I'm kind of new to this forum--hubby got me hooked--and was wondering whether y'all rely on garage sales, flea markets, estate sales, consignments shops and the like to purchase things second hand? With all the talk about K-Mart and Wal-Mart (I personally like to help out the smaller businesses, if I can) I just wondered how many people are like us and keep an eye out at sales of the kind mentioned above. Thanks for your replies.

-- Dena --NE KY (ddew1962@earthlink.net), January 23, 2002

Answers

Yep Dena, I check them out. You never know what you're gonna find. It's amazing what some people get rid of-one man's trash is another man's treasure I guess. Farm and estate auctions are big around here too.

-- cowgirlone in OK (cowgirlone47@hotmail.com), January 23, 2002.

We have a local auction barn that sells consignment items, junk, estates, and storage rental reposessions, and I frequent the place. I have bought alot of great bargains, especially on tools.

-- clove (clovis97@yahoo.com), January 23, 2002.

I dont know about other folks,but here in North Texas,we do all you mentioned,plus thrift shops,wholesale stores etc. You wouldnt believe some of the things you can get at "Resale"shops. It keeps the money away from the huge stores that send it to their home states,and it keeps the taxes where applicapable here at home too. If we dont look out for ourselves and our home towns ,nobody else is going to ! Buy local,buy from each other,barter,do yard sales,flea markets,thrift shops,Salvation Army,Goodwill,Church Thrift Stores. Keep it close to home and help everybody else in your area ! Don

-- Don (twosloans@texoma.net), January 23, 2002.

I get lots of hand-me-downs for the kids clothes and what I am not given I get at consignment sales, I would never dream of paying full retail for kids clothes. I am not one of those people that care if the clothes are a little stained or not perfect in some way after all the kids are just going to go outside and get them all messed up.

I never really found anything useful at flea markets.

I do like garage sales, last time we got several shelves and brackets etc... for $5, what a deal. Garage sales are also good for books and kid clothes. Unfortunately I don't get time to go to them very often.

We also like hitting the thrift stores. We haven't been to any estate sales although they sound interesting but again I'm usually to busy.

-- Anita in NC (anitaholton@mindspring.com), January 23, 2002.

I shop all the above mentioned to buy most or our household items. My husband goes to auctions to buy things he needs for his tractor. Also I buy all my clothing second hand as I work at a greenhouse and I only need jeans and a t-shirt. Another place you might want to look for is a discount grocery store (not sure what they are called). They are the ones that sell damaged goods. You can get great deals at these stores. The items sell for 1/4 to 1/2 of the price you would pay for items in the regular stores.

-- Jo in PA (farmerjo16666@pennswoods.net), January 23, 2002.

We always hit the garage sales - I have trouble finding boys' jeans, though! I think they wear them out so fast, they don't make it to the garage sales! We live in an area with a lot of affluent people, so I can usually find some really good quality clothes for the boys cheap! Estate sales are my husband's favorite place, along with farm/tool sales!

I only pay retail for my kid's clothes if they are desperately in need of something. If I can't buy it on clearance or at a garage sale, they usually just have to wait!

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), January 23, 2002.

For sure, my favorite is the consignment shops, also an auction fiend. Thats how we furnished our house, bought farm equipment, etc., etc. Its about the only places you can find american made things anymore!!!!

-- Suzanne (weir@frontiernet.net), January 23, 2002.

"Yard Mart" is my favorite , unless it is raining then "Garageporium" gets my buisness :>)

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), January 23, 2002.

All of the above. I get beautiful expensive label dresses in great shape for my girls at Goodwill for $3-6. I find lots of LL Bean and Lands End type stuff for myself, too. I almost never get "new" stuff for the kids except underwear, socks and pajamas.

-- Christina (introibo2000@yahoo.com), January 23, 2002.

You never know what kind of deal you might find at a garage sale. Last summer a friend of mine bought a 1 1/2 year old push mower in a rich neighborhood. A $200 dollar push mower for $40.00. Only thing wrong with it was the safety shut off wouldn't let it start. A little squirt of wd40 done the job.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), January 23, 2002.

Personally, I love garage sales...my husband has been amazed at the deals I've found, like the brand new 4000 W Generac generator for $200 and the dehumidifier for $5.

