Art of Shopping Garage Sales

Here are some great tips to use during next garage sale/tag sale season.

1. Make a game plan, and remember that Memorial Weekend is opening day.

In Michigan, Memorial Weekend is normally the first big garage sailing weekend. There may be some before that in early May, but Memorial Weekend is the true start of the garage sale season. In Bay City, it normally last from early May until mid-October.

Whenever you decide to go, it is always wise to create a plan. It is easy to do. Many local newspapers, especially the classifieds, are now on-line. Simply search for you local newspaper on-line and search the garage sale listings. If you can't find you newspaper on-line, it is still wish to search for garage sale listings on-line. It is also wish to pick up a hard copy of the garage sale listings.

2. Always have plenty of small change on you and bring your checkbook.

At most garage sales, most items are only a few dollars at most. You are going to need a lot of smaller bills and even change. In addition, you will want to bring your checkbook for larger purchases. That way, you can't go wrong and you won't miss out on a great opportunity due to not having sufficient funds. Personally, $60 will normally cover all expenses that you may have in a day of garage sailing.

3. Remember that you can't hit every single sale.

Quite simply, you have to be choosy when deciding your route. You can't hit every garage sale. Multi-family sales are normally the best. If you are looking for house-wares, collectibles, and antiques, it might be wise to avoid garage sales whose ads that concentrate on baby items and clothes. The description is the key!

4. Be prepared to just drive on!

There are many garage sales that you can just skip; often, you can tell just by driving to the address. You may see racks and racks of clothes, and nothing else. In other cases, the garage sale might seem to be a permanent fixture to the house. In cases such as these, I've found it most beneficial to just drive on to the next address.

5. Be prepared for weather!

It might be cold or rainy, but if you properly prepare, that won't stop you from having a wonderful time garage sailing. A pair of boots, a jacket, and an umbrella kept in the car will go very far. If you go out in bad weather, chances are that you will be rewarded by great finds.

6. Always talk to the people having the garage sale.

In many cases, you might ask about a specific item. Many people keep certain items aside to later in a sale, or they might simply be looking for the right buyer. In addition, if you find a great garage sale, it never hurts to ask if it is an annual event. You might be surprised.

While these tips will help you become a successful garage sailor; there is one rule that over-rides everything else. Start early; earlier the better. In this case, the early bird truly does get the worm.