31 Days {Day 13} Yard Salin'

It's Saturday, that means it's yard salin' day at my house.  Originally, we started yard salin' because Collin was due, and we had nothing for him.  We sold all of Brandon's clothes and baby gear when we moved because we didn't want to drag all those boxes in the big move.  As we hunted for baby gear, we saw just how many cool things we could find at yard sales.  After two years of yard salin', here are a few things I've learned.

1. Know the Area

If you are in a subdivision with lots of families, you can expect to see lots of baby stuff.  My favorite yard sales are at the over 50 subdivisions.  They have all my favorite antiques!

2. Everything is Negotiable

Never pay full price for something at a yard sale.  Always offer a lower price.  Use the phrase, "Would you take (fill in the blank) dollars for this?" That phrase puts the ball in their court and is a little nicer than, "I'll give you $3 for this."

For me, I usually never offer less than 2/3's of the price the seller is asking.  If you cut the price in half people get mad. If they are asking $10, I offer $6 or $7, and they will probably counter back with $8.
If they say "No," it's no big deal.  I know what the item is worth to me and what I'm willing to pay.
If the seller wants to sell it for more that's fine.

3. Bundle for Deals

Shad is the bundler in our family.  A few weeks before Collin was born, we hit a yard sale of a family with three boys.  We got a car seat and ToNs of clothes for $40.  Each item ended up costing us less than a quarter a piece, and Collin was set with very nice clothes.

4. A Moving Sale = A Desperate Sale

The #1 goal of a moving sale is not to make money, the #1 goal of a moving sale is to get rid of stuff.  They don't want to load all that stuff up in the moving truck.  It's all probably going to a thrift store at the end of the day.  This means that they are going to be much more flexible on their prices.

5. 8:00 price Vs. 12:00 price

At 8:00 am the first thing in the morning, the prices are probably not going down very much, but if you come towards the end of the yard salin' day at 12:00, the seller is much more will to negotiate.

 6.  Be Friendly

As with many things in life, being nice goes a long way.

7. Leave an Offer

For big items, if you are offering a low offer, leave your number with the seller.  When I make the offer, I warn people, "Would you mind if I left an offer on your couch.  It's low, but just in case it doesn't sell, you know where I am." Then I give them a paper with my number and the offer on it.

8.  Come Back 

When I got my jadite bowls, I did not want to pay what the seller was asking.  At the end of the day, I came back by on our way home, and I got the bowls for half of what they were asking.  The sellers knew I was a collector, and were glad it would be appreciated.

9. You Don't Have to Buy

Please, do not feel bad if you don't buy something at a yard sale.  There is no shame walking away empty handed.  If you buy something at every yard sale just because you feel bad, you are going to end up broke and on Hoarders.

10. The Yard Sale Mapper App

Right now, Shad and I just hit yard sales as we are running errands on Saturdays, but sometimes we use this app.  The app shows you all the yard sales in your area, and even gives you directions.  It's really great to use when you are out of town and want to yard sale. You can find it by clicking here. 

If you'd like to see a few of my yard sale finds, you can check out this post.