I love eBay and have been very lucky at finding valuable items to sell on ebay at garage sales. My latest "coup", a Getzen trumpet that I paid $25 for, and sold on eBay for $750. I invested $120 in having the trumpet professionally cleaned and checked out. I offered free next-day delivery with buy-it-now, and sold the trumpet in four days. Including the high cost of the shipping, and the ebay/paypal fees, I still netted almost $500!
That isn't the best part, though. My wife and I happen to live in an area that most yard and garage sales feature a lot of decorative brass items - candlesticks, animals, planters, and such - and most people are anxious to get rid of their brass items. Maybe it is because of the time spent keeping the brass polished, but for whatever reason, we are able to pick up a lot of brass each weekend for pennies on the dollar. We then cash in our brass at a recycling center. Lately, brass has paid as little as $1.75/lb. up to $2.10/lb. Our best weekend ever was just over $120 for brass that we had invested less than $30 in. We use the brass money to cover our gasoline expense on our garage sale days and usually have enough surplus to treat ourselves to a nice dinner out or to simply add to our "stash".
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Do you have a garage sale purchase that you are particularly proud of? Feel free to post it below.
I found a Hull pottery gray gingerbread boy platter for .75 and sold on ebay for $65. I also found an old Maxwell House coffee can for $3 and sold for $75 and a Lambrecht butter crock for $3 that sold for $50.
Love those garage sales!
I got a beautiful set of brand new expensive toiletries in an elegant case for $7, (gave it to my daughter-in-law when she presented me with a grandson) Priced similar in the big stores later, and they were in the $60 range. But I haven't beaten my friend's 'find" She is an avid and cluey 'hunter' She was sorting through a box of beads, junk jewelry etc, and the guy said it was just 'grandma's old stuff" My friend found a heavy silver locket on a thick silver chain and had a 'feeling' about it, she paid him $15, and later took it to a jeweler for valuation. He said it was Victorian, and worth at least $800!
I have wanted a Vera Bradley purse for years. I just can not justify paying $60-$75 for one. I found a brand new one for $10. I had to walk around (it was a neighborhood sale) and think about it for about 15 minutes.
I found a beautiful hand blown Italian glass vase, $6.00. It's worth hundreds more!
Wow! Isn't it amazing the valuable stuff that can be found at garage sales? My favorite things that I bought are a beautiful shabby chic style desk and lingerie chest priced at $7.50 each. I had been looking online at similar desks that were priced around $500.00 or more. What a steal!
I found made in occupied Japan figures for a dime a piece. They sell online for anywhere around 10 dollars each. I got 10 figurines you do the math! But my fav. Find of all time is the 1st addition of the sinking of the titanic. I got a box of books with this in it for 5 bucks.
I've not done as well as some of these folks, but I did purchase several pieces of Pyrex & Corningware baking dishes at a storage unit sale for $2.00 per each armload. We all know the prices on those items in stores!
At a yard sale, years ago, I'd found a bunch of figurines marked a nickel each. I'd filled up one box & was in the process of filling another box, when I looked around to see another shopper going thru my first filled box. He got smart with me when I tried to claim back what I'd had in my box that he now had in his box.
I always check the "free" boxes at garage sales and I found a cast iron griddle for free because it was rusty. I couldn't believe it was free and asked just to be sure!
Recently I hit a yard sale and racked in on NWT Gymboree. I've also found Fenton, Hull, McCoy and Capademonte several times for less than a dollar and turned around to make 20+ on each item. Yesterday I bought my son a VSmile with a game for $5.00...that was a steal!
I am a garage sale addict. I purchase most of our furniture in garage sale and some of our knick knacks. I got almost all of my Christmas decoration from garage sale too.
But my most favorite this year is a pair of skecher woman shoes and a naturalizer high heel shoes for $1 each!! It was a steal I couldn't believe it I had to ask again if it is $1 and the owner said it is.
I went to an estate sale and got 2 matching Lazy Boy recliners for $5.00 each! They are beige colored and had a few small spots on them, but they cleaned right up! I think I got the great deal because it was hot and they wanted to finish up.Also, the recliners were toward the back and hard to see. Cool,huh?
Wow, I love reading everyone's garage sale finds!! Nothing is more exciting and heart-pounding as walking into one and possibly finding something so amazing for a steal!
As for myself, most recent finds were 4 popular DVDs (we're avid DVD collectors) like Remember the Titians and Dangerous Minds in perfect condition for $2 each, a Brand new official Sponge Bob pajama bottoms for my son at $1.50, and an awesome Harely Davidson purse in mint condition for $3.00 that I sold on eBay for $35!
While those small finds are common for me, I have yet to stumble across soemthing worth hundreds like some of you. One day I will!
Thanks for posting on such a great subject!
I Love Garage Sales - they are truly a weekend treasure hunt and a great way to save money! I've always found it odd that neighbors and co-workers make fun of me for going to Garage Sales. Just last week I bought a brand new Presto Electric Griddle for my daughter for $2 dollars - retail price was in the neighborhood of $25-29 dollars - it had not even been assembled yet, just the outside box had been thrown away. My best bargain was a beautiful Pulaski Double door lighted Curio Cabinet for $30 dollars. I had to clean it up and do some minor touchups on the base as it had been stored in a garage, plus have a missing glass shelf replaced for $18.00, but the cabinet would retail for 6 Hundred dollars or more! I always look forward to the Friday and Saturday sales!
