It’s Fun to Save Money, the Garage-Sale Way : Economy: Value-conscious consumers can find hidden treasurers and stretch the family budget.

There’s gold in America’s garages, attics and basements.

One person’s junk is another’s treasure. A broken dish to me is a needed addition to a place setting to you.

Garage or tag sales take on special meaning this time of year, with spring cleaning taking on almost cultural significance.

Value-conscious consumers shouldn’t ignore the savings and hidden treasures in garage sales, shopping experts say. Buying household items that others consider junk shouldn’t be taken as a sign that you can’t afford better or that you’re not worth owning the best.

Rather, it’s a sign that you know quality--something the garage sale owner perhaps doesn’t.

Garage sale shopping also puts a high value on recycled goods, and that’s a plus for the environment.

“Garage or tag sales mean you can be a really generous mommy. If your kids want something for 25 cents, that’s OK,” said Monica Rix Paxson, co-author with her sister Diana Rix of “The Complete Garage Sale Kit” (Sourcebooks).

“There’s something exciting about finding one-of-a-kind items and getting a real bargain. They hearken back to hunter-gatherer instincts,” she said from her home in Berwyn, Ill.

Shoppers of all economic levels partake of garage or tag sales. While some look at it as a group sport, others may don dark glasses and hats. “Some go incognito. It’s for them a hidden vice,” Paxson said.

Garage sale shopping is a wise way to make the family budget go a bit farther. For example, Paxson said she visited one garage sale in a posh Los Angeles neighborhood where people of “all economic levels were at the sale.”

To make sure you don’t spend more money on carfare or gas than you will spend at a garage sale itself, Paxson recommends a bit of advance planning for the “hunter and gatherer.”

First, make a list of what you want to buy. Then make a budget and stick to it. And third, check the newspaper classified ads and make a circuit of where you want to go.

At garage sales, expect to bargain for a price.

“Dickering is a garage sale tradition. Offers and counteroffers are part of the fun and it’s one of the few places left where you can do some horse-trading.”

When you find the item you have been looking for-an ice cream maker, a bicycle, a coffee table--how do you know you’ve gotten a good bargain?

Paxson said that if you end up spending less than half of what you’re willing to spend retail, then you got a good deal.

Garage sales also can add some needed funds into the family coffers as well as provide an impetus to inexpensively clear out your unwanted stuff.

For those planning to have a garage sale, here are some tips:

* Plan at least two weeks in advance.

* Have it on a three-day weekend.

* Invite everyone you know, including co-workers.

* Run classified ads the day before the sale and continue through the days it is being held. Include dates, address and time. A phone number is optional.

* Hold the sale in a place where customers can find it when they drive by, such as in the front yard. Place signs pointing to the location in a six-block radius.

* If it rains and you cancel, put a sign on the door reading, “Same time next week, rain or shine.”

* Sell as many things as you can.

* Clean the sale items before offering them for sale.

* Secondhand items should be priced 20% to 30% off their replacement retail value. Clothing should be priced at 10% off.

* Have fun. Use a bit of humor when tagging merchandise or include a short story about an item to increase interest.

Paxson said that generally you do not have to report income from the garage sale as part of your household income for tax purposes as long as you are selling “resold” or used goods that belonged to you.

“You’re not making a profit because you’re taking your equity out of goods you owned,” she said. But, she advises that if you make a sizable amount of money--and some can make as much as $1,500 to $2,000 in a weekend--you should tell your accountant.

In addition, most communities do not have restrictions on garage sales, but it’s wise to check with your town hall just in case you need a permit.

“The Complete Garage Sale Kit,” published last year, is available in some local book stores.