Yard sale shopping has become a competitive sport. You can't win if don't know where the game is being played. Here are 5 great ways to find yard sales in your area:
Newspaper Classifieds
- Call your local newspaper to find out how early the paper is available, and where. Mine hits the streets around midnight the night before.
- Check for an online version. You may be able to view the listings the night before they run, or even a couple of days in advance, depending on the paper.
Craigslist
The number of users posting exclusively to Craigslist, forgoing the newspaper classifieds, has increased dramatically in the past couple of years. You’ll miss a lot of sales if you overlook this valuable resource.
Garage Sale Signs
Don’t hesitate to make a detour if you see a yard sale sign with an arrow. If it’s in your targeted neighborhood and you don’t already have it on your list, there’s a good chance the sale proprietor didn’t bother to use the classifieds at all. The sale won’t have had as many shoppers, and you have a better shot at a great score.
Online Garage Sale Directories
Don’t rely solely on online directories. They aren’t used widely enough yet. But, you might find a few sales that didn’t get listed in the local paper.
- Garage Sale Nation
- Garage Sale Hunter
- Google for sites specific to your area.
Community Calendars
Most of the time, the volunteer publicists for church and neighborhood sales use traditional classified advertising -- but not always. I’ve found a number of big sale events publicized only via community calendars and word of mouth over the years. It can’t hurt to check.
