The great annual rite of summer–the garage sale–is under way, causing traffic backups and early-morning lineups long before the doors open. In that spirit, we’ve gathered garage-sale shopping tips for the hunt–enough to fill your tote bag and probably your garage–from now until October.
Before you head out
“TIPical” Mary Ellen of HGTV and organizing expert Louise Kurzeka offer these suggestions:
– Check out the classifieds, and go online to find listings of garage sales.
– If you plan on hitting more than one sale, have a good street map. Plan a route that saves time and energy and lessens the chances of your getting lost.
– The early bird usually does get the pick of the treasures, so plan on arriving when the sale opens. Some sellers let customers in beforehand, but don’t count on it.
– Carry small bills and change. It’s the rare bird who will take a personal check or have enough change to break a $50 bill or even a $20.
– Take along a measuring tape so you can check the sizes of clothing, furniture, rugs, etc.
More Top Picks Upright Vacuum
– Bring along a tote bag or even a wagon if you’re hitting a block sale.
At the sale itself
– Make a few swings through the sale before buying anything or leaving. Sometimes you’ll miss a find on the first go-round.
– To avoid your own clutter, ask yourself if you’ll really use the item in question, or are you just thrilled with the bargain?
– Don’t be afraid to haggle–a garage sale is a great place to test your negotiating skills–but do so politely.
The survival kit
Hardcore garage salers, such as Ann Castle of auction bytes.com, keep in their car the tools of the successful garage sale shopping trade. These items can help you inspect and protect that must-have beauty.
– A small flashlight to let you check for marks and flaws.
– A magnifying glass to detect hallmarks, scratches and other details.
– Color swatches, plus measurements of rooms and windows.
– A magnet to detect the metals in items. If the magnet sticks to supposed brass, copper, silver, etc., it’s not the real McCoy.
– A pocket knife to scrape off rust, patina and dirt. But it’s better to ask the owner to do the scraping.
– An old blanket to protect furniture purchases.
– Bubble wrap and tissue paper to protect delicate items.