This wasn’t the most ideal day for garage saling- it was 5°C and raining. My husband and I decided to go out anyways, in poor weather for the first time. We didn’t expect to find any sales, but figured we would try our luck. Many sales were outside, with items hiding under tarps and in Tupperware buckets and the merchants were hiding under umbrellas, huddled in parkas and blankets. My garage saling senses were tingling with glee at the chance for low prices.
For those of us with mental illness, and on limited budgets, garage saling is one of the best ways to shop until our hearts’ content, without paying a fortune. It would be hard to break the budget even while manic. It can be fun and rewarding even for those for whom money is not an issue, as there is somewhat of an art to it. I learned first as a child, since garage sales were often our only means of getting necessary items, and toys outside of special occasions. Naturally I picked up the tricks as I grew older. Now I am an adult, and garage saling is one of my favourite pastimes, and I even got my husband interested.
One of the first things I learned was that the best garage sales are ones where people are not only looking to make money. Sure, an item may be worth much more new, but that does not mean that it is being sold at a good price. If a garage sale has items listed as having been priced as ‘x’ new, I often leave unless there is something I really want. Those merchants tend to be firm on their pricing, being too focused on what they paid for the item in the first place. Another sign of a money making garage sale is one in which books are priced high. I’ve found that most other items follow suit in pricing. Many of those garage sales are not open to offers.
Garage sales that are meant to get rid of things are the best. There are often tables and boxes full of things of all types. They have either low prices labeled, or none at all, and are open to offers. This brings me to my favourite part of garage saling- I like to see just how much of a deal I can get. As my husband says, I’m practically stealing the items, but that is how good garage saling is done. I’ll make an offer lower than what the accumulated price would be when I have many items. Or I’ll pull out just enough change for my desired price, and hold it out as I make my offer. I may be ballsy, but I offer what I am willing to pay. Maybe I have the charm down just right, that I usually get the price I ask for. Or maybe it’s manic charisma.
Another thing I learned about garage saling was that the more people want to sell things, the cheaper the prices are. Estate sales, multi family, charity and sales near ending time are examples. For these sales the more items you buy, the better deal the person will allow. Remember- offer lower prices! A good garage sale has no set prices. Today, I learned that weather impacts pricing as well- the best day is the one nobody else wants to be outside. As the merchants were shivering, the only thing on their minds was finishing their sale. Today, in the cold and rain, my husband and I made some of the best deals we have ever made at garage sales.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
