I always like going to a yard sale. Or is it called a garage sale? I just asked my girl and she said she calls it a garage sale if people are selling from the garage or a yard sale if people are selling out on the lawn. But wait. What is a garage sale anyway?
The garage sale (also known as an attic sale, garbage sale, junk sale, lawn sale, moving sale, patio sale, rummage sale, tag sale, thrift sale, yard sale or basement sale) is an informal, irregularly scheduled event for the sale of usually used goods by private individuals, in which the sellers are not required to obtain the usual business licenses or collect sales tax. Sometimes though, you do have to have a permit and the number of times per year you can hold these sales may be limited.
Typically the goods in a garage sale are unwanted or no longer used items from the household with the home owners conducting the sale. You never know what you will find at a garage sale. The items could be new or used. Popular motivations for a garage sale are “spring cleaning”, moving, or to earn extra money. The sales venue is typically a garage, driveway, carport, front yard and occasionally the interior of a house. This is why some people say garage sale while others say yard sale. I think it also depends on what part of the country you are from. Either way, at the garage sale, the seller has their stuff on display and often people will just drive by to see if anything catches their eye but many people will just pull up and park, get out and look. Where do the buyers come from? They are usually responding to signs, flyers, Craigslist postings, Facebook updates, Twitter posts or newspaper ads. In Las Vegas, people will get a medium size box, write ‘Garage Sale’ on the box with a King Size Sharpie Permanent Marker
Stuff for sale at a typical garage sale include old clothing, books, toys, household knickknacks, lawn and garden tools, sports equipment, and board games. Larger items like furniture and occasionally home appliances are also sold. Anything you can imagine. This is why I like to go to these things. You never know what you will find. Garage sales occur most frequently in suburban areas on good-weather weekends, and usually have designated hours for the sale. Usually MUCH too early on a weekend yet people always show up at these early morning hours. Buyers who arrive before the hours of the sale to review the items are known as “early birds” and are often professional restorers or resellers like those guys from Antique Archeology on the tv show American Pickers. Garage sales also attract people who are searching for bargains or for rare and unusual items. I used to know a guy who went from yard sale to yard sale looking for comic books hoping he would stumble upon a rare issue. Bargaining, also known as haggling, on prices is routine, and items may or may not have price labels affixed. It always amazes me that I can have something labeled for sale at say, $5 and people will offer fifty cents. Some people buy goods from these sales to restore them for resale.
Sometimes entire communities will have a weekend designated so everyone can participate at the same time. One huge community sale.
It is estimated that garage sale sales could account for $2 billion annually! Wow!
The other thing I like to go to is the antique shop. Well, to be more specific, I like to go to an antique mall. This is a place that has many vendors all under one roof. The one I usually like to go to is Charleston Antique Mall. Check out their website to see what they are all about. It is a lot like the garage sale but indoors and open everyday.
So I am curious… Do you like to go garage sale shopping? Or do you call it a yard sale or something different? What about the antiques mall? What are some of the cool finds you have made? Click here to leave a comment and share your opinion and experience. Would love to hear from you.
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