I hit some great sales this past weekend. Once again, it was quality not quantity. I shop for Christmas gifts year ‘round. This week I found a bonanza of stocking stuffers. If you wait until the Christmas season and buy at retail prices—even with the great sales during the holidays—you can still end up spending a king’s ransom for the contents of the Christmas stockings!

 My husband brought the tradition of Christmas stockings to the marriage. When the kids were small, it was easy: cheap toys and Christmas candy! When they were teenagers, it changed to mostly BAGS of Christmas candy! Now they are adults, health conscious, and much more discerning in their tastes.

It’s a lot more fun shopping for them!

I still put some candy in the stockings, but I also add things like soap, stationary, books, pens, Christmas mugs, vintage bottle openers, themed tree ornaments, mittens, candles, toiletries, perfume, soap, movies, small kitchen items, craft supplies, jewelry, and other odds and ends. Unless they are vintage or books, they have to be “new.” I find them all at garage sales within 12 miles of home.

Here’s a list of what I found just this week:

• Amy Butler (Whoever she is!) desk set—50 cents
• Large bar of rose soap—50 cents
• Two lilac Colonial Candles votives—25 cents for two
• Two sage green tapers—25 cents for the pair
• Lavender Hand Cream—50 cents
• Set of four shower gels–$1.50 
• Peach glycerin soap—50 cents
• Stationary set–$1.00
• Mandarin bath gel and lotion—50 cents for both
• Yankee Candle Christmas Wreath Tart—25 cents

I think the reason I find these luxury items regularly at sales is because the personal tastes of the giver and receiver clashed. They didn’t like the color or the scent, or the husband can’t stand scented candles (Good, more for me!).  All this ends up in the garage or driveway at insanely low prices as a result, and they are all new, unopened, and ready for gift giving.

The next time you are passing a garage sale on fine summer morning, stop and shop with Christmas stockings in mind. Begonia

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I’ve been to five garage sales this week. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but it is quality rather than quantity that counts, although I’ll take both when I can!

The first of my two favorite buys was a trendy top for my daughter. (The tags were still on it—$25. I paid $1! Pam in California if you are reading this, I hope you’re impressed.) My other favorite find was a Belgium waffle iron in mint condition that I picked up for $1.

I have to confess that I already own two waffle irons: one Belgium and one regular. I prefer Belgium-style waffles, but the family doesn’t like to warm them in the toaster because they have to be turned as they toast or they burn. They prefer the regular square waffle iron for waffles that can be taken from the freezer and reheated in the toaster without needing a chaperone.  

What does a person do with waffle iron No. 3? Stash it on your Spares Shelf! My spare shelf holds only things that are hard to find in the model I prefer or that I would buy immediately if they lost the victory in the “off season. “ (That would be roughly mid-November through Late April here in Wisconsin.)  I could go to a thrift store during that period and buy, say a coffee maker—but I am just too cheap. Plus I find nicer ones at garage sales.

My Spare shelf began with a $70 toaster that grandma never used because it had just too darn many buttons!  I found it at a church rummage sale for a couple dollars. (I love church sales—the prices are great and the stuff is sanctified!) We use a particular type of toaster because of my husband’s love of bagels, which are too fat for your run-of-the-mill  two-slot unit. I also favor a particular two-beater bread machine that is no longer made (but I can still get parts). To replace it with a new machine by the only remaining maker of two-paddle models, would cost over $200. When I ran across one of the discontinued models for $10, I snapped it up.  After a short tour of duty with one of my children, it now resides on the Spare Shelf.

If you have some room in an out-of-the- way closet or storage area, you should consider setting up your own Spare Shelf—it could save you a bundle. Begonia

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There are many strategies for getting the best deals at garage sales. Sometimes if you can’t be the FIRST person there when the garage door opens, it is best to be the LAST person!

Not everyone is looking for the same things.  You never know what you are going to find at the end of the sale, and it is often going to be cheaper than it was at the beginning of the weekend! 

Items will be half-price, bag sales happen, and the free box overflows in the final hours of the average garage sale. Don’t be shy about dickering. Build a pile of stuff and make an offer.  If you are crafting or gathering objects for charity, ask if they would be willing to donate.

Sometimes they have already started to throw stuff out or pack up by the time you arrive. As a courtesy, I always ask if I can junk pick if good stuff is on the curb while the people are still present packing up. I also always ask permission to shop if I arrive when people are in the process of closing their sale. If they don’t want me there, I politely withdraw.  Don’t take it for granted that you have a right to rummage!

