# Garage Sales



## discostud (Dec 1, 2008)

Has anyone ever picked up really useful tools / emergency items at garage sales before? I am curious what you found. The best thing I found was a crossbow for 5 dollars.


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## TechAdmin (Oct 1, 2008)

Absolutely. We try to go at least once a month. I've found countless things from building materials, radios, walkie talkies, rain collection barrels, etc.


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## solaceofwinter (Oct 29, 2008)

The handiest thing i found was a snowball maker. the people selling it didnt know what it was, for a dollar i couldnt pass it up.


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## Homestead Gal (Nov 25, 2008)

We have found some great old hand tools, lanterns, camping supplies and actually some antique books and glassware for pocket change. I have items that I'm working on now to sell on ebay that cost me almost nothing. That money will come in handy for items we do need.

As an aside...

You can make a nice bit of side money offering to clean out attics and garages. This service is called Property Preservation. Realtors, rental property managers and those managing estate sales hire you to assist in cleaning out and even disposing of items left (abandoned) on the property. We have performed this type of service several times and always came out way ahead just from the items we were PAID to throw away! I found some awesome vintage clothing, books and glassware to sell. My husband found a used tailgate for his pickup truck in a pile of weeds he was mowing down. The tailgate was in great shape and fit our old Ford perfectly.

All you need is a stack of business cards, pickup, trailer, know how to mow grass, weedeat and clean a house and you have everything you need to make money. You also get a great opportunity to recycle OPS (other people's stuff.)


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## kettleMan (Dec 4, 2008)

Haha, how is a snowball maker handy?

That is a great idea, Homestead Gal. I live close to a college town where people are moving in and out of houses, from place to place each semester! I will have to look more into that. The oppurtunities would be great here.

And back to the subject of this thread---Yes, I have found some amazing stuff at garage sales. I try to hit up as many as I can on the weekends. With everything being so cheap though, it has a tendency to make you wanna buy it all----since it's all a bargain! I have to make sure to not buy anything that I really won't use.


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## crosscanadian (Nov 25, 2008)

I love garage saling when I can! You find such good deals. The saying is true, "One person's trash is another person's treasure." Plus you can almost always talk people down to an even lower price than they originally wanted.


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

We buy baby stuff all the time at garage sales. Clothes, toys, you name it. A good cleaning and it's ready to go. Especially the clothes-as fast as little ones grow I can't see buying everything off the shelf and then him not fit into it in a month. We buy at garage sales and then either pass the items off to friends or donate them to either a Goodwill store or Salvation Army store-both of which, BTW, we also shop at regularly.


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## Canadian (Dec 14, 2008)

I've never found anything good at a garage sale. Then again I live in a big city where people don't need useful items in order to make their living. So most of the sales are full of used up useless junk.


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## SurvivalNut (Nov 13, 2008)

I generally Garage Shop just outside of town in the older homes. If i see a lot of baby stuff and toys I drive by. I am sure I miss some deals. But what i like are the old clean outs or last day of an estate sale where the Garage stuff goes cheap.

I only spend my small change. If it is vintage tool or item that will work post technology, then I am all over it.

I have also bought some dirt cheap rusted yard tools-hoes, shovels, hammers, picks, awls, saws and hardware and stashed them out of the way on family property throughout the county. Makes for a cleaner bug out and prep if I end up there.


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

SurvivalNut said:


> I generally Garage Shop just outside of town in the older homes. If i see a lot of baby stuff and toys I drive by. I am sure I miss some deals. But what i like are the old clean outs or last day of an estate sale where the Garage stuff goes cheap.
> 
> I only spend my small change. If it is vintage tool or item that will work post technology, then I am all over it.
> 
> I have also bought some dirt cheap rusted yard tools-hoes, shovels, hammers, picks, awls, saws and hardware and stashed them out of the way on family property throughout the county. Makes for a cleaner bug out and prep if I end up there.


ditto on all that

Craig's List often has good 'scrap' items in the FREE section, I've picked up a couple woodburning stoves and lots of other 'junk' that I was able to fix & either use or resell


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## Jason (Jul 25, 2009)

Canadian said:


> I've never found anything good at a garage sale. Then again I live in a big city where people don't need useful items in order to make their living. So most of the sales are full of used up useless junk.


Try looking in a local ad trader type magazine (we have lots around here so I'd assume they are popular elsewhere too). These are the weeklies where you call in and place your ad for free and the magazine is like a buck at pretty much any gas station or mini mart. Most times they will have a small list of the type items they are selling. We use a GPS to find them thru the address in the ad. The key is to get there early.

We like to go to the ones in more upscale areas-the rich folk buy all this stuff brand new, use it a couple times and then sell it when they get sick oflooking at it or they need shelf space for their latest fad of the month.


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## Expeditioner (Jan 6, 2009)

Garage sales are hit and miss. I have picked up two very nice chain saws for pennies on the dollar. I have found some great tools and bug out gear at going out of business/liquidation sales and USPS unclaimed package auctions.


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## xj35s (Oct 29, 2008)

*community sales*

I have been visiting local town garage sales. Mostly kids crap and knick knacks. I think I posted here the ontario knife I found for a dollar. in fantastic shape. I also found a seven channel Futaba radio. Now I can actually do airiel surveilence and be able to start and stop the recording function. I could not with my four channel tower 3000. I paid $25, worth close to $300 new.

The town of Tyer,NY is on 8/29 and 8/30. Should be ood for guns and ammo. Lot's of ******** in that area. LOL.


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