Thought Provoking Thursday

In the wise words of Lightening McQueen... "Ka-Chow!"

My son and I decided to browse a local neighborhood subdivision wide yard sale! There were about twenty houses that were participating, and the neighborhood association even put together a map for bargaineers to easily find their way through the maze of unfamiliar streets!

I don't consider myself a die-hard yard saler, but maybe I should... especially in this economy! I was pleasantly surprised by the volume of quality merchandise available for purchase!

The above set of characters from the movie Cars, new, would cost me far more than the meager $1 (TOTAL!!!) that I paid! My son has been eying these characters individually while we are in the check out lane at Meijer for $5 EACH!

With the thrill of sweet deals jazzing through my veins, I thought I'd share a few tips for easier yard sale shopping!

1. Wear comfy clothes and shoes!

2. Bring small bills and lots of quarters, this helps to get you in and out much more quickly!

3. Pack a beverage and a snack- especially if you are bringing kids with you! Otherwise, your valuable funds may find their way into the drive through lane at McDonalds! (Don't worry, I was prepared!)

4. Never freak out about how wonderful an item is... you MUST play it 'cool' at all times! Even if you are in LOVE with a particular item, a cool-headed, nonchalant approach may score you a better deal! Imagine that the particular item had not yet been priced, your hyper-ventilating response just upped the price!

5. Its OK to barter RESPECTFULLY! Now I'm not talking about offering half of what the sticker price is, or inviting you to point out every single flaw in the yard sale merchandise- it IS used and unwanted by its current owner! Bartering respectfully means asking for a little discount for purchasing several items, especially similar items. Or, if purchasing a handful of items, the total comes to $5.50, I may ask if the yard sale host is willing to accept $5 instead!

6. If you see an item that you may be interested in bringing home with you PICK IT UP IMMEDIATELY! Another shopper may swoop in and take the items that you've been hawking from across the mismatched china table! You can always put an item down, but you can't get into a fist fight on the yard sale lawn...wink!

7. If you've peeked around and nothing strikes your fancy, its OK to offer a kind word or two and just leave without buying anything! If the owner of the items no longer wants the stuff they are selling, don't feel bad for not wanting it either! My personal go-to line for declining to purchase is "Thanks for letting me look!"

So get on out there! You never know what treasures are waiting for you to bring them home!

Are YOU an avid yard saler? If so, what have been some of your best purchases?