Garage Sales vs Estate Sales

Today was an odd shopping day for me.  I did not get a chance to pull my usual estate sale list from Craigslist, so I left the house on a wing and a prayer.  Of course, it's always fun to adventurously drive down the main thoroughfare, keeping my eyes peeled for bits of paper taped or stapled to street signs leading the way down streets and roads on a quest for Goodies.

This kind of expedition is best shared with a friend who rides shotgun as you careen wildly from right lane to left at that last-minute spotting of a badly written Yard Sale sign.

No, these days I mix business with pleasure in an effort to add monetary treasure to the family coffers, so I must be more organized.  And so I present my evaluation of the pros and cons of Garage Sales vs. Estate Sales.


Garage sales are adventurous.  They are spontaneous. They can lead you all over the county: two, even, as you follow the signs like a connect-the-dot puzzle across the map. This method is covered in Indiana Jones movies as well as the (most recently viewed in my home) animated film "The Emperor's New Groove."  Garage sales have the best prices, hands down, unless the proprietor forgets that he/she is running a GARAGE SALE and think that he/she is in fact running an ANTIQUE STORE.  The people at garage sales tend to be friendlier, too, although as we all know, results may vary.

On the other hand, with garage sales you never know what you are going to when you drive down the street following the signs.  I was at a "Block Sale" this morning that consisted of three houses, one of whom clearly only decided this morning to throw a few pieces of  junk on the driveway as a way of "participating".

Garage saling is a form of gambling; you don't know when you throw the dice whether you are going to win or lose. Sometimes a garage sale is beautifully marked and there are 17 signs bringing you in to a pile of baby clothes and a rattle thrown on the lawn, and other times you have one badly written address and a pencil-thin arrow on a piece of typing paper and you have to map it out and consult with your psychic to find the amazing artifacts some guy finally decided to drag out of his garage.

(I'm just kidding, by the way.  I don't do psychics.)

Estate sales have great advantages to someone in my position.  They are usually advertised and organized and you can find many things at one or two locations.  More than once I have completed the bulk of my shopping at one or two estate sales. The last day of the sale can be especially lucrative as prices get slashed steeply.

On the other hand, estate sales are often run by professionals, who are courteous but not particularly friendly (again, results vary), and price the items much higher than a small-time dealer like myself might be inclined to pay. You also aren't very likely to find kids' clothing and such that I prefer to pick up at garage sales as part of my theory on dressing children (more about that later).

The pinnacle of all sales, however, is the hybrid estate sale/garage sale.  These are the places where the proprietors simply don't want to be bothered with the effort of organizing an estate sale or hiring someone to run it and simply want to fling open the garage door and let the vultures flock in.  I don't feel guilty getting a deal at these sales: they wanted to save the hassle of taking the time to do it professionally and want to get it over with quickly.  I am simply there to assist them in their goal.  Time is money, and the time that I spend digging for these treasures is rewarded with a discount on the purchase price.

All that being said, I did in fact find some goodies today that you will be seeing in my etsy shop shortly... and my kids will love their brand-new-in-box 65-cent Matchbox cars!

Confessions of a Garage Sale Junkie

The morning air is crisp.  Oddly enough, I can actually see my breath, unusual in the moderate climate of Southern California.  But it's early.  The birds chirp.  A dog barks.  I look down the street and see a cat performing a balancing act on a fence.  A car door.  Slams.  I deposit the boxes in the trunk of the car and slam the lid, then cross to the driver side door and get in.  I start the car.  I rev the engine, simply because I can.

First stop: Starbucks.  Must have my Venti-upside-down-caramel-macchiato-with-extra-caramel... hot today, but not always.  Add the Blueberry-muffin-with-struesel.  Now I'm ready.

 Consult The List.  Formerly a printed sheet of paper, in the interest of saving time and money The List is now emailed to The Blackberry.

The List gives me my first destination.  My blood pumps.  My heart races. My eyes light up with the anticipation of the day.  I am...

The Treasure Hunter.

I feel a bit like Indiana Jones on these mornings, mornings where I escape the confines of home and family and venture into the unexplored territories of estate and garage sales.  The most exciting are those with a mountain of boxes through which I must dig and search, carefully extracting a rare artifact from the bottom of a cardboard box filled with ratty decks of cards, unwanted plush toys and old silverware.  It is at these sales that I can get a great find for an even better price, as the curators of these excavation sites usually don't care about price and simply want to remove the artifacts from the premises.