 Many people hit the end of a sale and just want everything gone.  Others will scrape up every scrap of junk that should have gone to the landfill and pack it up for next year’s sale! When I have a sale, I’m firmly in the “I just want it gone” camp. I don’t bring anything out of the house that I want to bring back in at Noon Saturday.

 I used to have group garage sales regularly, involving someone who was breaking up housekeeping for one reason or another–fantabulous stuff priced to go. We were just about to pack up one of these sales when a fifteen-passenger van pulled up. A woman and a man got out and wandered around. The woman bought some Gourmet magazines and then the man came back and asked if he could make an offer for everything I had left! I just looked at him dumbstruck, then glanced over at my sister and said, “Take it all for FREE. I just want it all gone! Here, we’ll help you pack it up!”

It definitely was a missed opportunity for a little more profit (by that time, it was all my stuff), but I loved the looks on their faces. I figure that everyone should have a little unmerited favor in their lives. I sure have enjoyed more than my fair share of it. Begonia

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How many spring, summer, and fall mornings have I spent parked on a residential street with a cup of coffee, a sweet roll, and a good book waiting for some sign of life at a certain address? Am I a stalker, an undercover officer, or a private eye? No, I’m a dedicated garage saler waiting for that garage door to open so I can start my day of bargain hunting!

Why so early? When that garage door opens, all car doors open promptly.  As all hard-case salers know, the best “stuff” disappears quickly. Looking for a nice couch or power tools? Better be there early.

How early is too early?  There is some disagreement on this point. My sisters feel it is cheating to start shopping when the “door” opens if it opens 20 or 30 minutes before the time published in the local paper or ad shopper.  If the seller's response to my polite inquiry, “May I look around and start shopping now?”  is “Sure! Go right ahead!” or “OK—I just want to get rid of the stuff! “ my attitude is, in the words of the immortal bard, “All’s fair in love and garage saling”!

What kind of stuff have I found? I was out for a pregarage sale walk with a friend when we noticed a man with the garage door open setting up a sale. He let us in to look, but we didn’t have any cash with us. He agreed to let us reserve items to buy if we promised to come back right after our walk and haul them away. (I love it when men are in charge of sales because they usually price low and just want to get stuff off the property as quickly as possible.) That is the morning I found my $5 grandfather clock.

 Was it the most expensive clock when it was new? No, we think they got it free with the purchase of a new sofa or dinette set,  a midrange value—not the cheapest, but not the most costly. The guy told us it didn’t work.  After breaking every rule of transporting grandfather clocks to get it home, my husband put it back together and adjusted the works. It now ticks gently and keeps perfect time as I type on my laptop. (In the spirit of complete transparency, I must note that it doesn’t chime—a disappointment to me but not to the rest of my household!)

I have also found that you have to be Johnny on the Spot or earlier for new building supplies, such as  flooring and fixtures. I bought an unopened case of recessed lights for $10 that my husband used in remodeling our laundry/bathroom. I have some nice tile in my entrance way and some high-quality laminate flooring in one of my bathrooms for 50 cents a square foot because of arriving early at the sales of tradesmen and general contractors.

I also find lots of gently used, big-ticket household items, such as my cook top, wall oven, and clothes dryer for $25 each.  My salvaged, high-end stainless steel kitchen sink cost us $3 at a local garage sale.

Don’t be shy about showing up early. There are plenty of bargains out there for all of us. Begonia

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I went to my first village wide garage sale of the season in a nearby small town. A lot of people pass up this town, but I always find it a good start to “the season.”

This year my favorite find was a Hobart-made K-5 Kitchen Aid heavy-duty mixer with bowl, spatter shield, and dough hook for $25. It cleaned up nicely with some Simple Green spray and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It works fine.

My old K-5 pooped out and resisted repair after 14 years of hard service with me—it was well broken in when I purchased it for $70 with multiple attachments. (We are keeping it as a parts machine). I will be selling my stop gap wimpy stand mixer at our next garage sale. 

The new Kitchen Aid mixers are made in China. After some research and reading a number of unfavorable reviews on line, I came to the conclusion that they are inferior to the now discontinued American-made Hobart models.  (Hobart makes heavy duty equipment for commercial bakeries.) Besides, I can’t afford a new Kitchen Aid or anything heavy duty and new anyway!

