Bargain Hunter Alert
It's getting late in the summer which means people that want to have yard/garage sales know that they are running out of time. Some are families who finally had time to clean-out a deceased relative's home. Others are moving before the start of the school year. Whatever their reasons, if you are even a SMIDGE like me, (meaning you love to save money and don't mind the thrill of the hunt), now is the time to head to Craig's List and your local paper's online classifieds (why online? you get the listings of sales faster and can copy & paste addresses and times of sales to print for later!) and use the search term "Estate Sale." Note about Craig's List - people aren't always bright (shocker!), and, often, the dates of the estate sale are not in the heading of the ad. The date on which they posted the sale will be on the left, but ads may be posted a week or two in advance of the sale, so you need to click and read.
Dust Bowls - Literally
If you can be an allergic mess, know that dust is the free stuff at estate sales. Often, items are taken from their dusty corners to be put on display - there will be dust! Pop a favorite allergy preventative about 30 minutes before you arrive.
Money Talks
You are often digging in boxes and milling around garages, so this is no place to have to deal with a purse, (lock it in your trunk before you get to the sale). Keep in mind that while some sales are UBER-lame, many of these estate sales are awesome, but CASH IS KING. Take money - it's usually the only means of acceptable payment. Don't be afraid to make offers. It isn't rude to have, say, $65.00 worth of stuff and offer $50.00. The worst thing they can say is no, but if they say yes, you just saved $15.00.
LOOK
Open cabinet doors and look in drawers. I've found some real treasures in the forgotten areas of homes. If you find something in a not-marked-off-limits area, take the item to the cashier, tell them where you found it, and either offer a price or ask for one. My mom still loves the potato masher with the cool red handle that I found in a kitchen drawer at an estate sale (paid $1.00) and gave to her for Christmas many years ago.
Be Sensitive to the Situation
Many estate sales are being held because of the death of a relative, usually a parent or grandparent. As you browse, keep your negative comments about Granny's old, torn furniture and stained doilies to yourself. Touch things respectfully. Be kind to the people running the show. You never know whom you may run in to as you peruse - often, estate sales are being run by an entire family. You don't want to be the jerk that jades little Jimmy's faith in people as he wanders around the beloved home that's about to be someone else's.
No Early Birds. HA!
As you know, the early bird gets the worm. Good things come to those who wait? Only the crap left behind by those who hustle! Pay attention to the start time of the sale. Even if the ad says, 'no early birds:' If a specific item is listed that you want to see, don't be afraid to arrive early (even an hour) and say something like, 'I know you aren't open yet - I respect your 'no early birds' request and I will certainly wait - I just want to make sure the _____ is still here.' Why would I share this with you? I once drove 40 minutes to a garage sale that listed, "ABSOLUTELY NO EARLY BIRDS" (yes, all caps, too!) and, since I wanted to see the oak card catalog described in the newspaper ad, I arrived 30 minutes early and waited in my car until the 8am start time. No one had come or gone while I was waiting, just the gentlemen setting up. At exactly 8am I got out of my car, walked up to the man, told him how excited I was to see the card catalog, only for him to tell me that a man came at 7:15 and bought it. !!!!!!!! I quietly said, 'So, absolutely no early birds,' turned, and as the man apologized and started listing everything else in the sale, I walked back to my car and left. Moral of the story? GO EARLY if there is something you really want, start time be damned.
No comments:
Post a Comment