Thanks to Gina00 who inspired this post with her blog comment.
Outgrown sales are a great way to pick up kids clothing, toys, games, baby equipment and more for really great prices. These sales are like giant yard sales, but with benefits. For one, there is a ton of merchandise in one place. You also don’t have to weed through a lot of old useless stuff, such as velvet paintings or chipped dishes, as you might at a garage sale. I really recommend visiting and shopping at one of these types of sales.
To help you along, I’ve compiled some of my best tips about how to shop at outgrown sales.
Many outgrown sales can be found through word of mouth. Ask other parents and local churches if they know of any sales. Sometimes they are advertised on Craigslist.
Strategize on when you will shop at the sale. Many sales are help for more than one day. Generally, the first day is restricted to certain shoppers, the second day is a normal shopping day, and the third day offers significant discounts such as 50% or more off the prices. Each day has benefits. If you are looking for something needed and specific, such a snowsuit, be one of the first ones at the sale. Otherwise, you can clean up with all of those discounts on the last day.
If you want to be one of the special few to shop at the sale preview, you’ll need to either participate in the sale as a seller or volunteer to help with the sale. Then you can get first pick.
Make sure to bring cash with you when you shop. Most sales won’t take anything else, although a very few will take a check.
When you enter the sale, go the opposite way around the room, that is counter-clockwise. In large sales, many people start at the beginning but then become tired or overwhelmed before they get to everything. This means that you can usually get better selection at the tables near the end.
When calling for information about one of these sales, ask about two things: coupons and bag sales. Local papers or even printed flyers advertising the sale may offer coupons. Bag sales allow you to fill an entire bag full of clothing for one price. Usually bag sales are only offered at certain times, but if you catch one, you can really clean up.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog, caring for little ones in the Baby Blog and now relationships in the Marriage Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here or subscribe to the blog using the subscription box on the right.
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