Tips for shoppers
Attending a garage sale can be almost as tricky as planning one. A bit of advance prep and smart bargaining tactics can help you score a better deal.
--
Planning ahead
Check out ads in local newspapers and online at sites such as Craigslist and Recycler.com to learn about upcoming garage sales in your area. Sellers usually post ads a few days before; if you plan to hit several sales in one day, map out your route in advance.
Carry enough cash when you arrive at a garage sale, which shows that you’re a serious buyer. Keep in mind that many sellers won’t accept checks or bills larger than $20.
Consider bringing extension cords, batteries or other items to try out a seller’s merchandise. For example, if you plan to buy used CDs, a portable CD player could be helpful in testing the disc for damage.
Melody Mandegar, a frequent garage sale shopper from Winnetka, says she often totes a portable diamond tester when she goes to garage sales that are selling jewelry.
“Most people don’t know they’re buying diamonds and the seller doesn’t know they’re selling diamonds,” she said.
--
Timing counts
Many garage sale enthusiasts recommend arriving early to get first dibs. But early birds may find that it is more difficult to bargain with sellers before other buyers have had a chance to pay full price.
Mandegar, 23, says she prefers to arrive toward the end of a garage sale, when sellers are more willing to negotiate.
“I actually like to go later in the day because they’re trying to get rid of everything,” she said. “I bought out a whole garage sale once for $50.”
If a seller is unwilling to come down on price early in the day, you could come back when the sale ends to check whether the item is still there and make another offer.
--
Striking a deal
Haggling has always been common at garage sales, but buyers these days have even more of an advantage, says Eli Portnoy, a Los Angeles brand strategist and marketing expert. Now, with shoppers bargaining even at retail stores, “it’s OK to ask to pay a lot less,” he said.
“There are no set rules, particularly with garage sales,” he said.
“People are becoming less afraid to say, ‘I’ll offer you $2 for this $5 item.’ The stigma, the confrontation component -- it’s gone.”
But there are still some loose guidelines to follow if you don’t want to get kicked out of a garage sale for making an outrageously low offer.
Connie Porter of Pasadena, a longtime garage sale buyer and antique collectibles dealer, says the key is not to appear insulting to a seller, who probably believes that items are priced fairly.
“I try to stay within reason,” said Porter. “I don’t like it when people offer 50% or less. I tend to stay within 10% to 20% off and I have the money in my hand to back it up.”
Another tactic is grouping items and asking for a deal on the entire purchase.
“If I see something for 10 bucks, if it looks like they’re not coming down on it, I’ll look for something else and try to throw that in,” Mandegar said. “So if something else is 2 bucks, I’ll ask for both for 10.”
But just pay up if you think the price is right to begin with, Porter said.
“If I know it’s a deal, I just pay the money and don’t offer less,” she said. “They say it doesn’t hurt to ask, but sometimes it does.”
--