On Saturday morning, we stopped by a community yard sale, one of those sales where the entire neighborhood gets together to sell their stuff. It was not so organized as a sponsored yard sale, more like a multifamily sale with several houses in a development participating.
We did really well at this sale, getting some real bargains. Looking back on it, I think that a lot of this had to do with being prepared and employing some community yard sale strategies. Take a look at the following tips that we try to use as a family, whenever we shop at a community yard sale.
Have enough cash with you
There is nothing worse than using up all of your money at the first two houses and then spotting the best deal of the day further into the sale. Make sure that you have extra cash (within your budget of course) and keep it separated into different pockets so you aren’t pulling out a wad of cash at one time.
Park and walk
Pick a spot slightly into the beginning of the sale and park, and then walk through the various stops. It is helpful to have a cart or wagon to collect your finds. An old stroller works well, too.
If the sale is busy, start at the end and then walk back in order to get a chance to see bargains that haven’t been rummaged over. If the sale is long, or if you have lots to carry, one person can be designated to bring items back to the car or to bring the car up and park closer to where the rest of you are shopping. It is tough to have everyone pile into the car and then out again just to go a few houses down.
There are more tips ahead. Check back tomorrow for part 2.
You can read more blog posts by Mary Ann Romans here!
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