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Someone Else's Trash could be your Treasure:

Garage Sales, Thrift Stores, and Consignment Sale Shopping

By Kendra Neal

October 2003

Garage Sales, Thrift Stores and Consignment Sales are an excellent way to get things you may need for half the price or less than you would pay for brand new. I personally shop all three and have gotten some AWESOME deals on everything from clothes to furniture. I can truly say that not many things in my home were bought BRAND New, although you would never be able to tell if I hadn't said so. Don't just limit yourself to buying clothes at these sales, you can find household appliances, home decor, toys, picture frames, furniture, just about anything you may pay full price for brand new. Also, there are people who shop at garage sales, thrift stores and such to buy things that they then resell on Ebay and make a living doing so. I shop at these stores to help our family income, but have thought about doing the Ebay deal in the near future. Here are some tips I have learned while shopping at these sales and some websites with more tips for you to read up on!

Garage Sale Tips:

Make a list of what you need for your household and how much you are willing to pay for each item. Try to include sizes of clothes if you can.

Get there early on the first day for the best selection. Get there late on the last day for the best prices.

Try to bring tons of singles and small bills with you, so you are not waiting around for the seller to find change for a $20 or $50 bill. Also, if you have a small sale it is easier for hand over the correct amount and be on your way.

Look through the local paper a couple days ahead of time to map out the locations of Garage Sales for the weekend. Try to plan them close by each other. Also, the best Garage Sales are the ones where it is Multi-Family, Block Sales, or Subdivision Sales. You are able to hit many at once. Also, the wealthier the neighborhood, the better the bargains and merchandise. I have driven to some of the upper class neighborhoods and gotten SUPER deals.

Don't be afraid to ask the seller to come down a bit on the price if you feel they may have overpriced it. Many times the sellers do overprice in preparation for the hagglers. Also, many sellers are willing to come down in price if they REALLY want to get rid of it.

Also, don't be afraid to ask for a reduction in price if you notice a defect or imperfection in something you want to buy, but may take a little effort on your part to fix it or clean it.

Also, if you find a BIG item you want to buy but don't have the room in your vehicle at that time ask the seller if you can pay for now and come back later to pick it up. Many are willing do so.

Thrift Store Tips:

Make a list of what you need for your household and how much you are willing to pay for each item. Try to include sizes of clothes if you can.

Many Thrift Stores have a weekly sale. The ones by me have a certain color price tag at 50% off for the week. Also, there is one chain of stores by me that have EVERYTHING 50% off every Monday.

Many Thrift Stores won't let you buy something if it isn't priced, so be careful to not let the tag fall off of something that is priced.

Thrift Stores merchandise is by donations from the community, so the quality and quantity of the merchandise is going to depend on the amount of donations for that time of year. I have found early spring and fall to be a GREAT time for donations because everyone is cleaning out their houses getting ready for the big change in seasons.

I have noticed that the stores in the upper class neighborhoods get the better merchandise.

Also, I have found in my area Target Stores make donations of BRAND NEW merchandise to the Salvation Army Thrift Store Chain all the time.

The 2 MAJOR nationwide Thrift Stores are Goodwill and The Salvation Army. You can locate a Goodwill store near you at: http://locator.goodwill.org/

You can locate a Salvation Army store near you at: http://www.satruck.com/FindStore.asp



Consignment Shops and Sales Tips:

Make a list of what you need for your household and how much you are willing to pay for each item. Try to include sizes of clothes if you can.

Consignment shops have a lot of restrictions on what they will or will not sell, so they are a bit picker of what merchandise they will accept in their store. You are more likely to find the items in better condition at Consignment shops than at Thrift stores, but they are also a bit more expensive.

Many churches and schools have a Bi-Annual Kids resale. Parents in the community donate their clothes and toys to sell. The sellers price it before hand and the church or school does all the work and they each get a profit. Check around your neighborhood for these types of sales. They are an excellent way to get some gently used kids clothing for really cheap.

There is one national Chain of Kids resale shops called Once Upon a Child. To find a location near you go to: http://www.ouac.com

Websites for more info:

http://www.essortment.com/in/Finance.Frugal.Living/

http://www.allthingsfrugal.com/garage.htm

http://www.frugaltimes.com/moneysavingtips.html

http://www.geocities.com/frugalfolks/moneyhint.html

http://www.geocities.com/PicketFence/9803/Page2.html

http://www.thefrugalshopper.com/articles/splurge.html

http://getfrugal.com/articles/perfectyardsale05.html

http://www.secondhandsavvy.com/index.html