Needless to say, I was elated to spot this neglected and greasy jewel on the back table among the flotsam and jetsam at a more than reasonable price. I did enquire as to why it was in the garage sale, and the woman, a bit taken aback by my candor, replied, “Well, it’s older and I don’t use it much anymore.” I though fine by me and said, “Sold!”  It turned out to be a good day for both of us. Begonia

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Have you started your master list yet? Our village-wide garage sale, and those of other towns around here, will be beginning in about six weeks. I get the bulk of my “needed stuff” at the first couple of village-wides of the season. People who don’t normally have a garage sale, as well as the “regulars,” have sales during these Festivals of Economy, so the pickings are excellent! Now is the time to prepare: make your list and start enveloping some cash each week if you haven’t started already!

Having a list helps me stay focused on what we need and slows my impulse buying. I find that without a list I forget or fail to budget for the things I will need in the household in the coming year. (I journal what I spend at each sale, so I know on average what I spend each year at garage sales. That amount becomes part of the household budget line the following year. See  my 2/23/10 blog.)

I carry with me at all times my master list and index cards containing clothing and shoe sizes and the measurements needed for shopping remodeling and decorating items (such as paint, flooring, tile, baseboards, molding, curtains, and countertops).

Here’s an example of my master list so far:

·         Electric chainsaw

·         Freezer (20 cubic feet—chest, 2 or 3 years old)

·         Flooring for living room and family room (wood and tile—300 sq. ft.)

·         Bathroom sinks and or counters

·         Bathroom faucets (new)

·         1x2-inch wire fencing (3-4 ft. width)

·         Split rail fencing

·         Bricks and patio block

·         Ceiling and wall paint

·         Plywood

·         Plastic fruit ripener

·         Extra two-paddle bread machine

·         Extra adjustable slot toaster

·         2 sets of King Sized sheets

·         Bicycle Repair Stand

I can’t wait for the season to start in earnest. It’s been a long snowy winter. I’m looking forward to some real bargains. I hope you are, too! Begonia

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I went to the first garage sale of the season this past weekend, and I believe that I have skunked all of my sisters and my DEAR mother in having attended the first sale of the 2010 season. True—this was a sale held in a church basement, but it was listed in the local ad shopper as a “HUGE 9-Family Sale.”

We have a friendly competition within the family every year for who will be the first to attend a garage sale. At this time of the year in Wisconsin, these sales usually take place inside! I did pretty well. Here is what I got for $15.50.

• NEW One pair Wool men’s Wigwam socks  (for my husband to use cross country skiing)—50 cent
• NEW Home Interiors Very Berry column candle—25 cents
• NEW Tyler Candle Co. Limelight votive—25 cents
• Five newborn t-shirts (for Midwife Kits)—$1
• Vintage flower pot—25 cents (I collect)
• Vintage ice cream scoop with red Bakelite handle—$1 (I collect)
• Stainless steel measuring cups: 2 cup, two 1/3 cups, ½ cup, 1/8 cup, and ¼ cup—$1
• Jergens and Victoria Secret lotion—2 tubes for $1
• Two short Gap hooded and zippered sweatshirts: black and white—2 for $4
• Trendy, short, black and white sweater with three-quarter length sleeves, shawl collar—$2
• Two V-neck shirts for layering—$1.50
• Two camisoles: black and white—50 cents
• Three black shirts for layering—$1 (All ten clothing items are for my daughter who just went through another growth spurt—I keep trying to avoid taking her to the mall.)
• Two knit cotton dishwashing cloths—$1 (I know—a princely sum, but I wanted them.)
• Faux pearl multistrand necklace—25 cents
• FREE quilted zipper shoe bag (Gotta love those free boxes!)
• FREE hair scrunchy

How and WHY do I keep track of all this stuff? How—I keep a journal of all the stuff I buy, the date, sometimes the place, my impressions of the day, and how much I paid. WHY—I get most of our household goods, craft materials, books, entertainment (CDs/DVDs), clothing, and home improvement items at garage and estate sales. (I’m not an auction gal, although I love auction-goers’ sales!) In order to budget, my husband and I need to know where the money is going.  Also,  some sales are consistently good or bad, and I like to remember where they are located—to get there early in the first case and to avoid wasting time in the latter case! (I know that this isn’t very noble, but sometimes I just like to reread the journal just to gloat!)

Have you been to any good garage or estate sales yet?  I’d love to hear about your latest best deal! Begonia

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