Garage sales are where $1 items become $100 sales. People just want stuff gone—your job is to recognize value they don't see.
Finding Sales
Craigslist: "Garage sale" section, filter by date
Facebook Marketplace: Search "garage sale" + your city
Yard Sale Treasure Map: App that aggregates listings
Nextdoor: Neighborhood sales posted here
Newspaper classifieds: Old school but still used
Driving around: Signs on corners, especially Saturday mornings
💡 Pro Tip: Plan your route the night before. Map out sales, prioritize by neighborhood (wealthy = better stuff) and keywords (estate, moving, downsizing).
Timing Strategy
Early bird: Arrive first for best selection (some sellers hate this)
Posted time: Respectful, still good selection
Late arrival: Less selection but better deals—people want stuff gone
End of day: "Make an offer on everything left" works
Best Days
Saturday: Most sales, most competition
Friday: Less crowded, multi-day sales freshest
Sunday: Leftover deals, motivated sellers
What to Look For
Electronics: Vintage audio, video games, cameras
Clothing: Check all labels fast—designer hides in piles
Always offer less: "Would you take $X?" is expected
Bundle deals: "I'll take all these for $20"
Cash talks: Flash the bills, people love seeing cash
Be friendly: Chat a bit—people give deals to nice buyers
Walk away: Sometimes they'll call you back with lower price
End of sale: "What'll you take for everything left?"
💡 Golden Rule: Don't lowball aggressively on obviously underpriced items. If something's already a steal at $5, don't offer $1. Build goodwill for future sales.
Efficient Route Building
Map it out: Use Google Maps to plot efficient loops
Wealthy neighborhoods first: Better items, start there
Multi-family/Neighborhood sales: Most efficient—many sales in one stop
Time per sale: 5-15 minutes usually enough
Trunk space: Know what fits, don't pass up deals for space
Quick Research
eBay app: Scan barcodes, check sold listings
Google Lens: Identify unknown items
Amazon app: Price check retail items
Know your niches: The less you need to research, the faster you move
Speed Tips
Scan tables with your eyes, don't examine everything
Check clothing racks by running hand across labels