It's Garage Sale season - 2012!!

[Bucky]

Ahhh, it's that magic time of year.  After a mild winter here in Central IL, everyone is ready to begin the garage sale adventures for 2012.

I've seen several signs along the roadway already and went to three this morning.        

If you've followed the garage sale adventures here through the years - you will know that I love, love, love garage sales.  When our son was younger and I was a SAHM (stay at home mom), going to garage sales allowed me to save my family money - especially, on items for our son.  You can't beat lightly used children's clothes and toys. 

The things I look for when I hit the garage sale trail are:  framed pictures, decorations for the house, furniture, unique vases, jewelry, music, books, and gently used/new clothes.  I also buy inexpensive children's items and resell them in my sale.

I've gotten pickier in what I buy through the years.  Even though something is "cheap" to buy - it's not a bargain if you don't NEED it, use it, or can't sell it.

One of the first rules of garage saling . . . if you are even remotely interested in an item you see, pick it up and carry it with you.  If you hesitate and walk away and come back to it, it will be gone!  Trust me on that one!!     If after carrying it around, you decide you don't want it, you can always set it back down again.  I can't count how many times I've missed out on a good bargain by a nano-second of picking the item up first.

As I've mentioned before, I can go through every room in our house and name the garage sale finds.  I would have never been able to afford the things we have if I bought them brand new in the store.

It bothers some people to shop at thrift stores, garage sales, tag sales, jumble sales, flea markets, or whatever name it goes by in your area.   They wouldn't dream of owning something that belonged to someone else.  I grew up this way, so it seems natural to me - plus, it really is the best way to recycle items and also make some money in the process.

Good luck to our bargain hunters this season.  Let us know what you're looking for and what you find in your adventures.   

By the way, I spent a $1 today and got two Whitney Houston CD's.  (A talented singer that died way too soon.)

Bucky

[Iris]

If I didn't shop at yard sales or thrift stores i'd never get anything.. 

I went to the thrift store today and got a set of wahl pro series rechargeable animal clippers for $5.. New they cost around $50..  They work great.. And it's a lot cheaper than taking my dogs to be groomed.. 

[Pisces24]

I went to the Thrift Store today and found a nice floor lamp for $8. It is 3-way, swivels and has a pretty pink tulip shade like those touch lamps have. I've been looking to replace the old one I have for sometime so am really happy found this one.

We got a very few garage sales going but it is still too cold here to get many out. Also gasoline prices are up there so people are more pickier on where they will go. Me it is usually on the way to someplace I have to go to or a neighborhood sale or a church rummage sale.

[Bucky]

This past Saturday, I get up early to be one of the first in line for the annual Fine Arts garage sale at the school (which was listed on the schools calendar of events).  Get to the school and the parking spaces in front of the school - which are normally taken - are sitting empty.     We go inside through a side door, up to the gymnasium - the gym is dark and I peek in the windows, no sale set up there!   

I was so bummed . . . I got up early and everything for this sale.  I have no idea where the sale was held at - just now, I sent an email to the school secretary to ask her where it was held at this year.

All is not lost - onto some other sales that I knew of.  Found a few goodies for the house - a 4-drawer white storage cart on wheels to use in our sons closet, a brand new box of unopened 41 pc. Rubbermaid storage containers, a Giani Bernini purse for $4 (this gal had a bunch of designer purses . . Prada, Giani Bernini, Dooney & Bourke, etc.) - I should have bought some more to resell in my sale, but I didn't want to tie up my money as I didn't have a lot with me.

My hubby decided to go with me this time garage saling (he usually doesn't bother) - I have mixed emotions on this one.  He tends to dilly dally and I like to "get in and get out" and move on to the next sale.  Plus, he stands right next to me and I turn around - there he is . . . "outta my way bubba - give me some space"!!