There's another shopping option in our neck of the woods, and it's called trash-picking or curb-shopping. On the one day of the year when a town will pick up any and all trash, lots of people drive around to see what they can find curbside. I have friends who do this, and although I think it's a great idea for recycling, I haven't had the nerve to go through someone's trash. There have been great finds, I've heard.

-- Sharon/WI (pinnow@inwave.com), January 23, 2002.

I am a hard to fit size and just hardly ever find anything at yard sales and thrift shops but I hit the jack pot on Ebay. I pay more on ebay but I've gotten some really nice cloths this fall and winter. I figure I pay dollar store prices for dress shop cloths.

-- sherry (chickadee259@yahoo.com), January 23, 2002.

Hello Dena,

Yes, we purchase as much of the things that we can use at yard sales. The most recent find (last fall) was a TV antenna for $5.00!

We also look for items to resell on Ebay and Half.com, that is a supplantmental income for us.

Sincerely,

Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), January 23, 2002.

Our car does not to ow to pass a yard sale, flea market, etc. I would have to call the decor of our home "Early Flea Market". We bought a beautiful large table for the kitchen at a yard sale last summer for $25. It is a heavy duty table in perfect condition. We didn't even have to refinish the wood table. When we bought it a couple hadn't realized the price and the woman was upset with her husband for not noticing it. We have bought a pressure canner for $20. A computer desk for $10 (using it right now). Even our old kitchen wood range was bought years ago in a deal. I wanted that stove so much and the owner was not sure if he wanted to sell. Then he came up with a deal, the stove, a store counter (old wood with an old cash drawyer), and a round quarter oak table with claw feet all for $1,000. We sold the store counter and oak table and got back our $1,000 very quickly. At the time we would have paid the$1,000 just for the stove. The stove by the way is a large pinkish/beige enamal, with six rings, a huge oven, and a warming oven on top. It is a beauty and the pride of my ktchen. Needless to say we love those yard sales, flea markets, etc.

-- Irene Burt (renienorm@aol.com), January 23, 2002.

garage sales, flea markets, estate sales, consignments shops are good but only if the prices are good. You need to know how much something is worth and how much it worth to you before buying. Going cold into an auction is going to cost you. Dont assume a flea market is the best deal one can get. I see a lot of flea markets becoming a place to dump close out items instead of resale of old items. consignment shops in my opinion are not worth the time. People selling at these useally want top dollar for an item and I am not willing to pay that. I go for bargins. If I can by an item someplace else for the same price then its not a bargin.

-- Gary (gws@columbus.rr.com), January 23, 2002.

Yard sales can yield some great finds. I have found collectable pottery, kitchenware, books etc to sell on ebay. They are also great for kids clothes and toys. I got our niece 3 big Barbie items for xmas for $9. They would have easily been more than $50 retail. One of the churches here has a rummage sale twice a year. Found some great things there - an upright quilt rake for $2, a needlework holder that you sit on for $.50 (saw one in a catalog for about $40). I have been taking my used clothing to a consignment shop. I get 50% of the sale but it is usually more than I would have gotten at my yard sale. I have even washed & taken in clothes that I have found in free piles. Auctions are great for furniture esp if they are held on site. The ones held at the auction houses tend to have higher prices. I got a Larkin desk at an auction this fall for $45. It needs a lot of work but it's better than paying $400 or more if you could find one. I can't wait till spring when the yard sales and auctions really start up again. If anyone is in this area (upstate NY halfway between Albany & Montreal), every fall (the last weekend in Sept or the first weekend in Oct) Warrensburg, NY has the "World's Biggest Yardsale". There are miles of "stuff". We have found some great deals.

-- Cindy in NY (cjpopeck@worldnet.att.net), January 23, 2002.

Heck yes! All of the above.

Lately it's been mostly toddler clothes since children at that age grow so fast that they seldom ever wear out anything before it's too small for them. Good thing too, I like dressing my daughter in Oshkosh overalls and those things are pretty expensive to buy new but often dirt cheap at a yard sale.

Also tools of most any sort, building supplies and on and on.

It's also a good way to meet folks in your town that you might not otherwise meet.

........Alan.

-- Alan (athagan@atlantic.net), January 23, 2002.

