Garage Sale Treasures

Everyone’s heard it before, “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure” but I’ve truly learned the meaning of that statement this summer when I was introduced to garage sailing. Now of course I’d been to a few before but I’ve met people who map out at least ten to fifteen garage sales to hit every Saturday morning.

If you have the right eye, these garage sales can be a profitable and fun experience. People really do want to get rid of their junk but if you know what you’re looking for, you can find true treasures. I have found that the best place to find a great bargain is in the ritzier parts of town where the people selling their things really just want to clear out the house and are not too concerned about making a large profit.

There are a few different types of treasures you can find. First of all, you can find “junk” that no one really wants but you see something special in it. It may not be of much value in a monetary sense but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a treasure. For example, one day I found a vase, the previous owner just didn’t like it anymore, there wasn’t anything wrong with it but at the same time, there wasn’t anything special about it but it looks perfect on my fireplace mantel and I paid $2 for it.

If you’re looking to make money by going to garage sales another treasure you can find is something of value but needs some fixing up. If you’re willing to put a little work into the idea it really isn’t hard to make a profit off of something from a garage sale. Many people want to get rid of their stuff when they feel it has no use anymore and practically give it away but if they were to take the time to clean things up and do a few minor repairs, they could end up with items that are worth much more. My aunt bought a player piano for $20, it was painted lime green and a couple keys were sticky but she knew she could turn this piece around. Now getting it home wasn’t the easiest project in the world but once we got it there she started to strip the paint then stained it and after tinkering with the inner workings of the piano, she has a gorgeous piano worth hundreds.

The final type of treasure I try to find when shopping at garage sales are pieces which are worth money. Without a trained eye for actual antiques this technique can be tricky and doesn’t always end with the result I’d hoped for. I’ve had good luck finding rare tea pots at garage sales and then turning around and selling them on eBay. One tea pot I found was made by Arabia of Finland, I paid $2 for the piece and found it on collectible websites for over $100. I have also found pieces by Lenox and have turned around and made five times what I spent on it.

Although I wouldn’t try making a full time income by reselling what I find at garage sales it is definitely a fun way to make a little extra money.