Garage Sale season has started!! :-)

[Pisces24]

Gosh would love to come to you sale and buy ahh help! 

Going to garage sales is cheap entertainment for me and good socialization. Lately I have been finding those old looking tins (I use for decoration) and funny mugs. My favorite one is a FarSide one the Institute of Stress Management where it shows a patient kicking the dr out the window with the caption "I feel better already!" LOL

I also pick up cheap pet things for my charity group AniMeals like collars, leashes, bowls, carriers, etc.  A week ago a lady had a kitchen garbage bag full of old clean worn out towels, etc. for free hoping someone could use them. I got them and gave them to an animal shelter that is always looking for these. So you see I have some sort of excuse  to go to garage sales.

Now that the colder weather is here in Iowa, they are getting fewer. Gosh I will miss them!

[Bucky]

Since summer has ended and the leaves are now falling . . . garage sale season is quickly coming to an end for 2011.   

Today, I finished up holding MY own last garage sale for the year.  I usually have two sales a year - one in the spring, and one in the fall.  I had a 2-day sale last weekend. Earlier this week my husband announced he was taking a vacation day off work on Friday if I wanted to hold my garage sale one more day. (I don't hold a sale at our house unless someone else is around so I'm not here by myself.) So, since everything was already set up in the garage - I said, "sure".

It was really windy here today and only in the high 40's to start the morning off.  Brrrr   I was glad when 2 o'clock rolled around and I could close up - I was wind whipped and cold.  I kept coming inside the house between customers and had several cups of hot chocolate to try and warm up.

All told, we made $450 holding our own garage sales this year.  Not bad.  It takes time to set a sale up - but, you can't count your time.  At least we've moved some stuff out of the house and they now have new homes with someone else - and we've made some money in the process.   

There's a one-day sale tomorrow for the Mom's group I used to belong too.  They usually have a wide variety of stuff.  At this point, I'm not sure if I will go to this or not.  Maybe, maybe not.

I'm going to go into garage sale withdrawals during the winter.   

Has anyone been to any good sales this summer?

Bucky

[Bucky]

   I got some garage sale therapy in today!   

I did end up going to the Mom's group sale.  Last year, they didn't have a whole lot.  This year, the room was full of stuff - tons of kids clothes, shoes, toys, highchairs, booster seats, etc.  I don't need any of those items.  They also had housewares, books, CD's, shoes, purses, framed pictures, holiday items, etc.

So, here's what I got for my $3.35:  A cookbook, "The Diabetic Four Ingredient Cookbook", looks brand new, $1.  My husband is a diabetic and I'm hoping to find some tasty meals in there that he will eat which will be healthy for him and our family.  A red glass votive holder, 25c (red is one of my favorite colors, and I use red to decorate my dining room).  A cloth tote, new, 10c.  A boxed set of Pfaltzgraff Winterberry votive w/candle, set of 3, $2.  This will match the dishes I have in that same pattern.     It looks new and has a store sticker price of $40 on the box.  Yay . . . I'm happy with my purchases.

I then went to another sale and got:  a new kitty litter pan w/two feeding dishes, scoop and pan liners still in the plastic - $1, a Little Tikes Handle Hauler Moving Truck for 25c (giving this to my brother to keep at his house for his grandson).  An office chair on wheels - 75c.  (I'm taking this to work - as we need another chair in our small office without dragging in a huge, heavy, armed chair when someone needs to use the other computer).  A heavy potted Mother-In-Law's plant, $1.  I don't have a lot of plants in my house - I decorate a lot with silk flowers/wreaths.  The lady said these are hardy plants that don't require a lot of care and grow quickly.  She just re-potted this plant a month ago and it has several new shoots popping out of the soil.  I also got a handmade vase w/silk flowers - 75c.

Some people get a shopping high from hitting the mall and shopping till they drop.  For me, my shopping high comes from a good garage sale find.     As I've mentioned before, I find a lot of great buys - many times, brand new for pennies on the dollar.  Can't beat it!  It allows me to decorate our home with some nice pieces on a small budget.  When I get tired of them, I put them in my sale and recycle it.

Ahhhh . . . . today's been a good day!   

Bucky

P.S.  Joe - don't worry about the gasoline expense . . . these were on the way to the grocery store where I was going anyhow.   

[Bucky]

Just when I thought garage sale season was over - since it IS December . . . I was driving to the grocery store yesterday and lo and behold I see a "Moving Sale" sign along the way.   

It wasn't going to be open for an hour or so, so I went ahead and got my errands done and stopped on the way back home (it was on my way). 

I found these two oak bookcases made by Broyhill for $60.  The one has a secretary in it, they both have a drawer and below the drawer two doors that open, and they both are lighted.  Woohoo . . . we went and picked them up today.   

Now, I just have to clear out the spot where they are going.  For now, they are sitting in the living room.

I'm sure this is the last of the sales I'll find until the Spring of 2012.     It's gonna be a long winter.  Sigh!

Bucky

[newhorizons]

Bucky, Sweet Bucky, Great find for a great gal!!! Please let us know whose room this finds its way to!!! hehe!!!

[Bucky]

Newjoy - MY room, of course!   

My boys were quite impressed with my find! 

Bucky

[Katybarstool]

They sound like a wonderful find Bucky - enjoy them - and try not to lose things in them

Kathyx