It’s rummage season! (Or garage sales, depending on what part of the midwest you live in–yard sales for you southern folk…) When you’re talking about living a greener lifestyle (REUSE!) and saving a huge wad of cash, rummage sales are definitely the way to go. Generally the prices are comparable to thrift stores, cheaper than consignment, and this method of unloading used goods or buying used goods goes completely under Uncle Sam’s Tax Radar which is another bonus.
Sure, you’re bound to drive through a neighborhood full of baby toys when you’re looking for dishes, or you’ll drive through a retirement community when you want to buy an exersaucer. We’ve all seen used Baby Gap onesies with a retail pricetag on them at a rummage sale, likewise, we’ve all scored huge deals–like the time Enviro-Girl bought an entire garbage bag full of 12 month clothing for her firstborn for $7. The seller was packing it up and donating it to Goodwill, so selling it to Enviro-Girl for the entire contents of her wallet that day saved the seller the trouble and made her more profit than giving it to a charity.
How can you make rummage sales work for you?
1) Map it out–if your town holds a city-wide rummage sale, try to go then. You’ll save on gas if you’re not criss-crossing town and if you mind the neighborhoods you know to be populated with people whose stuff you want to buy, you won’t be caught in a dead end.
2) Time it right. Rummage sales are usually Thursday-Saturday. Don’t look for them at any other time of the week. Some “pros” will tell you to head out early in the morning to get the best deals, but Enviro-Girl has found that that only applies to big ticket items like pool tables or to Little Tyke toys–and pretty rarely even in those cases. Plan to spend a couple hours driving, parking, walking through. Bring your own beverage and don’t feel pressured to buy–tons of people get halfway up someone’s driveway and see there’s nothing they want at the sale. Turn around and head to the next one. Nobody’s feelings are hurt.
3) Buy the right rummage–not all rummage is equal. Old perfume, old cosmetics, rusted out flatware and broken toys with missing pieces are NOT good rummage. That said, certain things are LOVELY to find at a rummage sale and you can get them for a fraction of retail price. (Rummage pricing should be 10-30% of what you’d buy the item at in a store.) Good things to buy at rummage sales:
* outdoor furniture/toys
* sport equipment–we all know the person who found a complete set of golf irons AND a bag for $20.
* children’s clothing
* holiday decorations
* dishes/pots/pans/utensils–that grandma selling her bundt pan? Grab it! They don’t make pans like they used to! Pampered Chef products? Nearly indestructable–Enviro-Girl bought spatulas for $1 apiece once–they sell for $8 in the catalog!
* furniture–spare dining room chairs, dressers, end tables abound at rummage sales
* sturdy classic toys like a Sit ‘n Spin or Big Wheel–anything that looks crappy probably is–the more moving parts or assembley or loose bits? the more likely it’s broken or has missing pieces. Try it out first–let your kid ride the tricycle or climb on the Little Tykes piece to make certain it’s fully functional. BAD FINDS: Hot Wheels racetracks, computer games, action figure accessory pieces.
* tools
* books
Enviro-Girl has never seen adult clothing worth purchasing at a rummage sale. She has, however, found loads of kid clothes marked for $1 or less. She’s bought everything from a piano for $50 to a roasting pan for 50 cents and she’s here to tell you: Rummage Sales are Worth the Trouble!
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