Anyhow, he's decided we need to start assembling an emergency supply of items that we "might" need should we get trapped in the basement if a tornado should hit our house.  With that being said, he bought two hand saws and a wooden ladder at a sale that will be put into our "supplies" in the SW corner of our basement should we need them.

It's kinda a standard practice after I've been out hitting the garage sale trail . . . show & tell.     "The boys" (hubby & son) like to see what bargains I've found and they are always hoping I've brought them something too.   

Anybody else found any good bargains lately?

Bucky

P.S.  I just checked my email - the secretary at the school said they did NOT have a Fine Arts garage sale this year and apologized that someone didn't take it off the school calendar. 

[lynnmarie219]

Ohhhh Bucky...this is your time of the year...garage sale season!

Have fun looking for all of those bargains!

[Meld256]

Me, too, Bucky.  I KNOW this is your time of year.  Spring has sprung when the garage sales start. 

I'm not a garage sale buff, but I did visit a local vendor's market the other day.  It's similar to a flea market, but not exactly. 
It's a warehouse building with aisles set up, and people rent a space to put out things they want to sell.  But, unlike the flea markets I've been to, the sellers are not there.  Each thing is priced and you just go to the front counter and pay at the end just like a retail store.  I like not having people watch me as I'm checking out their stuff! 

There are lots of new items and many that are standard garage sale fare.  Lots of furniture, some quite nice, baby items, clothes, household items, wool rugs, tools, even lots of new wallpaper probably donated from a store.

I did find one thing; a pretty hand-painted landscape pic just right for my dining room I'm fixing up.  I showed my MIL when she came over and she commented it may really be worth something some day.  I told her it was worth $8 to me yesterday!      I don't care about later. 

[Bucky]

I must be getting older . . .  . . . . today is one of my favorite sales and I DIDN'T go to it!

It's funny, last night when my hubby asked if I was going to venture out in the morning to the sale, I said, "no".  He said, "WHAT??  You're not the person I know - the Bucky I know would never miss this sale!!  What did you do with my Bucky?"  LOL

The forecast was for rain this morning and I just didn't want to walk all around a neighborhood (subdivision sale) and get cold and wet.  Kinda takes the fun out of the adventure.  So, I slept in!!  Ahhhh, that felt good!!   

I did stop at a few sales yesterday - and that was pushing it too - as it was really chilly and windy (25mph winds).  Again, another killjoy when garage saling.

I found two tops yesterday for myself - I'm always hesitant to buy clothes for myself at sales as I never know if they'll fit.  Fortunately, these two fit.     If they didn't, I would just put them into my next sale that I have.  I found two, brand new - tags still on - monogram hand towels that I will use as a gift for my SIL in her new home, that I got for a $1 (store sticker says $16.99). I also got a book by Maria Shriver, "Ten Things I Wish I'd Known - Before I Went Out into the Real World".  (Of course, this was written before all the ordeal with Arnold - so, maybe it would have read . . . . Eleven Things I Wish I'd Known!!!)

One of my goals that I'd like to do some day is cross-country garage saling.  When I see the shows on the 100-mile garage sale that they have in the summer/fall it looks like that would be fun.  I have gone garage saling when I'm visiting my family in Ohio, but then you have to be careful what you buy, as you have to consider how much room you have in the car to bring it back home.

Melinda - good job on the new picture! Yep, value to us in the here and now is what's important.

Happy sale trails everyone!   

Bucky

[eye2dry]

Oh yeah!!!!!!!!!!!11

eye2dry

[Bucky]

Woohoo . . . I got some "garage sale therapy" in today!!   

Tomorrow is a town-wide sale and several of the sales were also open today.  Yay!

I've found some really good "finds" during this sale in years past.

As I was going to one sale today, it was in the same neighborhood as one I've found some good bargains at before.  The house I've gone to before, wasn't open.     I "thought" about going up to the door and asking if they were participating this year.  But, I chickened out.  LOL

I ended up going to 12 sales and here's my finds:  new pair of women's winter gloves (I'm going to leave in car as a "spare"), pr. sandals, a book by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.; Susan Boyle CD, and a box of office sheet protectors.  Total:  $4.00   

Anybody been to any good sales lately?

