My latest garage sale finds may just sway you to try buying secondhand. Great bargains and the thrill of the find get me every time!
Our youngest daughter graduated from the University of Cincinnati last month. She’s still living in her college house with friends until her job starts later this summer. However, she’ll be in her own apartment soon, so she asked me to go garage sale shopping for her. Of course, I said yes.
In other parts of the country, yard sales are popular. But here in Northwest Ohio, it’s all about garage sales or barn sales. I confess to loving garage sale finds. Maybe it’s because my mom used to take me and my siblings to garage sales when we were kiddos. Some people claim garage sale shopping is only foraging for junk. However, I have found that in many cases, you can score amazing finds for a fraction of what you would spend on brand new goods. And when you’re buying things for college dorms or new apartments, it makes sense. Elise knows once she’s more firmly established in her career she’ll be able to afford new things when it makes sense to buy them.
Secondhand shopping is having a moment right now, too, practically a movement. You can see this by the rise of purchases made on websites like The Real Real and Poshmark, among others. I think it’s great that more and more people are realizing you don’t need to buy everything brand new at retail prices. To inspire you, today I’m sharing what I scored while shopping for Elise and sharing tips on how to hunt down a few things for yourself.
My Garage Sale Finds
Stand Mixer
This Sunbeam stand mixer was in great shape, practically new! And, it came with two bowls, beaters, and the usage guide. I found out it had barely been used, but I plugged it in to make sure it worked anyway. The price? Just $8! This was a true find. New stand mixers typically cost a pretty penny!
Keurig Single Serve Coffee Maker
Elise said she needed a coffee maker but she didn’t need a larger one. She only drinks one cup a day and has some Keurig pods already. Coffee makers are usually easy to spot at garage sales everywhere. Keurigs are a bit of a challenge, though. I wasn’t too confident that I would be able to find a single-serve version, but then I spied this white one for just $10. A quick look online showed me a new one is nearly $100.
Cake Pans
If you go to garage sales frequently, you can typically find cake pans and baking dishes, but they’re not always is good condition. I bought two Pyrex cake pans with handles in perfect shape for $1 each!
Crock-Pot
This Crock-Pot is a nice, large size, and a more popular oblong shape. It wasn’t on Elise’s list but a quick text to her confirmed she was interested. Especially when she found out it was just $8!
Flower Pots
Technically, these flower pots were not on her list of items. However, they were brand new, never used, and I love the cheery coral color. They’ll look great on her patio and I got both for just $4!
A Few Extras
I found a few garage sale finds for me, too. Oops! ? It happens.
King-Size Fringed Throw Blanket
On my drive home, I saw a sign on a country road for a yard sale and had to stop. Best of all, I found out everything was half off since it was the last day of their sale! This creamy-white king-size throw blanket has a classic farmhouse vibe and was pristine. It was just $2.50! Brand new, it would have cost nearly $100 for this size, if not more.
Classic, Striped Sweater
I rarely give clothing a second glance at garage sales, but this gray and white L.L. Bean sweater was brand new with the tag still on. It was also in my size and I’m a sucker for a timeless pattern. At just $1, it practically had my name on it!
Food Dehydrator
I’ve been looking at food dehydrators for some time now. They’re great for quickly drying and dehydrating herbs, veggies, fruits, and jerkies. I usually run out of spices before my fresh from the garden herbs are dried and ready to use. This dehydrator was used just one time and included the manual. I paid just $4 and can’t wait to try it out!
My grand total for all of this was just $39.50, friends. Not bad, huh?
Tips for Snagging Great Garage Sale Finds
Ready to score a few great garage sale finds of your own? Here are my tried and true tips.
- Go to garage sales with a purpose. A list of what you’re looking for keeps you on track and keeps you from stopping at every house if you go to a neighborhood sale.
- Be efficient. I like to keep an eye out for neighborhood sales in upscale subdivisions. That way, you can park your car and walk up and down a few streets, making several stops to make the most of your time. It’s easier on your gas tank and good for your body to get in some extra walking time. I told Elise I would only commit to 2 hours of garage sale hunting. Visiting a neighborhood sale helped me stick to my timeframe.
- Be open-minded. When garage sales occur over several days, you may think you’ll miss out on all the good stuff if you can only go on the last day of the sale. However, that’s when you can usually get the best bargains. I also will stop at yard sales on country roads when I’m looking for antiques. Keep your eyes posted on sites like Nextdoor and on Facebook’s marketplace for announcements.
- Didn’t find what you were looking for? Try visiting your local thrift store a week or so after neighborhood garage sales. Many people who host garage sales don’t want to keep all the stuff that didn’t sell, so they’ll pack it up at the end of the day and take it to their local thrift shop.
My Next Garage Sale Finds
It’s tempting to buy everything new, but I’ve had lots of luck secondhand shopping. I’ve been able to snag Calphalon pans and a really good knife set for my oldest daughter for her first apartment, too. It’s a great way to save significant money and still find quality items someone simply no longer wanted. You never know what kind of bargains you’ll discover! Stay tuned for more garage sale finds I’ll be showcasing later this summer.
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