I don't see as many yard sales these days in my area. I have got a few good buys over the years. What have you bought and feel you got a real bargin. Have you ever bought something brand new?

this area has been doing block sales-- the way it goes is that one person decides to have a sale..sends fliers around the block to join in--then posts on craigs list, put up some visible simple signs....
and the results are pretty good. If one block can generate 4-5+ houses to sell then it will certainly draw many more people
(esp. with the cost of gas)
I was involved in a block sale a few weekends ago and the turnout was nice!! I didnt shop tho-- too busy and didnt want to spend any money I made!!

It's still not warm enough in MA to have yard sales. Usually they are going on in the summer, however I have noticed there aren't as many anymore myself, I know in the town I live in you can't put signs up and you have to get a permit now to have a yard sale (another way for the city to get money from you). I sell stuff on Craiglist all the time as well as buy things from it. The best "steal" I got at a yard sale was an antique water pitcher, they had a 1.00 sticker on it and I knew it was a rare antique (my aunt and uncle were antique dealers I used to help them at their shows) I swiped up the pitcher and still have it I was about 14 years old when I got the pitcher 20 yrs ago and back then it was worth 500.00 I have no idea how much it would be worth today!

I used to live in the City right across from Tufts university and my brother in law used to have yard sales at our house every fall when the students were coming back to school, he used to get 90% of the furniture he sold in the trash in the springtime when the students were moving out, he would store all the furniture in my basement then sell it back to students in the fall. The funniest thing was he got the same dresser 3 years in a row in the trash and sold it back 3 years in a row (there was a name written on the bottom of it that's how he knew it was the same dresser) the next funniest story was he found a desk but someone had cut the legs down on it so it was really short so he took one of the chairs he found and cut the legs down so it would fit w/the desk then made up some story about why it was short.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: beantown2008,

Yard sales have only been going for about the last month here - gotta wait til the snow goes, ya know! We've gone to several each Saturday so have gotten a few bargains this year. DH got a set of router blades in a wooden box, some had never been used, for $10. I don't bargain much anymore, just pay what they ask if it's something I want and the price is more or less right. He also bought a boat last year for $40, fixed it up, and plans to sell it for at least $150.

Over the years I've found lots of new stuff, still in the package. Have been amazed at what people buy (or perhaps gifted) then don't use and sell for pennies.

Used to sell "pre-owned treasures" so can't remember everything I've bought and sold. I used to love buying something for $2 or so and selling it for $15 after cleaning it. Often people just want to get rid of things at YS's so price really low. You have to be careful what to buy for resale tho.

Probably the best bargain I bot was a hand blown art glass rooster for $5 which is more than $100 retail. Have bought lots of things for 25¢ which I knew retailed for at least $10 and things that I paid $2 for which were $60.

I think many people don't realize that many items in yard sales are just like new when washed. I have no reservations about using "pre-owned" items from YS's that can be cleaned. Unfortunately around here antiques are few and far between. I did get a nice tea cart for $40.

I was really pleased with the free drapery and upholstery fabric samples I got last year - some are quite large pieces and great for crafts and sewing projects. All have successfully gone thru the washer which also means when I make cushion covers or whatever out of them they won't shrink more.

My best bargains are the things I collect that I like such as oil paintings from $1-$20. Also silver holloware for which I have never paid more than $5. each even for large trays and really nice pieces. Also have found quite a few pieces of quality handcrafted pottery very inexpensively. Just bot one on the weekend for $2 which retails for $20 and I know this because it was probably something I sold new in my store.

Of course something is only a bargain if you like it or can use it.