Make Extra Money Buying People’s Junk at Garage Sales

Welcome to PrairieGrit! If you are one of the many people who are passionate about finding antiques and collectibles, and want the accessibility of your search to be at your very fingertips, our online service is for you! This article will serve as a resource for you to learn how to make extra money buying people’s junk at garage sales and selling it online.

Another easy way to stumble upon collectibles is to go to local garage/yard sales! Who knows what kind of rare stuff you can find that most people would pass over as junk?

Here are some easy-to-use resources that will help you find any local yard sales:

1. Facebook Marketplace: Go to Facebook and type in “Facebook Marketplace. You will see the following logo >>> Click on this icon and it will take you to the Facebook Marketplace page. Go to the left-hand side and find the ‘Location’ entry box. Type in whatever city you live in, and then go to the search bar and type in “garage sale”. This will lead you not only to sales in your city, but to surrounding areas as well!
2. Craigslist: Make sure your search is specified for the area you want to go yard saling, and then once again type in “garage sale” or “yard sale” into the search bar.
3. Local Newspaper: You can find garage sales in the classifieds section of your local newspaper or on their online site.

The key to utilizing the sales in your neighborhood to the highest capacity is to map them all out before hand. We suggest grabbing a notepad and writing down each individual yard sale and the time they start and end. For example:

You might not have to be as specific as we were, but don’t be afraid to research who is putting on the yard sale beforehand! It’s good to know what you’re getting into, as it will help you know what to look for, and perhaps key you in to which sales you should prioritize over others. Most people don’t mind if you come to a yard sale a little early, especially if it’s someone you know well. Take the time to prepare your schedule so that you can be the first at every yard sale you plan to hit!

Alright, now you have your yard sales in order, and you’re ready to start perusing the neighborhood! Let’s take a look at some good things to be aware of while on your mission to find as many awesome collectibles as you can:

1. It’s always smart to have your smartphone at hand (see what I did there). In this day and age there’s no better way to quickly research an item and see how much it’s worth. Use apps like PrairieGrit, eBay, Amazon, RubyLane, and Etsy, to see what that particular item might be going for.
2. Make sure to negotiate prices. Most people putting on yard sales really just want to get rid of all the stuff they’ve been hoarding over the years, so they likely won’t be offended if you give a lower offer than the price that is listed. You always want to buy an item for less than it is worth, so as to turn a profit when you sell it.
3. Be friendly! Yard sales can be a lot of fun. Use this as an opportunity to connect to your community and in the process you might be tipped off to finding another cool spot to pick!

At this point you should have a good haul of goods. Once you get home, clean the items up really good, image them and list on an online marketplace like PrairieGrit.com and watch the money flow.

Owner of PrairieGrit on a treasure hunt!