The Ultimate Garage Sale Handbook

I recently read a question that asked "if you had to give an hour long presentation on one topic with no preparation, what would you give it on?" I thought this was an interesting question and the first thought that popped into my mind was, hands down, I would talk about garage sale shopping. To be able to speak on a topic with no preparation requires you to be very knowledgeable on that topic. Some might say that it would require you to be an expert on that topic. 

I don't know the exact age that I started garage sale shopping, but I know that I have more than 35 years worth of experience shopping sales. Through the years, I've taken friends who had never bought anything used before under my wing and showed them how they could save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars by buying used items at garage sales. 

Every summer for decades, I have spent nearly every weekend going to garage sales. Garage sale season is starting and I want you to be prepared to get started saving money by shopping used. I've put together all my best tips and tricks so that you can get started saving money as soon as the garage sales in your area start. 

The Ultimate Garage Sale Handbook

I wrote a book you guys! Fine, it's an ebook, but I still poured hours and hours of time into this book to make it the most complete book you will ever read on garage sale shopping. 

Maybe you already knew my love of garage sale shopping but did you know that I have intentionally planned vacations around huge neighborhood garage sales that I didn't want to miss? 

My husband and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary on a cruise in the Mexican Riviera. I knew that I didn't want to miss this particular neighborhood garage sale, so we selected a cruise that departed on Sunday so that I could spend Saturday garage sale shopping. No joke! It worked out just fine and my $1 garage sale dress I bought the day before was perfect for dinner one evening.



I also kind of sort of planned the birth of our third child around garage sale season. I knew that if our child was born in late summer, then I would know the gender of the baby I was shopping for during garage sale season and could shop accordingly. Yep. I'm kind of a die hard garage sale shopper.

I think I love the hunt most of all, but the money savings are the reason I keep shopping time and time again. We were married young and had a family very quickly, so saving money was a necessity. I purchase everything from clothing for our family {if I had to put a number on it, I would say that our families wardrobe is 85% garage sale finds}, furniture for our home and gifts, toys and sports equipment for our kids.

I've seen just about everything at garage sales from a four-person airplane to cars and saunas. Nothing surprises me, which makes me think that there is something for every single person. If you are paying retail for all of your purchases, then you are paying far too much!

I want you to give you a glimpse inside at the chapters so you can see all the topics that are covered.

Chapter 1: Why Buy Used 
Chapter 2: What's in a Name 

Chapter 3: How to Get Started 
Chapter 4: How to Buy Used Clothing 

Chapter 5: Know the Value 
Chapter 6: The Art of Negotiating 

Chapter 7: Buying Used Gifts 
Chapter 8: Making Used Work 

Chapter 9: Garage Sale Lessons for Kids 
Chapter 10: Saving Money in the Off Season 

Chapter 11: How to Have your Own Garage Sale 


While all of the chapters are full of excellent information, chapter 6 is the gold standard for money saving. I was surprised when we hosted a garage sale at our home a few years ago at how few people tried to negotiate with me on prices. My negotiating tips alone will save you hundreds more dollars when you shop garage sales. 

Take a peek at the book

Our garage sale season is starting soon! I want to make sure you are prepared. Don't let another garage sale season pass you by. You are missing out on some amazing deals.

Buy The Ultimate Garage Sale Handbook


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2 comments

Hestia Athena said...

I am assuming this would work for flea markets as well? I'm not big on the garage sales around my area because they aren't that great, usually selling stuff I can't use, but I like finding stuff I can repurpose.

rachelteodoro said...

Yes! It would absolutely work with flea markets!

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