Trying to locate items to sell on E-bay? Maybe you're not exactly sitting on a cash-making pile of inventory right now and aren't quite able to buy items wholesale yet (or may not ever want to, for that matter). Perhaps you've already cleared out your closets of brand name clothing, sold the figurines you had around the house, and the dried chewing gum you found under the pew that looked like the Virgin Mary. Now you need to replenish your sellable items in an affordable way. Enter the Garage Sale...

 Garage Sales, Rummage or Yard Sales, Moving Sales or "Tag Sales" (a new one for us!) are one of the quickest and easiest ways to find sellable merchandise. In order to make the most of your time, and stretch those dollars the furthest, it pays to do some footwork first. Here are some tips we've learned by trial and error, study, and observation. Some of these are sure to make your "yard saleing" both profitable and a little more fun.

 Research, "Re-research", and Research Some More

 E-Bay, like any market, caters to the demand. Make sure you take the time to research what items are really selling online before you invest in what you think would sell. Surprising, but so many people think their doo-mahicky is the neatest thing since sardines in hot-sauce, and automatically assume it'll sell if they post it. Never go to the trouble of investing your money in any item unless you're pretty well sure it's a hot item. Otherwise, you could end up - like some people I know,  with a really cool inventory of items that are good only for their own garage sale later on... (hopefully soon).

 So arm yourself with a little knowledge before you attack a sale with dreams of finding sellable merchandise. E-Bay Pulse, Hot Items, and top category search keywords can keep you up-to date with what's in demand.

Now that you know what to sell, it's time to get out and find the sales.

 Locating Sales

 It's not what you may think. Sure, picking up the Thursday edition of your local paper is an obvious way to find some of the more prominent sales, but there are other sources that can yield some overlooked, (and sometimes more profitable) out-of the way sources.

1. Bulletin Boards:

 Check out the local businesses that have public ad bulletin boards frequently. You may get lucky and stumble across a garage sale ad that gives a phone number for more information. When this happens, it's usually safe to assume this is an early-bird invitation, so go ahead and call to see what they have and whether or not you're welcome to a preview. Note: An address is never an invitation to hit a sale early, Early Birds, as they're called,  are scorned by those hosting the sale, and their fellow yard-salers, be considerate and don't even get out of your car if you show up early. That is, unless you get a friendly wave or invitation to get out and look around.

  There were a few yard sales I've stumbled across in the mornings, and even though hoards of shoppers were there I couldn't help but notice the irritation of those holding the sale. It was always due to their having been descended upon by greedy people who could not wait for the opening time. I've seen some shoppers grabbing items even as the poor owners of the sale were setting them down! So be nice, you'll not miss the deal of the century if you show up on time or a little late. I've hit some of the most wonderful sales later in the day, when the owners were tired and ready to sell out for one price- or let everything go at ten cents an item- you never know.

2. Signs, Signs, Everywhere are Signs:

 Keep a sharp lookout for signs to other sales while you're on your way to your destination sale. I've noticed many people will capitalize upon the advertising of their neighbors. They usually try just putting out a few things and hastily placing a sign at the end of the road to see if their items will also sell. A little cheeky, but I guess they're unable or willing to pay the advertising. This doesn't count when there are neighborhood or city-wide yard sales. These area-wide sales can be really awesome because sellers can become focused merely on trying to out-sell their neighbors. Contrary to what you'd think, I've found most will settle for sales volume over highest dollar and prices automatically fall.

3. Word of Mouth

 Most of your fellow yard-salers will be happy to direct you to other sales in progress, or tell you about an up-coming garage sale. Most of the owners of a yard sale can also tell you where others are. Just be sure not to ask if you didn't buy anything. It's a kick in the pants to have someone look at your yard-sale, snub it, and then have the gall to ask you to point them somewhere else.

 4. Radio Swap Shops:

 If you're in luck, your community radio station might have an hour a day devoted to letting callers advertise (usually things like furniture items, yard sales, and lots of free kittens). Ask others in your community that are tuned in to the radio about this service (usually us old people will know) or call local radio stations to ask.

5. Online Advertising:

 Our local country radio station has online classifieds that advertise weekend sales. Craig's List is also becoming a good source. (Ebay has Kijiji now, another online classified). You may want to even Google this subject to see if there are other rummage sale advertising forums online. I've not thought of this until now. Then again, I've not yet run out of sales to go to.

Now that you know where to find the sales, here are a few additional tips to make your garage sale adventures better for all.

Will That be Cash, or Cash?

Writing a check at a yard sale is not considered very cool these days. There are certainly exceptions to this rule, but never assume those who run the sale will want to accept a check. Bringing cash only (and your A.T. M. card for a back-up if you run out) is always best. don't bring bills larger than a twenty, and remember to bring some dollar bills and quarters. I've been to some pretty cash-poor sales that couldn't break a twenty, and asking someone to do so for an item you're paying a quarter for can be a quite an imposition upon the seller.

Fanny Pack or Shoulder Strap

 Those little strap-across the hip purses can come in handy for you ladies out there that want to be hands-free when you dig for treasure. A large purse can become tiresome to deal with. These days, I usually just carry a shoulder strap purse that I move over my head and wear across the chest if I have to dig and I'm not wearing a fanny pack.

