Spring is popular for garage sales. We get to clean out what's cluttering our homes – the garage, attic, basement and oops, don't forget the dining room table. Garage sales offer the perfect opportunity to reward your de-cluttering efforts with a night on the town, a new outfit or maybe you want to add a little extra to this year's vacation budget.
New parents have lots of paraphernalia to buy and often can't afford to buy everything new, so tag sales are a great way to recycle kiddie stuff from one family to the next. When my boys were little, they outgrew clothes in 6 months and toys lasted a bit longer, so it made sense to buy these gently used items at tag sales near my home in Danbury, CT.
Some baby items should be bought new to get exactly what you want. When visiting my granddaughter last month (5 months old), I decided it was time to get the magical backpack, knowing it will be used for many hours, over multiple years.
Chloe's Backpack is Important
Every child has their unique personality, and parenting is a blend of both parents experiences and expectations. While Chloe's father didn't live in the backpack, his brother did. Ryan wanted to know what everyone in the house was doing at all times. Dinner prep started with putting Ryan in the backpack so he could watch everything and maybe that's why he's a great cook today? We bought Chloe a new backpack and we'll save garage sales for some extra toys!
What to Sell (Buy) at Garage Sales
The real goal of any garage sale should be to rid your house of clutter. Life will be less stressful when you don't have to move things from room to room, or search for things forever because you don't have enough storage space.
Here are the most popular items to sell at a garage sale and good luck!
- Children's clothing, toys and games, with bicycles especially popular
- Children's furniture, i.e. from bassinets to high chairs
- Sports equipment for kids and adults, i.e. golf cubs, tennis rackets, etc.
- Tools including hand and power tools, up to expensive gardening equipment
- Electronics for fun and home offices are popular, plus CDs and DVDs
- Household items from dishes, glasses, cooking and baking equipment to refrigerators
- Furniture from chairs and tables, to beds and dressers
- Books are popular, and they'll go faster when there's special pricing for bundles of 10/more
- Jewelry and craft supplies, i.e. what people can use for multiple purposes
- Decorating items like picture frames, pillows, quilts and clocks
Of course, it's also important to know what doesn't sell so you're prepared. Adult clothing won't sell unless it's almost free, i.e. $5.00 (or less) for a bag of clothing. Magazines should be given to a nursing home or tossed.
Getting Rid of Stuff Left from Your Garage Sale
My rule is things put out for a garage sale never come back in the house… period! They go into the car right away and I sometimes end the tag sale so there's enough time to get to the Salvation Army the same day.
You can search for “thrift shops to donate” and find location near your home. If you're getting rid of furniture, some groups like the Salvation Army with more than 2,300 locations in North America may even pick items up. Adult clothing rarely sells well at a tag sale, so be sure to find a place that will take clothing of all sizes.
Ready to Plan Your Garage Sale?
Read Garage Sale, Tag Sale and Cleaning Out the Clutter
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