Now that I have a vintage shop where I peddle my treasures, it is imperative to embark on these adventures each week.  Right now it is just Saturdays with a few thrift store excursions sprinkled here and there.  Perhaps as business increases I will add Fridays or Sundays to my shopping days.

I don't know how I'll ever manage....

Save the Planet: Buy Vintage

When I was in college and a member of the Young & Broke Club, I decorated my tiny apartments with items found at garage sales or curbside. As I became older, got married, settled down, bought a home, started a family, I started to buy more retail items "because I can afford it". Plus, although my husband likes garage sales, he is more of a "recreational user" as opposed to a full blown junkie. As a result, when we sold (for example) our $300 air conditioner at our garage sale for $125, my husband and I promised each other "No more retail!"

The smartest, kindest thing you can do for yourself, your family, and the environment is to buy more "pre-owned" stuff. By buying used, you are keeping junk out of landfills, you are reducing packaging that would otherwise go into the trash, and you are buying products that most likely (in my opinion) will last longer because they were made with greater care than today's products.

Here is a list of a few of my most fabulous finds:

1. I once found a mirror in an alley that was marked for "Salvation Army". I really wanted it but didn't think it was ethical for me to take something intended for charity, so I left it. Walking by the same alley later that day (I was walking the dog, not stalking!) I saw that the mirror had been left behind because the mirror itself was not attached to the frame (the Salvation Army is pretty picky I guess). so when the owners pitched it, I snagged it, attached the glass, and it hung in my home until the garage sale we had prior to relocating across the country. I sold it for $10.
2. On a garage sale trip, I found a pair of candlesticks at a yard sale for 50 cents. I thought, wow, these are nice. Tall, and they have a drip cup and artificial wood candles for display. When I did my research I discovered that they were made in 1901 by a Polish fine metal worker and they are probably worth hundreds of dollars. I have yet to sell them but I will let you know what price they fetch.
3. I found two original drawings at a thrift store and paid a total of $7.50 for them. One of them is a sepia ink on paper drawing by a pretty prominent 20th century artist and looks like it may fetch $1000 at auction. Again, I will keep you posted.
4. My son's crib set (sheets, bumper, bed skirt, valance, wall hanging & comforter), normally would sell at a retail store for well over $100. I got it at a thrift store for $15.
5. Throw pillows!!!! You can buy these for $20 and more EACH retail, yet at thrift stores/garage sales you can get them for about $2.
6. I picked up an Ethan Allen dresser and twin bed frame on the curb. I sold the bed frame on craigslist for $75 and we are using the dresser in our sons' bedroom.
7. I bought some vintage sheet music at a garage sale and am hanging two of them in my sons' bedroom as art. The rest I am selling on Etsy.

I really could go on and on, but I'm tired and I have to get up early to pick up my secondhand $50 clothes dryer in the morning.

Confessions of a Garage Sale Junkie

I am a junkie. I admit it: I am addicted to garage sales. Thrift shops. Flea markets. Estate sales. Antique stores. Even dollar stores will grab my attention on occasion, and I am not above browsing curbside or dumpster-diving (although I do draw the line at actually entering the dumpster).

It's the thrill of the chase, the never-ending search for that Special Something, the hope that deep in the recesses of someone's attic, basement or garage lurks a vintage toy, a cool chair, or some brand-new crafting supplies that can be had for a song from someone who happily paid full price for their "retail therapy".

I've always known therapy is overpriced.

What is it about retail that puts people in a frenzy? I'd much rather take $20 in quarters, dimes and pennies out on a Saturday morning and come home with a carload of stuff than proclaim "charge!" at the mall and come home with a carload of stuff, a boatload of debt, and a hazy feeling of "what-have-I-done" that generally occurs a year later as you're writing the check to pay your credit card company for the privilege of buying that... that... huh.

What is it that we have to have NOW that we must pay in installments for the rest of our lives? A house? yes. A car? Well, ok. A computer? Maybe. Dinner? Those trendy boots? That new Playstation game? A Starbucks coffee?

My friends, this must not be!!!

Buy second-hand and save your soul!!!

Besides, you won't care so much when Boris the dog eats the 75 cent needlepoint pillow that someone else's grandmother made. However, this year's Prada shoes that cost you a week's pay would be another story.