Bucky

[Meld256]

Yeah for the "sales therapy" Bucky! 

Will you go to the one tomorrow, too?  You would be in heaven if you saw the one in our hometown in Ohio.  It's running this weekend; Fri.-Sunday.  Imagine a town of about 10,000 people and almost every yard has a sale.  Must be like your townwide sale there.

This one is amazing because of the variety!  People sell your normal stuff; clothes, tools, household things of all kinds, but also cars, boats, you name it, and I don't mean a boat like a dingy~ we're talking huge houseboats, bass boats with all the extras.     

There's one main road through town and vendors come from 5 or 6 states to sell hotdogs, icee drinks, funnel cakes, you name it.  They estimate 50,000 people there all weekend.  I used to put out a few things every year and give away coffee early in the morning and sell danish to go with it.  Hey, gotta have a little marketing plan, right? 

Hope you have fun this summer. 

[eye2dry]

Memorial Weekend it is garage sale mania here.

Also I have gotten some great things out by the curb first trash day after Memorial weekend.

I got a pair of old metal lawn chairs from 40's or 50's. Very heavy and ornate with the seat and back punch out in a design. It is tubular style frame.

My hubby sanded them and painted them and they are on my porch. LOVE THEM and they were free.


eye2dry

[Meld256]

Lucy,

I love those old chairs! We had some red ones when I was a kid.  And they are heavy enough not to blow away in a slight wind. 

Isn't it great when you can find something like that free? My MIL used to look for things like that when they lived in a larger city; she really found some cool stuff.  She called it "garbage-picking"

She found our daughter's bassinet that way and was almost afraid to tell me.  It was beautiful; she and my FIL had given it a fresh coat of white paint, bought a new pad and lacy skirt for it.  I didn't mind at all. 

[susanep]

Oh I would love to find some of those type of lawn chairs. Are they the ones that have the metal type seat and back on a tubular shape frame that goes down and under?

I can't wait this year around August I think, for that several state 127 biggest flea market sale. I am right here where it is.

I have a couple of aunts who use to make that into a vacation. They would travel in their camper, and stop along their way, all along the route of it.

Me and my husband's middle name is thrift.

susanep

[eye2dry]

Susanep.

Yes, they are!

I am sitting on one now on my side porch as I type this.

eye2dry

[Bucky]

My parents had several of those metal chairs too - green.  In fact, I'll be visiting Dad next weekend . . . hmmm, maybe, I can talk him into letting me have one of them to bring back to my house?!   

Susanep - Walmart has those kind of chairs on their website - a 3-piece set, 2 chairs and a small table are $149.99.  You can also find them on Ebay, Amazon, Buy.com, and other places.  I think years back, Target carried them.

I've posted this comment before, but if you have ever looked through an "antique" shop, you will see quality items that have withstood the test of time.  Unlike today, the cheaply made, expensive pieces that break real easy.  You can find some really good bargains at the antique shops.

Went to a few garage sales yesterday and today.     My finds for $2.25 are:  brand new package (of 12) Bottle Top (these "tops" fit on your pop/soda cans and turn them into a bottle.  It's one of those "as seen on TV" items.  I've wanted to try them before, but not for $10 that they normally sell for.  At 50c for the whole package, it's no big loss if they don't work.), pr. sandals, 2 - "Eat This, Not That" books (these are cool books - you'd be amazed at the calories in some of the items restaurants serve!!  ), a brand new "Danny the Duck Bottle Huggers" - this is cool too - you slip the bottle inside the ducks mouth and the baby can hold onto the duck.  Cute. 

Next weekend there are a lot of town-wide, and subdivision sales.  Unfortunately, we'll be traveling and I won't be able to go to them.   

Bucky