10 Things You Should Buy at Garage Yard Sales ...

1. Home Office Products

When downsizing of businesses occurs, you'll often find they get rid of basic home office supplies such as scissors, scotch tape dispensers, letter openers, staplers, staple removers and much more. Partially used boxes of thumb tacks, pins, elastic bands, pencils as well as things like corkboards will sell cheaply at garage sales so it is worth keeping an eye out for these items if you're going to need them.

2. Kitchen Items

You'll often find that people at yard sales sell off unused items that take up space in their cupboards at home, for a fraction of their retail price. You can find anything from baking dishes, cutlery sets and crockery to specialty items like smoothie makers, ice cream makers and other small appliances. You can often find great kitchen gifts in these types of sales.

3. Sewing Supplies

Regardless of whether you sew often as a hobby, or whether you only sew items that need repairing, there are a few basic items that every household should have. Basic things like sewing scissors, needles, spare zips, spare buttons, and thread are all items that will come in handy. Most people don't realize just how expensive it is to buy these items brand new in craft stores etc, so if you come across these elements of sewing kits at any garage sales, it is well worth buying them.

4. Children's Formal Clothes

You'll often find excellent deals on formal wear for children at yard sales. These sales are a good place to find dresses for special occasions. As formal clothes for children only tend to be worn on a few occasions, you will often find them being sold in good condition at yard sale events for a low price.

5. Large Furniture Items

A lot of people tend to avoid looking at large furniture pieces because they won't have a way of getting the item home. If the furniture is still unsold near the end of garage sales, prices will often get reduced so that the owner doesn't have to haul the item back in again. If you do not have a way to transport the piece of furniture home, it is still worth inquiring about the item that you like as you may find that the owner is willing to deliver the item to your home.

6. Jewelry

Jewelry that is missing stones or tarnished can often sell cheaply in a yard sale. Some people would look at an old jewelry item and think 'Oh a stone is missing, I won't buy that,' or 'That looks old and dirty, not paying for that,' but it is relatively easy to remedy these problems. New jewels can be glued into jewelry items and silver is really easy to polish back to a good condition. Plus, don’t forget, the price of gold is at an all time high so something you pick up for a measly few dollars could be sold for a lot more as scrap.

7. Exercise Equipment

A lot of people buy new fitness equipment and don't use it very much, or lose interest in the item fast. Exercise equipment is expensive to buy new, so it's worth taking a look at what exercise items are available at your local garage sales while you are there. To find the best bargain, do research before you go so that you ask the right questions before you buy the item and determine whether it's in good condition.

8. Photo Frames

Photo frames are a great gift item to look for when you are visiting yard sales. Putting a special photo into a photo frame can make a nice gift for someone special e.g. friend, partner, and it can be done at a relatively low cost. Photo frames can also be used for things like certificates (although they tend to be made in slightly different sizes to conventional photo frames). Photo frames are an excellent thing to buy at a yard sale - it is always possible to find a use for a decent quality photo frame!

9. Craft Supplies

Craft supplies are often available at garage sales for a low price. There are many reasons why people may want to get rid of supplies - maybe they got bored with the activity or simply bought too much - whatever the reason, craft supplies are an excellent thing to pick up at a yard sale. You can often find things like yarn, different types of paper, paintbrushes, art pencils and even things like tape, cloth and other things than can be crafted into something useful.

10. Greetings Cards and Gift Wrap

Yard sales are a good place to find unused gift wrap and greetings cards. You may even find that people are selling handmade, unique greetings cards for a variety of occasions at your local yard sale, and those are more interesting and fun than generic cards. Wrapping paper and gift cards are things that are always handy to keep in the house, as you can use them for everything from birthdays and anniversaries to congratulating co-workers.

You will be surprised at how many bargains and great items that you need can actually be found at garage sales. I hope you found this list of 10 things you should buy at garage sales useful! Don't forget to let us know what bargains you have come across recently at your local sales. Also, what's are your favorite items to look for in garage sales and yard sales?