Area Yard Sales

Yard Sale Tales
"I Brake For Yard Sales" by Jane Doe The Bottom Line is what you should have in mind while yard-saling. I love a bargain. I love the hunt of a bargain so much I have faith that when I become stinking rich, I'm still going to bargain shop. Why would anyone buy Ralph Lauren baby clothes when the racks at T. J. Maxx are positively littered with them? I get hit up for enough kids birthdays and baby showers now that I'm up to two kids on the mommy scene, so I have to bargain shop, it isn't just a guilty pleasure. Now, there are as many types of bargain stores and bargain shopping as there are people. My mother thinks finding a cashmere sweater in Off Fifth (Sak's Fifth Avenue's outlet) for a little over a $100 is a steal. Well, all right then. I love Tuesday Morning which is on the high end of my list of bargain shops, but even I've found some of their prices to be a little escalated for my blood. I'm talking bargain, people! You want to get down and dirty? You need a garage sale. A tag sale. A rummage sale. Or as we say in the South...a YARD sale!!! What better way to spend a Saturday morning at the crack of dawn? In addition to Yard Sales, you need to scout consignment stores, Good Will (or similar) and auctions. I'm going to assume every person reading this piece sells on EBay, or is intending to start. Because you are crazy if you don't! It is now easier than ever to sell and you can make a tidy little profit. Want to start? Here are some tips on what I look for while out bargain shopping. If I can't use my finds, I put them in the EBay closet. Something New Anything clearly new and never opened in its original condition, including all tags, is a find. Now, I'm not talking about the board game that has a brand new looking box, is opened, but you've been assured that all of the pieces are really there. Not good enough. I'm talking, finding it in shrink wrap where the contents have never been touched by human hands. Especially if you are getting it for dirt cheap. Try to get it for at least sixty percent off of sticker price, or it may not be worth your time and hassle to resell. Expecting? If you are pregnant, please take my advice: Scour garage sales! With my first child we did everything wrong. I bought a crib at Babies 'R Us and a $200 ensemble to go with it. The ensemble looked trashy after the first half dozen washes, and we wrecked the crib on a move. So, for baby #2, I got smart. I got used.	It's no secret that baby items are huge sellers at yard sales. You are competing with other mothers in the know, savvy grandmothers and consignment store owners. At least that's what I found when I sold all of my baby stuff in October. Make sure you know your stuff. It isn't cool to buy a used car seat for baby UNLESS you know for a fact it hasn't been in a wreck. Also, don't buy old cribs. Make sure the crib hasn't been painted (lead!) and that the slats are close enough together so that baby's head won't get stuck. Also, if seriously crib shopping (you have 9 months, so you can be picky) I'd make it my business to check the recall lists as well. You can find baby clothes that have been barely worn at many tag sales. I've found many outfits still in tags! Snatch them up to sell or give as gifts to the many baby showers I know you are invited to each year. Ho Ho Hold on, don't pay full price! Christmas with a new baby is your lucky year. Santa brought nothing but used stuff to my house this year for my one year old. She could have cared less and was none the wiser. Santa takes toys out of boxes and sets things up anyway, so big brother was none the wiser, either! Always keep your head on a swivel for toys in good condition. I am on the lookout for Lego sets, Star Wars anything and tea sets, play kitchens and baby stuff at all times. Books Do you like to read? Don't buy your paperbacks at Barnes and Noble! Go to a yard sale. Others like to read, too, and it is much easier to unload a box of books at a yard sale than having to lug them up to a Used Book Store. Which brings me to another great place to go for bargains.... Antiques I realized lately that some of the things from my own childhood, Strawberry Shortcake, Rainbow Brite, Smurfs, are now considered antiques. My favorite things to look for are the items I truly love and know a bit about. If you know about Victorian style furnishings, by all means go for it! However, I love 60's style things like Fiestaware and Russel Wright. I can spot them at 20 paces, so this is what I look for first in my garage sale scouts. Check EBay for some recognizable brand names. Most antique stores know what they have, but you can really find some treasures at a garage or an estate sale.	Tips Know your stuff. Someone mentioned how my child is always so well-dressed, my husband must be rich, blah blah, blah at our last company softball game. Nope, we aren't rich. I just make it my business to know all of the boutique brands of my daughter's clothing size. I've scouted the Peyton's closet in trendy Birkdale Village and seen the clothes she's got hanging on the racks. Baby Lulu, New Potatoes and the like abound. Now I know what to look for when I'm out at these folk's consignment stores. And they have them! Rich kids grow out of their clothes just like your children, believe me. Always check clothing for spots, stains, tears and any other imperfections. I once found an ink spot on a jumper I was going to buy for Mary Ashley, and when I pointed it out (nicely) to the cashier (so that she would know why I didn't want it anymore), she offered it to me for fifty cents. Not a bad deal, and certainly worth my time of checking my items out before I plunked down the pesos. Be vigil. It pays to check YARDSALEZIP.com on a daily basis. You never know when a new ad will pop up. Some people start their sales earlier in the week, so you've got to be on your toes! My Top Ten Yard Sale Finds 1. 14k Gold Ring with 1 Ct. Diamond. $25 (Appraised for $2500) 2. Like new New Potatoes outfit for baby girl. $5 ($32 original). 3. Little Tikes Discover Sounds Kitchen. $8.00 ($30 retail). 4. Bobby Jones Parkland Golf Shorts: $14 ($90 retail). 5. Ralph Lauren Denim Jumper $7 ($40 retail). 6. Baby Monitor set $1 ($20 retail). 7. Junior League Cookbook $1 ($20 retail). 8. Solid wood dining room set $325 (no telling...) bought at auction. 9. Russel Wright gravy boat $4 (collectible, so changes). 10. Hand painted dresser for nursery $25 ($300 or more). The Season is about to start, so grab your sunblock, your dollar bills and some snacks, and treasure hunt all day long! GOOD LUCK! _______________________________________ Got a story to tell? If you have an interesting story about your adventures in yard saling, feel free to email your story to Yard Sale Story, and we might just publish it here! Thanks. - Rich Be sure to visit our blog if you just want to chat.

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