The BEST Things To Look For at a Yard Sale

The BEST Things To Look For at a Yard Sale – Do you know what to pass and what to grab at a yard sale? I’ll share with you the secrets to pro yard sale-ing!

It is my favorite time of year: yard sale season! It combined my love of shopping with the happiness that I get from saving a ton of money.

Yard sales are one of my favorite things in the entire world. It’s a really great way to get almost anything and everything that you would ever want for a tiny fraction of the price. I’ve even done all of my Christmas shopping from yard sales over the summer (yes, really).

But how do you know what to pick and what to pass?

The biggest thing holding people back from yard sale-ing is this fear that they will buy something that’s broken or that isn’t high-quality. And that’s a totally understandable fear!

That’s why I want to share with you the best things to look for at a yard sale. These are the top items that should be considered before you buy anything else at a store.

Bicycles.

Whether they are for adults or kids, oftentimes you can find hardly used and or next-to-new bikes at yard sales. Kids outgrow bikes so quickly they often only use them for one season. And a lot of times for adults, they will be used once or twice a year and the rest of the time they have been sitting in a garage.

The nicer the bikes are the better savings you will have. If you are looking to buy a bike, do your research before just going to yard sales. Try to find what the best brands are, what will last the longest, and what people like the most.

It’s also really important to know how much a bike is worth before you go to a yard sale. If you go there and buy a bike for $200 thinking that you saved a ton of money, only to find out that at the store brand new you could have bought the same bike for $250. You don’t want to be duped. Be smart with your money even if it is at a yard sale.

Clothes.

Yard sales are a great place to find kids clothes. They are inexpensive, and oftentimes they’ll give you a deal if you buy a bunch of them. It’s also really nice if you were able to find clothes that match for siblings at a yard sale. Matching clothes for my kids are absolutely one of my favorites!

Kids shoes.

Yard sales are a great place to find shoes. A lot of times kids outgrow shoes before they had a chance to wear them for more than 3 months out of the year. It’s a great place to find some really awesome shoes. And the same thing for clothes: if you buy a lot of them, a lot of times you can get a discount!

Halloween costume.

People wear Halloween costumes for a day in the entire year and so you’ll often see them at yard sales. It’s a great place to find your Halloween costume for the upcoming year and to plan ahead.

Related post: Budgeting Books You NEED to Read

Snow gear.

That’s another thing that kids outgrow so quickly with only ever having worn it for maybe a year. It’s a great place to find snowsuits, jackets, boots, goggles, helmets and almost everything else that you would ever need for winter.

Toys.

Plan ahead for birthdays, and even for Christmas, by looking for awesome toys at yard sales. You can get really great deals on really big, expensive toys that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford by shopping yard sales.

I love to go to yard sales and find great deals on toys that I know that my kids will absolutely love and then I save them for their birthdays or for Christmas. I don’t mind storing them for 6 or more months because it will save me so much money in December!

Related post: Save $1,000 a Month Starting Now

Books.

Why are kids’ books so expensive?! It doesn’t make any sense!

Thankfully, there is never a shortage of awesome and fun children’s books at yard sales. It’s a great place to get 4 books for a dollar or even better! If you are looking to add books to your little one’s library, a yard sale is a really great place to do it.

Related post: Best Money Saving Apps You Need

Maternity clothes.

There is never a shortage of maternity clothes a yard sales! I have always hated the idea of spending $30 on a pair of pants that I will wear for five months and then never wear again. The only place that you should be getting maternity clothes second-hand. You can get really amazing and Chic maternity clothes from yard sales. I’d much rather pay $4 for a pair of maternity pants and save the $26 that I would have spent at a store.

I’m going to break out the tough love: the only place that you should be getting maternity clothes second-hand. There are SO many options for maternity clothes at yard sales and at thrift shops. There’s no real reason to buy anything brand new.

You can get really amazing and chic maternity clothes from yard sales. I’d much rather pay $4 for a pair of maternity pants and save the $26 that I would have spent at a store!

Related post: 10 Reasons Why You Need An Emergency Fund

Small kitchen appliances.

To date, my all-time favorite yard sale find was my brand new in box, originally priced at $800 espresso machine. I got it at an estate sale for $7. It had never been used! Yeah, you read that right!

These are the kinds of things to keep an eye out for at yard sales. I’ve always wanted a KitchenAid stand mixer, but I cannot justify spending $350 on something that I would only use every once in awhile. Bread machines, rice cookers, and any other kitchen appliance that might only get used once a month or even less frequently, are the kinds of small kitchen appliances that you would really get a great deal on by getting them at a yard sale.

Related post: 7 Things Never to Buy Used

Home decor.

Saving the best for last! I could furnish my entire house with things that I have gotten at yard sales.

The best things to get our mirrors, picture frames, wall hangings, dressers, entertainment centers. Always keep an eye out for things made of wood. Wood is incredibly versatile, and it can be painted or stained and refinished to match your decor. And a lot of times, the only thing that wood pieces need are an update in hardware.

You can get a really amazing, solid wood dresser for $25 and repaint it to match your house and get new hardware for it and you have a custom-made piece that could have run you $400 or even more depending on the size!

If you like industrial chic, keep an eye out for wrought iron or any other type of metal that you feel would go really well in your space. Definitely, check out yard sales before you stop by Target or Home Goods for your next piece in your house.

The sky’s the limit!

And it’s never just limited to the things on this list! If you love glassware, old tools, cast iron cookware, antiques, and more, there’s really something for everyone at a yard sale.

There’s always an added bonus of being able to find something at a yard sale that you know is valuable and then flipping it for a profit on eBay or on Craigslist! You don’t need to make this your primary goal, but you could! There are many people who flip items from yard sales as their primary source of income. (Isn’t there an HGTV show about it?)

I’m not saying to go hog wild looking for items to flip, but it would be a lot of fun to make some extra money that way!

What’s your favorite thing to find at a yard sale?