2014 Garage Sale Resolutions

Another holiday season has come and gone so fast. This is always the time of year when we tend to reflect and think about changes for the coming year. For the garage sale aficionado, what could this mean? We jotted down a few resolutions, just for fun. Add your ideas, too, and let's make 2014 our best deal-making, garage sale shopping, bargain hunting year ever!

• I will not leave something behind at a sale, only to kick myself for the next two days for not getting it.
• I will not allow my impulsive nature to make me bring home a trunkful of things I don't need, just because it was a "good deal".
• I will not sleep in on a super garage sale Saturday morning.
• I will not be bitter when the shopper next to me grabs it first. After all, "You snooze, you lose."
• I will kill two birds with one stone, by getting my New Year's "get back in shape" exercise equipment at a garage sale. After all, who wants to invest big bucks into something you'll be using as a clothes hanger in three months? (C'mon, you know it's true.)

It may be January, but a few garage sales are already popping up in our area. Get ready to join us for another fun season of treasure hunting! Happy 2014.

A New House? Decorating With Garage Sales

We've had a busy summer, selling our home and moving into a new place out in the country. A new house always means some things have to go and others have to be added, so being the dedicated garage salers we are, we're making a list of what to start looking for.

- Big plant pots. We have a big, rock porch and need something out there. The big, decorative pots are pricey! But not at a garage sale.

- Lamps. Yes, you'd think we'd have plenty, but when things are rearranged in a new house, some things don't work anymore.

- A nice accent piece for a long, granite counter.

- Rustic back porch furniture. We already had a patio set, but this house has an upper rock deck off to the side where that went. Now we need something additional for a rustic, wood deck. We'd love to stumble upon some vintage tin signs to put out there, too.

- A long, console table for a big, long hallway and a nice folk art piece to put above it.

These are all things we will be able to find for great garage sale prices, if we're patient and wait for the right things. Patience is the key here. Until then, we have plenty to do with a paintbrush!

If you're thinking about decorating a new house and the price seems overwhelming, it doesn't have to be. Just be patient and start hitting those garage sales. The right pieces will be there. Craigslist is another great resource if your patience starts to wear thin! Happy shopping.

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Are You Planning Your Route Right Now?

It's Friday night and if you have read our book, you know it's time to be planning tomorrow morning's garage sale route RIGHT NOW, before you get tired and settle into that recliner.

What to do? Check your local paper, Craigslist and other sources from the book to be sure you know of all the sales in your area. List them and prioritize them by type of sale and geographically. Map them out if you aren't familiar with the addresses. Be prepared to have something ready for a quick bite in the morning before you leave. Have the coffee on timer, ready to go when you get up. Be sure the car is gassed up and ready to go.

Don't wait till morning. If you do, the pros will be out there an hour before you've had your coffee. C'mon, people, lets' go! Happy shopping!

Free Garage Sale Shopping? Yes, You Can!

In a clever new post on the moneysavingmom.com site, garage sale shopper Crystal shares her approach to garage sales. Be sure to read her article and find out how she is able to shop and buy what she needs at garage sales for absolutely free, and even making a profit.

Resellers do this already, but her "rules" are great for the average garage sale shopper, enabling her to get whatever she is looking for at no cost. Be sure to check it out!

http://moneysavingmom.com/2013/06/how-to-shop-yard-sales-for-free.html

April Free Kindle Download

It's freebie time again! Download our book for free, today and tomorrow only.

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Vintage China - Use It for Everyday

I love beautiful, old vintage china sets and there are plenty to be found at garage and estate sales. Operating a couple of booths at an antique mall, we find that fine china moves very slowly these days. Most young couples don't have any interest in "fancy" china sets they feel they will never use.

I say use the good china every day! Go ahead and get a gorgeous set, but don't tuck it away, only to be pulled out for holiday dinners. It is such a shame to see these treasures discarded. Much better to break or chip a piece of fine china using it every day than to see them stuffed away in a closet or garage.

You can get full china sets for unheard of prices at garage and estate sales, sometimes as low as $20 for a full set. We recently bought a small set of the Staffordshire "Dickens Coaching Stages" by Grindley pattern (shown above) for $25. Unusual scenes from Dickens are in brown with hand painted accents in yellows and reds. You can't get a set of plain stoneware for that, and how much more character and history this has!

Don't be afraid. Buy that china set, use it every day, put it in the dishwasher, whatever. It deserves to see the light of day.