*This is a post that I previously wrote for the Quad City Moms Blog. Just thought it was worth sharing again, and since I haven't been feeling good this week, it's an easy post! Enjoy!
It’s About That Time Again!
What time, you ask? Garage sale time! If you know me (and my
mom) at all, you know that we are crazy garage-salers! For as long as I can remember, Thursdays have
meant one thing: driving around town
with a newspaper in hand and bargains on the mind. And now that I have children, we have gotten
even crazier…but in a good way! (I think!) Since my first son was born in 2008,
I would estimate that at least 80% of their lives they have worn clothes from
garage sales. Nearly all of their toys are from the sales,
and many of the things in our home are from there as well.
Now, I know what you may be thinking. My husband and I both work..why not buy our kids clothes? To tell the truth, I think that no one would
ever know that their clothes are secondhand.
In fact, I’ve had many comments like “oh, that outfit is so cute! Where
did you get it?”. Let’s face it: kids
under 5 ruin their clothes. Dirt, food, vomit, and many other
unmentionables…the clothes take a beating.
And when my kids are running around in the backyard full of mud, I’m not
the mommy who’s running after them with the Shout stain-stick. Because their pants didn’t cost $20
dollars…they cost 50₵. And that’s the
truth. (*NOTE: My kids do not wear socks, underwear, or
pajamas from garage sales. I do draw the line somewhere! I also don’t
let them buy stuffed animals. Gross.)
I understand that some of you may not agree with the idea of
your kids wearing clothes that have been worn by others. However, toys
are a different story! Toys are expensive, and if you come to our house, you
would guess that we have spent a fortune
on our kids. But you would be wrong. In today’s blog, I have decided to share with
you just a few of the MANY bargains my mom and I have found for my
children. Toys that they love, that they
play with (destroy) on a daily basis, and for a fraction (a very SMALL
fraction) of the retail prices….
Bouncy Ball Pit
This is the main attraction in our basement these days. The average retail cost of a ball pit this
size is $50-$70. We paid $4 (with the
balls included), and my kids have been enjoying this toy for over a year now!
Legos
What is life (especially for a boy) without legos? You all know how expensive they are at the
store. We have found so many Legos at
garage sales, that I have not only gotten a TON for my own kids, but also for
my aunt’s daycare kids as well! The size
of the buckets vary, as do the amount of pieces in each one, but the average
bucket size that we’ve found costs between $25 and $50 at the store, and the
most I have paid for one bucket is $4.
Power Wheels ATV
This is one of our best buys, and a great story! We saw this
in the yard and ran right to it, checking if it worked and how much they
wanted. They had it marked at $60, which
is more than we ever pay for anything at a garage sale. However, there was a little boy who lived at
the house, and he automatically started “bargaining” with us. It was hilarious.
We told him the most we would pay was $40. After some double checking with his
mom, and some scolding on her part (for bargaining with us), they finally agreed
to it. My mom bought it, cleaned it up,
and gave it to Sam for his 3rd birthday. What a great gift! Retail price for a
comparable 4 wheeler online is between $115 and $150.
Finger Skateboards
This was another GREAT buy, and we almost passed it up! We were leaving a sale and I saw a plastic
tote full of toys. I wasn’t even going
to open it, but boy am I glad I did! It was full
of those little finger skateboards (my boys love them) and ramps, stairs,
etc. These toys are surprisingly
expensive. The average cost for one skateboard is between $1 and $4, and
the ramps (especially the Tony Hawk brand, which is what we got!) go for
between $20 and $40 each. I walked away from that sale with
approximately 20 skateboards, 7 ramps, and the tote they came in, for $2!
Why garage sale?
If you have the time, you should definitely try it out at
least once. Even if you don’t find
anything, it’s fun to drive around hunting for bargains. The Quad Cities is really big on garage
sales, and it’s no longer only Thursdays, but now Fridays and Saturdays as
well. As a well-seasoned garage-saler,
here are my top tips:
1. Bargain! Don’t be afraid to offer less;
the worst they can do is say “no”!
2. Plug it in! If the item requires
electricity, ask them to plug it in and show you that it works.
3. Bleach it! Throw all the toys in
watered-down bleach, rinse, and dry before your kids touch!
4. Compare prices! Thank goodness for
smart phones. When we are wondering if
something is a bargain, I just google the item to find the average retail
price.
5. Hit the neighborhood sales! These are
the best, especially if you have little ones with you. We just pull out the stroller and walk from
sale to sale. You’d be surprised how
much your kids will enjoy it! Plus, if they want a toy, there’s usually a Free
Box somewhere!
6. Return the favor! When your own house
is bursting at the seams, pull out the price tags and have your own sale. And
when you do, be fair. Our family had one
this past summer, and our prices were so low that people were laughing as they
piled bags full of 10 cent and 25 cent items. It’s good to pay it forward…we
would love to hit a sale where
everything was a quarter!
I hope to see some of you out there on Thursday mornings
this year! If you do, make sure to tell
me about the deals you find! And if you see my mom and I at the same sale as
you, watch out! We will run you over to get to the bargain!