I love yard sales and had one day last summer (07) when I really cleaned up. I found a small refrigerator for my garage for ten dollars and a set of twenty craftman screw drivers for five dollars and a wkole host os halloween decorations all within a mile of my house. I found a lot more that day and spent less than the fridge would have cost new. It is still working.
I went to a yard sale and purchased from the bag sale. One dollar a bag for clothes. I could hardly believe that I got something for many of the kids at that sale. One of the skirts was almost an exact match for the one that one of the girls wanted at JC Penny. And it was here size. And the Disney denim jacket with tinker bell for one of the older kids was also in the deal.
The same day, I hit up another yard sale. Walla! Another Disney jacket almost the same as the first. A 25 cent find. Needless to say, I had something for every grand kid by the end of the day, and to them it was like Christmas came early, and they all had a big smile.
I went to my daughters a few days ago, and one of the girls said "Grandma". I said what? So posed so nicely and proud and said "Thank you so much for buying us school clothes". I pretended not to notice it was really Saturday, and she was grinning from ear to ear displaying my yard sale find. She is a five year old fashion diva, and doesn't mind if it is a yard sale find!
My lucky find was at a local church rummage sale. I found a little professor calculator from the 70's for $.25 and sold it on Ebay for $36.00! Happy day!
I love, love, love Garage Sales. At an estate sale I once purchased a new $3,500 Oriental-style bedroom set including dresser, mirrors, armoire and queen sized head board for $400. Recently I purchased two large room sized throw rugs for $25 that I'm sure were worth hundreds.
was at a yard sale and noticed a butcher block that was used as small engine repair table they said they would sell it , got it for 4 bucks now to clean it up
We drove by a garage sale & noticed an interesting table & chairs on the driveway so we stopped. It was old & I loved it but I didn't need it. The tag was $50 then the owner came over and offered it for $40, without me asking! We took it home, cleaned it, tighted it up, recovered the 6 chair seats with black leather & we use it every day as our kitchen table. The table legs and chair legs are curvy and its a treasure, I think.
Found 12 Cutco Knives. The lady didn't have the 12 knives priced so I asked. She wanted $2.00 each and I asked if she was sure. The knives were her husbands first wife so she didn't want them. So for $12.00 I got at least a $600.00 set of knives.
Also got a pewter candle stick for $1.00.
My house is full of wonderful garage sale buys- quality stuff for low prices.
35 years ago I bought a large painting at a sale for $5 because it is a picture of a red tree. I love the color red. One day out of curiousity I typed the artists name into ebay and my painting is worth about $2-3,000!
New breadmaker- $4. Juicer- $2. I use both of them frequently.
Mostly I look for books and CD's which I sell on amazon.com. It gives a little extra retirement income. I love the hunt. I love it when I buy a book for a dollar and sell it for $25 or even $75. There is a little kids Disney book which I have now found 3 of- and sold each one for over $100.
Gotta love it.
I bought a sunfish sailboat--(which had been used one season and then stored in a cellar and never used by the original owners again) for $75.00--retail worth $3685.00!!!!! Also bought a complete underground sprinkler system--top of the line--for $25.00.
So Kewl to hear of all your finds! I too love garage saling. I find it relaxing and at the same time very addicting. I had found several awesome finds over the last few years. My biggest find was a solid oak ventless gel fireplace with the bookcases. I planned on taking it home and painting it white.
After cleaning it up it was so gorgeous I decided not to touch the finish~! I found this for $35.00! Looked it up on the net and the cheapest I seen the one I purchased was $699.00! Funny thing is I purchased this in December weeks before xmas. Im sure he would of gotten more then what he gave it away for. It looked beautiful next to my tree and I had a real fire for the holiday! What a find! Yes, I too have found capidamonte, hull, etc.
Today I spent 7 dollars came home with a beautiful HUGE wall planter valued at 50 dollars, office supplies, 2 gorgeous pictures for my living room, a hand blown glass and iron candle holder and some kitchen items! All for 7 dollars! Cant do that anywhere else! LOL
Last summer 2009 I found a 19 inch Samsung LCD monitor for $10. The previous owner said it worked. OK for $10 I will give it try. Works perfect!! Great deal. Bought 3 pairs of nearly new, in mint condition Levi jeans for $1.50 each. they fit perfect! Saved over $30 on each pair! Brand new still in the box pool table light $15 store sticker still on the box said $80. Beautiful 47x30 inch framed mirror for $20, new still in the sealed box. These are just a few things I kept. I do buy to resell on ebay and Differenthings.
I purchased a Lego Creator: The Race To Build It Board Game from a man for $1.00 at a garage sale. It was brand new and complete with 72 pieces. He just wanted to get rid of it. Amazon.com has it listed for $239. Definitely going to sell this baby and make some cash. Ca Ching! $
I was at a sale and there were 2 big rubbermaid tubs full of dishes. They were heavy weight and looked to be high quality. I bought both for 20 and there turned out to have every piece of china that had been with the pattern. 20 piece service! According to replacments.com $650 worth of dishes! They were a mother in law's who had passed away and nobody wanted. Well I love them and use them daily.
