You Never Know What You Will Find!

Shopping at yard sales is so much fun!  Since the Covid-19 lockdown, I had been looking for alternative outdoor activities since most places were closed and I really did not want to be around a lot of people.

One day I was driving home from the grocery store and saw a small sign stapled to a telephone pole advertising a yard sale in my neighborhood that Saturday. I thought what the heck! That will get me out of the house and doing something different.

“Ever since I have been obsessed!  For me, it’s the excitement of not knowing what you will find.”

I was also really surprised by the number of arts and crafts supplies I have found over these few short months of going to yard sales.

Why Yard Sale?

Yard sales are a treasure trove of unique and vintage items that you can no longer find in stores. I have found all kinds of awesome stuff that can be found nowhere else.

It’s a great way to upcycle and repurpose items. It saves you a ton of money. As an artist, it makes me think outside of the box because when I see something I like, I wonder how I can use this in my art. I have sanded, painted, disassembled, glued, and decoupaged all kinds of things that I never would have thought of doing if I didn’t see it at a yard sale for a really cheap price.

The prices are so cheap that it allows you to take risks. If I come across frames, canvas, or wood pieces I am more likely to try new techniques and test out ideas because I paid such a minimal fee that if my project doesn’t turn out well then, I haven’t lost a lot of money.

For example, when I was working on mosaics, I bought cheap plates and cups, smashed them up myself, and used them in my project. I wasn’t fearful to take risks thinking that if it turned out badly that I would lose a lot of money.

What Can You Find at Yard Sales?

The answer is EVERYTHING! People sell all kinds of stuff from old yearbooks to baby stuff. If you are in the market for arts and crafts supplies be sure to check the yard sale listing. Most of the time it will advertise that. However, I do find all kinds of crafting items rummaging through yard sales that did not list art supplies in their ad, so don’t rule those out either.

I have found a ton of crafting items over the past few months. They include paracord, washi tape, photo albums, beads, stickers, stamps, ribbon, frames, glassware, vintage jewelry, jewelry findings, jewelry charms, and brand-new paint pens. I even went to a yard sale that was selling a lot of crafting tools like a paper cutter, jewelry pliers, tweezers, crafting mallets, and small craft hammers. I swear this girl worked at Michael’s because she had multiple sets of everything still in the packaging.

Where Can You Find Yard Sales?

I find out about weekly yard sales from various resources. The main way I find out where the sales will be on the weekend is from yard sale websites.

These are my favorite ones:

Garage Sale Finder             Yard Sale Search                              GSALR                   Yard Sales

Don’t forget to check your online local newspaper, Craigslist, and local church events. Also, see if there are Facebook groups that you can join for the county you live in. I know in my area we have them and it makes it easy and convenient to find ones near you. In fact, some of the ones advertised on the Facebook group are not advertised on the online websites.

Depending on where you live yard sales may not be year-round, often going on hiatus during cold months. That is not to say that you can’t still look. There are occasions where people set up in their garage or basement during the winter.

Helpful Yard Sale Tips

So, if I’ve convinced you to start attending yard sales to gather some of your crafting supplies than here are some tips to help you out:

  1. Negotiate-Most people just want to get rid of their stuff and are not trying to make a huge profit from it. If you pick up a $10 item, ask them if they will take $6 or $8 for it. Ninety-nine percent of the time they will! Just be reasonable. Asking to pay $10 for an item they are selling for $50 isn’t going to be effective. At first, negotiating might feel weird or awkward, but it gets easier the more you do it. Plus, negotiating at yard sales is an accepted practice so why not do it and save even more money.
  1. Bulk Buy- If you know you are going to buy more than one item then ask the seller if they would do a bulk deal. Instead of paying a fixed price per item, gather up a group of things and ask, “What will you charge for all 4 of these things.” Usually, it is cheaper than if you paid per item. I sometimes give the seller a number by saying something like, “Would you do $10 for all these items?” My offer rarely gets rejected.
  1. Bring Cash- It is just easier to pull out a few bucks, pay for your stuff, and be on your way. Plus, having the cash in hand also helps with negotiations. If I’m asking to pay $10 for all these items and I have the ten-dollar bill in my hand it makes it easier for the seller to say yes. Plus, everyone takes cash. Be sure to bring enough cash, too. You never know what you will find at these yard sales so don’t miss out on something you really want because you do not have the cash for it.
  1. Arrive Early- I like to arrive early at yard sales. I attend more than one, so I pick out the one I think will be the best and go there first. You will also find that people start their sales at different times so you should be able to be one of the first to arrive at multiple sales. I’ve seen sales start at 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, and 10:00 am. Arriving early gives you the best selection. Obviously, the best stuff sells first. However, the advantage of arriving at the end of a sale is getting a better deal. Most people don’t want to lug all the stuff back into their house and they are practically giving it away but know that whatever items that are left have been picked through and the selection may be extremely limited.
  1. Make Sure Your Car is Big Enough- If you have decided to go around and buy used furniture to refurbish then make sure you bring a big enough car! You would think this would be an obvious one, but I have had my own yard sales where people paid me for the furniture and then had to leave it on my front lawn for a few hours until they could get a friend with a truck to come to pick it up. Time and time again, during my yard sales I see people trying to cram stuff into their cars and not be successful.
  1. Sanitize- It depends on your level of germaphobia as to what you buy at a yard sale. My rule of thumb is I don’t buy anything that I cannot sanitize.  I don’t buy stuffed animals, blankets, bedding, pillows, and the like. I buy anything that can be easily wiped down with a Lysol wipe. I will buy wood items if they are in good condition knowing that I will be sanding and repainting them. All my yard sale finds do not enter my house until they are sanitized. If it is a piece of furniture to be refurbished, then I keep it in the shed until the project is complete.

Conclusion

Yard Sales are totally worth going to. You can get awesome finds and great deals. Use yard sale websites and local Facebook groups to locate sales in your area. Remember to bring cash, arrive early, always negotiate, and make sure you can clean the items. Happy Yard Saling!

Comment below and tell me what awesome things you have found at yard sales! Need more ideas on how to craft on a budget then read this blog post. Just need ideas on how to be creative then check this out.