown clothes and other things that I don't want anymore.  We had sewer problems last month which triggered my husband into some cleaning and even though my garage sale items were all saved, I got the "lecture" that I need to get rid of my things.  So I am calling my mom to take away my things and give them to her church where the church turns around and sells them at "lower than yard sale price" for people who need them.  I don't have a problem doing that, but it is a loss for me.  One more thing that I had to give up.

Winnie

[eye2dry]

My youngest daughter and I love to go "garage-yard sale shopping" on the big holidays. Memorial Day weeknd...4th of July and Labor day. we meet so many people , go to lunch together, I love the walking from one sale to the next.

I live out in the country and would not have many buyers at a yard sale of my own, too far out.

yes...I am looking forward to spring and to start doing all the enjoyable things that I still can do.

heres wishing for an early spring.

eye2dry

[Madison Granny]

I've never been much on garage sales but did go when my granddaughter was small.  We went to try and find some of those plaste house and toys for the yard. Never did find any.  We thought we would but used ones since she's not with us very much.

[Bucky]

Anybody with small children or grandchildren - if you live here in the U.S., I've found that Little Tikes makes really sturdy toys, playhouses, etc. and they have great resale value too.

I've bought many, many L.T. items from sales - our son played with them for years - then I turned around and put them in my sale.  Our son played with stuff for free, because of it's resale value.

One time, I even curbside recycled from a neighbors trash day L.T. slide.  I brought it home, put it in my sale and made $12!     Thank you, neighbor!

Many times I will buy L.T. toys at garage sales for the sole purpose of resale.

Bucky - who really wants to hit the "garage sale trail"!!   

[Duchess]

Hey, that's a great idea. I think that Fischer Price toys are great also. Just can't find the ones like I bought for my children; like children's electronics. Any info, let me know.


Duchess

[Pisces24]

We got an estate sale a couple blocks away from me Saturday.

99% of the time I do not go to those. I've found the prices are waaaay to high and I swear at some of them, they'd sell grandma's false teeth to make a buck as she don't need em where she is going.  Ugh!

[slccom]

Thanks, Pisces! I needed that laugh! I like to go on the last few hours, when they will sell stuff for a song. Sharon

[Pisces24]

Gosh we are losing the older folks in our neighborhood. Just saw in the paper there is an Estate sale a few houses down from me this Friday. I know somewhat the  older couple that lived there and a few years ago they remodeled the inside of their house to help themselves. I guess they had to go into assisted care as I didn't see an obit.

I hope it is a nice sale and relatives don't sell some stuff they shouldn't just to get a nickel.

It is just sad having the older folks leave the neighborhood. I just didn't get to know them as well as I'd of liked to. 

[slccom]

I've learned to not ask why the estate sale is happening. I got a nice little electric broom from the sale for a lady with Huntington's Chorea who had to go to a nursing home. She died a few years after I got it, and I think good thoughts for her every time I use it.

I got a wonderful Oster Kitchen Center with all the essentials for my niece for $25 at one! It is a great device that does blending, food processing and mixing, sausage stuffing, ice cream maker... you name it.

Sharon

[Bucky]

Today, I had a mini garage sale selling fix . . . last year, I bought this old wardrobe at a garage sale.  It was really unique looking . . . has two closets, and six little vertical drawers between the closets with a mirrored cubby hole above the drawers. 

I really liked this piece of furniture but didn't have a place to put it, so I've been trying to sell it.

I have a flier up in town on the bulletin board, but no calls about it.

Today, we decided to list it on Craigslist.  I got a phone call within 30 minutes of posting it.  We sold the piece tonight and they've already come and picked it up.     Woohoo!!

I doubled my money on what I paid for the piece.  My kind of sale!!   

Now, I'm really getting the garage sale fever!!  LOL   

Bucky