Hit 500 garage sales this year and I'm kind of over it

I kept a tally on my phone since January and somehow I've been to 500 garage sales this year. I didn't even realize until last weekend when I was sitting in my car at yet another driveway full of baby clothes. The thing is, I've only found maybe 3 decent deals the whole time. A Pyrex bowl for $2 and a vintage lamp for $5 were the highlights, but I spent way more in gas and time. I don't know if I'm just unlucky or if the good stuff is all gone before I get there. Has anyone else hit that point where you wonder if it's even worth the early mornings anymore?

3 comments

3 Comments

jordan_webb3h ago

Man, I feel this in my bones. I woke up at 6 AM last Saturday for a sale that advertised "antiques and collectibles" and it was just a box of half-used candles and a broken VCR. Maybe it's just me but I swear half the time people are just dumping their recycling bins on the lawn and calling it a sale. @the_linda you hit the nail on the head about resellers - I saw a guy in a minivan literally sprinting to a table before the homeowner even finished setting up, grabbed a whole stack of records, and peeled out. The Pyrex bowl I found was literally buried under a pile of dog toys, so maybe I just need to dig through more piles of dog toys.

the_linda6h ago

Wow, 500 is a lot. I used to defend garage sales to anyone who'd listen, said it was all about the hunt. But honestly, this kind of put it in perspective for me. I've probably been to maybe 80 this year and I'm already burning out on seeing the same plastic toys and old Tupperware, so I can't imagine doing six times that. It really does feel like the good stuff gets scooped up by resellers before 8 AM, and the rest is just stuff people are hoping someone else will take for free.

the_emery2h ago

The thing about that Pyrex bowl, $2 is actually a pretty solid find for the size and pattern. I've seen the plain clear ones go for way more at antique shops. Honestly though, I think you're being a bit hard on yourself with that 500 number. Unless you started on January 1st and went every single day with maybe a few skipped, that's like 10 sales a week every week of the year. That's a lot of driveway sifting even for the most dedicated person. Maybe the burnout is less about what you're finding and more about the sheer volume you're putting yourself through.