Yes, we shop at all the above mentioned alternative places! My very good friend and I go garage saleing every Saturday through the spring and summer. I've found you need to go regularly because some days are bad and some are great. I buy probably 90 percent of our clothes, many gifts and craft supplies to make gifts, kitchenware and furniture. We have only purchased one piece of furniture new, a couch, and it's a piece of junk! However, prices at our local Goodwill have skyrocketed and are no longer in our price range. Two summers ago shorts for my daughter were .69 at Goodwill. This last year they were 4 and 5 dollars! My other suggestion for bargains is to place a classified want ad. We purchased used fence building materials, tools and even our old mobile home by placing wanted ads. We have saved huge amounts of money with this one trick.

-- Darcy in NW WA (gatecity@cows.com), January 23, 2002.

Thanks for the responses. I, too, like the auctions--picked up a lot of furniture and lamps when we moved into a larger house. Also got stuck a couple of times, but I figure I did okay overall. You are right about overpriced garage sales & flea markets being closeout stores--I find it hard to find something I like at a flea market. One mentioned trash picking--I've been known to "rescue" a perfectly good item from the landfill--just doin' my part for the environment. 8-)

-- Dena (ddew1962@earthlink.net), January 23, 2002.

Where we are (rural area), it is too much of a waste of gas (not to mention driveways with bad ruts, etc.) for it be be practical to do garage saleing. Garage sales are really good if you live in the suburbs and preferably near the better neighborhoods.

So, I usually patronize nonprofit thrift stores, church rummage sales, etc. Anything with "resale" or "consignment" in the sign usually signifies 'way higher prices, so I skip those. Goodwill has a good selection, but their prices are sky high (considering they all get the stuff for free) compared to other thrift stores.

Some stuff I do have to buy new because you just don't see it at thrift stores, but luckily it is only a few things.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 23, 2002.

farm and estate auctions are usually worth the time. Flea markets and garage sales are usually aren't worth the time of spending all day to find a bargain. I have found though that garage sales in retiree neighborhoods are usually pretty good, especially for collectables to resell. I usually have my eyes out for a good deal. I've even found a nearly new tv tossed out, brand new kitchen stuff stlll in boxes and wrappers in dumpsters and wasn't even out looking. It seems many people would rather toss out or give away rather than bother with selling it. Even things like good condition mobile homes, running cars and trucks, trailers, boats. There's a good local classifieds paper I scan online every morning for freebies to pick up and resell mostly. Almost unlimited amount of free building materials, furniture and appliances. Here's my call list from just this morning, all free stuff.

1980 datsun 280Z, straight bdy, custom wheels. Car is complete & ran great,but now it won't start.// HOT TUB, you haul away//KING size black & gold mirrored bedroom set// WOODSHED, large, must disassemble & haul, like new/ 79 BMW 320i, great condition//ENGINE stand, towbar, 6H scaffolding frame//DISHWASHER, works great, come and get it// hottub, you haul//CHILDRENS toys, scooters, 2 life size electric cars for kids, waterbed, treadmill, etc//JACUZZI, 8 seat, runs great, u haul//MOBILE home on whls, 8'w x38'l// play structure built from a kit. 6'x8'//Used hollow blocks (pink) approx. 400 pcs.// Encon Spa/Hot tub, 110 volts, fair to good condition//Hitachi 27'' TV with remote//Nintendo 64, works..graphics chip/memory card/4 controllers.//25" console TV, & video cass recorder//$10,000 WORTH of T12, 4'fluorescent light tubes, free//100x100" HOT TUB, works fine// Garage, 20ft x 20ft x 8 ft high wood construction great condition you haul or tear down// SAND Bags, 100 filled// 80 PORSCHE 928, stored// aluminum garage doors. very heavy//

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), January 23, 2002.

I also think that many tend not to have garage sales anymore because of theft problems (one negotiates while the partner steals), or because sometimes people will check out (either to steal then or break in later) the OTHER stuff you have in the garage. So, either have the sale outside the garage, keeping the door closed, or remove everything of value from the garage, lol). Just a thought.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 23, 2002.

