There are many bargains to be had at yard sales. There are things you can do to get even better deals at this weekend staple. Consider the following strategies.
Look for large yard sales
You might do better if you have more items and sellers from which to choose. Oftentimes you will see a multi-family yard sale. It may be worth it to look for these. You will find more items, and there may be a good chance that at least one seller is offering excellent bargains. Sometimes an entire neighborhood will have a yard sale at the same time. You can drive through and look to see who is having the best bargains.
Go at the end of the yard sale
You may not have the best selection at the end of the sale, but you are likely to get the best bargains. Some people will be donating or even throwing out whatever remains after their yard sale so they may be willing to let the items go for very cheap. You do have to be careful, though, because sometimes they will close the yard sale early if they have sold most of the items or if they just get tired and you do not want to miss it altogether. If it is a two-day garage sale, you might be able to do better just by going on the second day instead of the first.
Negotiate
A lot of people will negotiate with you on yard sales. Sometimes you will be able to get a very large percentage off. You may especially be able to do this if you are buying a big ticket item or if you are buying a lot of smaller items. Do not appear too desperate for an item or they may keep the price high because they know that you are buying it no matter what.
Look for “lot” deals
A lot of people at yard sales will offer “lot” deals. For instance, they may have a lot of books out and say that you can fill a plastic bag for $3. They may have this with clothes as well. You can often save a great deal of money when they have something like this because if you can find one good item it might be worth more than you pay for the entire bag.
Yard sales can provide great deals. Use the above tips to maximize these.