6 Tips on Shopping At A Garage Sale Like A Pro

Indeed, we have many applications today that serve the same job as a garage sale, but nothing can beat the fun of going out yourself, picking stuff, and negotiating the price on the spot. If you have only observed these events happening and haven’t got around shopping much, this article will really help you. Going to these sales frequently has gained me some experience. Below I’m going to discuss some of the tips I’ve discovered on how to shop at a garage sale like a pro!

Make a List

Do not just go to a garage sale with an empty mind. Know what you came looking for! Look, the whole point of a garage sale is to save on good items. It often happens that you get excited about seeing a beautiful pair of black heels at a low price and grab it without having a second thought. What you don’t remember at that moment is that you bought similar color heels just last month. Make a list in your head (at least) to reduce the chances of unnecessary spending.

Select the Perfect Time

This is one of the most popular tips of, I think, every kind of shopping. Must have heard of the famous saying “first come first serves”? Yeah, this is what we are talking about here. Set your alarm to leave early for the sale and arrive just as the sale starts. The best items go quickly, plus it will give you plenty of time to look around and make your mind if you want the item or not without the worry in mind that someone will grab it before you.

But here comes another thing: if you want to leave out the negotiation part and purchase the items only if you get a great deal, go later when the sale has reached its finale part. It’s the part where sellers are exhausted from talking all day and ready to sell the item at the price of your liking.

Be Polite

Okay, so rule no. 1 when you arrive at the sale: Be Polite!

Don’t leave the house with a foul mood; you’re not going to score any bargain from being snappy. Sellers instantly get good vibes when you pleasantly greet them. This vibe is essential to pass because just being nice gets you a great deal. In the case of a garage sale, it’s your neighborhood, so it is utmost important to be polite. There’s nothing hard in wearing a beautiful smile and making small talk.

Carry Small Bills

Another very important tip; bring small bills, preferably of one and five dollars, when you go to a garage sale. To score a great bargain, you need to have the exact amount with you. Of course, the seller will be reluctant to accept a $5 on an item that is actually $8 then have you wave a ten-dollar bill to purchase it.

Negotiate

If you are like me, you give up too quickly on negotiation. Well, I’ve learned my lesson now.

The whole point of garage sales is for the customers to score great bargains on items and for the sellers to sell their unwanted stuff at the best price (possible) So, don’t be shy to negotiate. It often happens that an item is already priced very low, but it won’t hurt asking at least once if they will take less, right?

Of course, you don’t want to insult the seller by requesting the item in almost half of its original price! Also, you’re more likely to score a great deal when you buy in bulk. So, collect multiple items and negotiate at once in the last.

Drop Your Number

You think everything is sold by the end of a garage sale? Absolutely not. What does not get sold, often gets thrown out. There might be a chance that the item you wanted is in the unsold collection and ready to come to you at an even lower price than the one you were demanding before. So, it is always smart to drop your number to the seller so that they can contact after the sale if this case occurs.

Final Word

Garage sales are filled with awesome items at prices too reasonable. Just ask yourself this question when you pick an item “do I need this?” because If you end up spending much more than your typical days that too on items you didn’t need, then that, my friend, won’t be called smart shopping.

One important thing you need to do after returning from the sale is to wash everything off or send it to cleaning outside. Although sellers only put those stuff in these sales that are in good condition, you need to remember that they were still pre-owned. Have fun shopping with supersavermama!