Yard Sales and Estate Sales
Now that the weather is cooling off it’s a great time for yard sales and estate sales. While summer is filled with these outdoor sales, the heat keeps many people away and the sales pick back up throughout the fall. We all know one man’s trash can be another man’s treasure, but yard sales can also be a wash. So, how do you find a good sale?
~The Athens Banner Herald has a garage sale section in the classifieds. Typically sellers who have a lot of stuff to get rid of and are really motivated to move it will list their sale in the paper. This is great news for readers because when people are motivated to get rid of their stuff they are often willing to negotiate. This site also includes a map so you can tell exactly where the sale is.
~Serious estate sales may be listed at www.estatesales.net. Many of these are hosted by auction houses or antique dealers, so the prices may be higher but the goods are probably better quality too. You can subscribe to this site and get an email alert when there’s an estate sale in your area.
~Many times sales are also listed on Craigslist and yardsalesearch.com. Just enter your zip code and search radius to see what’s nearby.
~Don’t forget the benefit of good ole fashioned riding around! Right or wrong, I tend to judge the quality of the sale based on the signs. If the sign is clear and easily readable with good information I’m more likely to seek out that sale than one whose sign is hard to read, messy, or looks like it was created in haste. My thought is that someone who has spent a little extra time to create their signs and attract customers has probably spent more time going through their merchandise and may have it better organized and priced. Happy savings!
