Original article by Virginia Gudgel.
If you've never been to a garage sale before, now's the time to throw out any misconceptions about them you may have. They are NOT all filled with people's "cast offs"! Many people have garage sales to sell stuff they can live without in order to feed their kids, pay the rent or because they're moving and it'd be cheaper to replace the item than to move it.
My own personal rule of thumb when it comes to shopping at garage sales is this: garage sale pricing should be no more than 10% of the original retail price. The exception would be something that just came out recently, home electronics (TV's, stereos, computers) or fine furnishings. Most garage sale vendors would prefer to part with the item rather than have to haul it off to the Goodwill or take it back into the house. Your best bargains will be found at the end of the day rather than the beginning (don't ask me why "early birds" insist on going at the start of the sale).
Garage sales I personally HATE are very cluttered and dirty. Heck, if I wanted to, I could just head out to the city dump and scrounge around, instead. I also avoid garage sales put on by cranksters, these folks spend all their spare time (between shooting up that is) digging through dumpters collecting "stuff" and then they throw up a garage sale sign. Professional junk sales are obvious too, they're the perpetual garage sale open every weekend. You'll also recognize these due to the multiple "same" items, like TV's. Plus these sellers are trying to profit, so they put ridiculous prices on their junk.
Garage sales I adore are ones put on by people who just don't "need" it anymore. You'll find your best bargains there. For example, I got my oak entertainment center at one of these for only $50 and I'll be using it for at least another 10 years. I found a nice studio couch with drawers underneath in great condition for $20 (this purchase saved me about $450, my son wanted a "captains bed" for the drawers). I've also snagged nice jewelry for VERY cheap like the topaz/silver earrings I picked up the other day for 25 CENTS! I also get neat clothes at garage sales, rarely ever paying more than $1 for any one piece.
If you want to hold a garage sale, here's my suggestions: Go through your house and take out anything you don't use anymore, put them into boxes. Go to the neighborhood grocery store and find some boxes to cut up for signs. Don't pay for advertising in the paper if you live in a large area that has garage sales every weekend; let someone ELSE pay for the ad, instead. You can catch the people with your signs as they head to the advertised sales. The night before the sale, clean up any items you're selling, put stickers and prices (remember the 10% rule, too) on the items. You can also make your garage sale signs and hang them up the night before. Be sure to hang your signs at all major intersections and in each direction. (Don't forget to REMOVE them after the sale, that's another one of my pet peeves!). The morning of your sale, make sure you have change for a $20, set up tables and arrange your goods in similar areas (books in one spot, clothes in another, household elsewhere). Invite a friend or family member over to cover while you take a potty break and either a TV to watch or a book to read between customers. Doughnuts and coffee are good, too, and don't forget a sense of humor! Last, if you price items low enough, be firm in the price (but if you put an artificial price, dickering is fine).
Original article by Virginia Gudgel.