Bargaining At Sales

 Most people will move a little on a set price, especially if you're purchasing several items at a time. Be realistic. Offering fifty cents for a seventy-five cent item may be okay, but asking if someone will accept a dollar for something priced at ten dollars will usually guarantee a poor reception at best. If something overpriced catches your eye, and you think it may go unsold at the end of the day, you can offer your telephone number along with a decent, but lower offer.

Buy Your Own Yard Sale

 Every once in a while, you can offer the seller a set price for everything at a sale. Keep your eyes and ears open. If the merchandise looks good, but sales are slow, or the sellers seem to be more interested in clearing out "junk" than in making a juicy profit, you just might be able to cash in by making an offer.  There are many people who will gladly sell the whole lot, rather than have to box up and store everything again at the end of the day. Be careful in making this offer. It is usually very welcome to buy what doesn't sell, but some people would be very insulted if you try to tack a single price on everything. Intuition helps here. You also could get way more than you bargain for. Umm, I know some people who once ended up with a LOT of junk this way several years ago. Make sure you really want it all, or have a good way to get rid of the less profitable items (or donate them) before you try this.

Teamwork Makes the Difference

 If you have a spouse or friend who is helping you, try splitting up at sales according to your individual buying instincts and knowledge. I usually hunt for books, clothing and jewelry, while my husband searches for general household and vintage items. If you go alone to a sale, try what we have discovered. Carry your cell-phone with you, and call home to the other partner (if they're by the computer) to have them research on E-bay any interesting looking item you may see. I love doing this for my husband when he's out as it eliminates guess-work on his end if he's unsure about a purchase. The buddy system rocks and can make a huge difference in profits. If you do have to go it alone without a buddy there, or at home, remember to keep a small tablet with you to write down distinguishing information about a potentially sellable, but high priced,  item so you can look it up later and return if need be. It's a long-shot, but can net a winner. Remember also to bring a magnifying glass with you. Manufacturer's names, jewelry marks, and other vital information can often be too tiny for the naked eye to see.

Be Nice to Little People

 Often children will be allowed to sell small items at yard sales. If you happen to be interested in an item they're selling and it's already reasonably priced, don't try to ask the parents to take less, or even worse, the child. Hurt feelings may result. It's a joy to help a child feel the thrill of making his or her own money. If it's priced too high and it's obviously being sold by a child, I'd just skip it. The parents should have been guiding the child to price reasonably, and there's alway's a small chance that mommy or daddy told the child to price an item ridiculously. Yes, this happens every once in a while.

Movin' On Up

 Moving sales can be a great source for the unexpected. It's usually safe to ask about items that aren't obviously included in the sale. A general "Do you have anything else for sale?" will sometimes do, or if you see something set to the side, but are unsure about whether or not the owner will part with it, ask about it. Or leave a number if you've asked and they're debating whether or not to sell it. This is a very good idea because of chance that the seller may either not have room to pack the item, or reach their destination only to find out it doesn't fit one way or another in their new home.

Intake and Output

This should be obvious, but I'll add it anyway. Bring coffee or something else to drink, you will be thirsty. Don't ask to use a person's restroom unless it happens to be a matter of absolute life or death. We depend on convenience stores for our coffee refills and other needs, should they occur.

Bringing Children

 All of my early garage sale years were accomplished with anywhere from one to three little ones in tow. Take time to teach your children the no-touch rule. Some little ones may get confused and think they're visiting someone's house and attempt to play with inviting, but breakable toys. I would also give thought to the germ-factor here, it's simply not a good idea to let kids handle used toys before they're cleaned. Keep your children with you at all times, straying is not allowed.

Packaging Your Finds

 It has been helpful to us in the past to have some newspaper in the car, or an extra box. Many sellers will only have plastic shopping bags to wrap items in. This can be dangerous for glassware. Remember to put small jewelry items away immediately. Most tiny items go straight in my purse or pocket after they're paid for so I don't risk them slipping out of a hole in a bag.

Mind Your Manners

When leaving a sale, always thank the sellers after you've checked-out. More importantly, if you surf a sale but don't buy anything, you should still graciously thank them for letting you look.

After You're Home

Clothing should be washed unless packaged and new. Most used clothing can take a spin in the washer. Dry Clean Only tags usually mean just that.  Though some may disagree, there are times when these will survive a washer also (yeah!). Be very careful here, I know someone who shrunk a beautiful ladies jacket to toddler size this way. Oh yes, and a vintage pair of curtains completed the wash cycle as many little tattered strips of material. Use common sense.

 Sticky tag (often masking tape) residue can be removed with Goo-gone or some other comparable cleaner. I have used an eraser to remove tag residue from a suede vest. If you're unfortunate enough to have some dishes or other items that have permanent marker prices on them (trust, this happens) then remove using Goo Gone or the like , and baking soda. Watch out for plastic, as it can scratch this way. Paper products and books are more tricky. I usually depend on slow sticker-picking for this job. The paper can tear, and books can be stained by the tag, so consider this factor before you buy, as it is risky.

Enjoy yourself while buying at garage sales. It really is the "great adventure" and you'll never know what you'll find. That fifty cent item you found might just bring a small fortune.

Stay tuned for more guides on Thrift Stores, Flea Markets and Auctions.

Blessings,

Donna