Christmas Gifts to Buy During the Summer

When grandmothers do it, we poke fun at them, but maybe there's something behind this whole "buying early" deal. After all, most of us are more likely not to break our budgets when we're spacing out our gift buying over a long period of time. While it's still warm outside, it's time to take advantage of the summer and back-to-school sales. It's also time to collect those special gifts that won't stick around until Christmas.

Sure, summer's a great season to check out DVD clearances and clothing sales, but there are other reasons to shop during the summer. Here are two:

Folk Art

A piece of local art will definitely please someone on your gift list this holiday. Art is available all year in art shows or, more recently, on the internet. Folk art, even local art, can be found at low prices on numerous websites such as Ebay or, for prints, Deviantart. However, there's nothing quite like shopping for folk arts at summer festivals and flea markets. The world is more alive, the heat is more intense, and the artists are more desperate for back-to-school cash.

Aside from the local market, folk art for friends and family can be gathered while you're taking a summer vacation. Perhaps the art isn't as local, but it's just as rich with life, and you'll have a story to tell the recipient of your unique gift this Christmas.

Yard Sales

Yard sales, garage sales, estate sales, Church sales: it sounds downright cheap to say that you're going Christmas shopping when you're headed out for an early morning of sales, but you would be surprised at the quality gifts awaiting you at these rummages. And, best of all, yard sales are sure to frequent your surrounding neighborhoods until the warm weather has completely disappeared.

What can the average person find at a yard sale that is worth giving to friends and family? Antiques, for one. Antique shops can be expensive, and sometimes the wares are in no state for selling to the public, but, often times, yard sales will provide the public with an array of antiques and collectables that individuals are simply trying to get out of the house. Estate sales are especially good for such, as the owner has no choice but to unload the goods to the most willing customer unless they want to pack their items away. From books to furniture to dishware, there is no way to predict what collectables you'll come away with when leaving a sale.

New items are also often available at yard sales. Instead of re-gifting, those hosting a yard sale simply put out the new items for the public to buy at extremely discounted prices. Also, some individuals take close-out goods from their own stores or from auctions they've visited to another location in order to set up a yard sale. Best of all, your friends will have no idea that the new vase or cookware they received for Christmas came for a yard sale in August.