The best place I've ever found to buy tools and implements is at the auctions. You will soon discover that all your neighbors and a few antique buyers are there every weekend. Another thing is the quality of the tools is beyond reproach, however, don't expect to find brand-new anything. Most of the stuff is upwards of fifty years old and in good to fair shape. A litle bit of WD-40 usually cures the problem.

For the wives, this is THE place to socialize and catch up on events in the area. For the auctioneer and his crew, it's a golden opportunity to meet and greet friends& bidders alike.

We go nearly every chance we get, even if we don't buy anything.

-- matt johnson (wyo_cowboy_us@yahoo.com), January 23, 2002.

I work full time for a non-profit organization that operates a thrift store to suppliment the shrinking dollar that the goverment (federal and state) gives us to provide services to adults with developmental disabilities. Needless to say my closet is very full. (No I don't take it, I buy it). Yes we get our stock for "free", but running the store, paying people to operated it and getting rid of the overstock costs money. The money we get goes directly to operating expenses and any "profit" goes to support the programing. Believe me noone is getting rich. Goodwill operates the same way. So if you think their prices are high please remember that the money is going to a good cause.

-- Mary R (cntryfolk@ime.net), January 23, 2002.

It is my understanding (please correct me if I am wrong), that Goodwill pays over minimum wage for most of their jobs. A lot of churches do too, by the way, and that bothers me as well. I don't mind stipends or say paying an employer share of healthcare (you might get a lot of really nice seniors coming in to volunteer that way if you did that, some need cheaper health care rather than money per se) but most jobs in nonprofits (as far as thrift stores and churches) are not jobs that require advanced degrees or specialized knowledge, so to me anything paid over minimum wage is too much (especially when you consider that nonprofits pay no taxes), and takes away monies that could be used for your mission. Just my opinion. Goodwill in particular seems to have a lot of overhead compared to other thrift stores.

Why does it cost money to get rid of overstock? A church-run thrift store (only one paid person) I used to frequent would get rid of clothes that didn't sell to a place where they just handed out the clothing to people in need (like transients). No cost involved there to the store.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), January 23, 2002.

When I had transportation and when I get it again I did all those menitioned and also like to ask at the Amish stores in this area I am talking about bulk food grains etc. Also many times they have used equipment too at real savings they do this mostly as a service for thier customers both those selling and for those who want to buy.

-- gail missouri ozarks (gef@getgoin.net), January 23, 2002.

You betcha, I frequent all of the above. Why pay more for a product if you can find it in nearly new condition at a resale shop? I've saved quite a bit of money over the years buying clothes from consignment shops, especially when I was working off the farm. I consign our clothes, buy and sell on Ebay, and I adore garage sales and auctions. I only buy new when I can't find it used- the only exception is most electronic equipment.

Stacy in NY

-- Stacy (KincoraFarm@aol.com), January 24, 2002.

I don't garage sale generally, unless I happen by one--it hasn't been worth it. But I do look in our local bargain paper for secondhand items and I sell stuff there too. Then we shop at the local factory cutouts clothing place. I have been known to get silk blouses for $6, high end name brand shoes that sell for $120 for $10-30. Not to mention the Egyptian cotton sheets for under $5 a sheet. Oh the threadcount!!

I like the large sales the women's group hosts in the armory and the indoor fleamarkets as well as the antique stores. DOn't forget Builder's Surplus.

-- Anne (Healthytouch101@wildmail.com), January 24, 2002.

My husband affectionately refers to me as "Our Lady of Perpetual Value"....It's almost like a "high" for me, to go shopping at these places and get as much as I can for as little as I can. It truly is remarkable what some people get rid of...Harmony

-- Harmony (harmonyfarm57@hotmail.com), January 24, 2002.

Okay, I was waiting for someone else to post this (and I didn't see it but maybe I missed it...)

NO, homesteaders do not *rely* on garage sales, flea markets, and consignment shops...they instead rely on *themselves*! ;-)

Any resourceful person will shop *any* resource to find the best choices. Hey, it might be the local food co-op, the next door neighbor who sews and trades mending or new stuff for chickens or wool, or it might be St. Vincent dePaul (my favorite resource for thrift stuff these days.) Or??

Just being an obnoxious geezerette (to squeeze out a little levity!)

-- sheepish (WA) (the_original_sheepish@hotmail.com), January 25, 2002.