After browsing dozens of garage sales over the weekend, it’s apparent there are some items that you shouldn’t buy new. You can find all of the following at garage sales for cheap:
- Exercise equipment and sporting goods. Baseball bats and gloves, bicycles, golf clubs, ski machines — all this and more
- Blenders.
- Bread machines. People like the idea of a bread machine, but it’s an appliance that rarely gets used. If you are a breadmaker, don’t purchase a new machine.
- Microwave ovens. We saw many small microwaves. Are people upgrading to larger, more powerful machines?
- Sewing machines. People don’t make things for themselves anymore. This means that fewer women are sewing. If you still sew, there are fantastic bargains to be had on sewing machines of all sorts.
- Small televisions. If you want a small set, you can pick one up for just a few bucks from nearly any garage sale.
- Miscellaneous glassware. Where do people get all of this glassware? You should never buy this stuff new.
- Kids books, toys, and clothes. What happens when your children are grown and you don’t know anyone to whom you can pass along their toys and clothes? You sell the stuff at a garage sale, of course. Some sales were only kid stuff.
- Stereo components. You won’t find the latest, greatest components at garage sales, but you’ll find plenty of quality ten-year-old items. (Be sure to test the components before purchasing.)
- Typewriters. Lots of typewriters.
Because so many garage sales feature these items, you can probably negotiate with any individual seller to get a better price, especially at the end of the day.
GRS is committed to helping our readers save and achieve your financial goals.Savings interest rates may be low, but that’s all the more reason to shop for the best rate.Find the highest savings interest rate from Ally Bank, Capital One 360, Everbank, and more.
This article is about Frugality, Hints and Tips
Disclaimer: This content is not provided or commissioned by American Express. Opinions expressed here are author's alone, not those of American Express, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by American Express. This site may be compensated through American Express Affiliate Program.
Discover is a paid advertiser of this site. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. See the Discover online credit card application for full terms and conditions on offers and rewards.
SEARCH FOR RECENT ARTICLES
Let me give you another great tip: shop at resale stores. There are a few resale shops in my area, they’re constantly flooded with goods that vary from season to season, due to the constant flow of college students in this town. These aren’t like the usual charity thrift shops, they’re for-profit shops and usually they focus on one type of goods. For example, in my town, there is one resale shop just for kitchen and appliance stuff, another that focuses more on clothes, and another that is more general housewares and furniture, another just sells exercise equipment.
I bought a microwave oven for $12 at a resale shop, it works great. I moved so I dumped a bunch of unused goods at a resale shop, it was easy, I probably made more than I would have if I held a garage sale, and they did all the work.
loading....
Books are great because people usually sell them for 25 cents or whatever, and few people read them till they wear out. And I don’t see why anybody should ever buy exercise equipment new.
loading....
I’ll add PC monitors to the list (CRTs). They’re not as hip as LCDs, but at $5-$10 for a 17-inch they’re not bad. Of course when it comes to electronics, people have different definitions of ‘working’…
loading....