When Kathy and Mike Costello moved into a larger home in Elmhurst two years ago, they were elated to have lots of living space and a formal dining room. What they didn`t have was furniture to fill it.
That`s when Kathy hit the garage sales. Among her finds were two Drexel Heritage end tables for $20 each, a 100-piece set of china for $28 and a brass-and-glass fireplace front for $25. She also filled her buffet with castoff crystal and silver and outfitted her children`s bedrooms with almost- new comforters.
”I couldn`t afford to pay full price for everything I wanted for the house,” she says.
Her strategy for covering seven garage sales in one hour is precise: She picks up the local papers each week and looks up the addresses of the garage sales on a street map. Then she designs a route for herself to avoid backtracking.
”If you know what you`re looking for, you can go pretty fast,” Costello says. ”You don`t have to buy something at every one of them.”
Although many veteran shoppers advise getting an early start on the first day of the sale to get the best buys, Costello contends that luck plays its role, too. She negotiated a lower price for the fireplace front at the end of the day when the seller was getting ready to close up shop.
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”I`ve also been told, `This wasn`t even here yesterday,` ” she says.
”Sometimes neighbors might see you`re having a garage sale and then say,
`Would you try to sell this for me, too?` ”
A ritzy address does not necessarily mean a gold mine in the garage. Costello says she has been disappointed by high prices and sparse merchandise. Chicago residents Earl Hanke and his wife, Barbara, have slightly different tactics when it comes to bargain hunting. They skip the papers altogether. Instead, they share Saturday breakfast, then get in the car and drive around for two hours looking for garage sale signs. On weekdays, Barbara sometimes goes by herself while Earl might use his lunch hour to scout a good deal.
”We don`t ever plan anything,” says Earl of their weekly forays. The Hankes, who started shopping garage sales together and separately about seven years ago, are on the alert for toys and furnishings for their five grandchildren.
A couple of years ago, Earl found a white provincial bedroom set with dressers, twin beds, mattresses and box springs, in good condition, for $125. ”I always offer less than they are asking,” says Earl. ”If they`re asking $5, I might say, `Will you take $2.50?` They can always say no. A lot of times you`ll see a sign that says, `Offer us your best price.` ”