Yard sales, garage sales, tag sales, whatever you call them, they are in full swing during the early summer and a lot of fun to shop. Through yard sales, you can pick up some great deals, and since you never know what you are going to find, yard sale shopping can be a real treasure hunt.
You do have to be careful when shopping at yard sales. There is buyer’s remorse, of course, when you pay too much for an item or get home and realize it isn’t what you wanted. There really is no return policy. If you aren’t sure about getting something, think about it for a few minutes while you walk around the sale. Hold it, if you are afraid it might be taken, but realize that touching something makes you more likely to purchase it.
There are other pitfalls to avoid when shopping at yard sales. One of them is buying poor quality items. They may be cheap but if they break, shrink or tear in a couple of weeks, they won’t be any good at all, and your money will have been wasted. You’ll spend more money replacing cheap items that you might buying something that is more expensive. If you can’t tell the quality of an item, ask the seller how long they have had it. It just might give you a clue.
Buying too much or more than you are going to use is another pitfall of yard sales. After all, the bargains are so good, and the people are so nice! It is hard to resist that great set of dishes, even though you already have a set, or the boxes of books it will take you a lifetime to read, the ice cream maker or other fun kitchen appliance, or my own weakness, more toys for my kids. Before you buy, picture the item in your home and how it will be used, taken care of, stored, etc. You may find that in reality there is no place for it, it won’t get used much, or it doesn’t really fit in with the style of your home.