BOTTOM LINE : A Movable Fleece

Location and packaging are the key elements of any sale, be it a condo or a used chest of drawers. Especially a used chest of drawers. Wily would-be garage-sale moguls understand that nothing tops a 90210 address. So some have been throwing their lots together, renting a well-heeled address for a weekend, hauling their stuff across town and voila-- garage sale of the rich and famous.

Los Angeles Times Classified insiders say the practice prompts two or three calls a week from bargain-hunters furious that an imagined estate sale turned out to have nothing but Jello molds and jam jar glasses from four families from the Valley.

“If there is more than a couple of types of furniture listed in an ad, it’s a warning sign,” says Gordon Lowe, customer service supervisor for The Times.

So if you’re a garage-sale snob, looking for the antique silver and imported crystal hand-me-downs of the high and mighty, stay away from ads listing Danish Modern alongside fun fur furniture. But be aware: Naugahyde ottomans, ashtrays shaped like the 50 states and old exercise bicycles are still the things garage sales are made of. Even in Beverly Hills.