# Garage sales! Yay! What do YOU buy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 31, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817 "2003-05-31T19:37:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Miss\_Magic8ball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Miss\_Magic8ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Magic8ball)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/1 "2003-05-31T19:37:53Z")
I went garage saling to day. I like garage saling. I spent 40$ and I got Gardia 3, Might and Magic platinum edition, about 20 books, and some nighties. For 40$. What have YOU bought at garage sales recently? Any Horror stories?Best buys? I’m all ears. ---
**Author:** ![Antiquarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Antiquarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antiquarian)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/2 "2003-05-31T19:47:09Z")
Well I’m an avid book collector and my fiance and I love yard saling. But that’s not really news now is it. When I was visiting my best friends father - he’s coming to our wedding and I havn’t seen him in ages so I needed to go have chat with him - in Long Island, he was showing us a newspaper article of a guy who liked bottles. He bought pre-18th century bottles all the time, elixer bottles, cancer treatments etc…etc… well one caught his eye about two weeks ago at a yard sale. It was a brown, miss shapen bottle that was out on a guys lawn for 25 cents. He bought it, went home and looked one of his antiquing magazines, and sold it later that week for $40,000 USD. OH MY GOD!!! As an archaeologist myself, I probably would have looked over that bottle. It pays to be a yard-saler…It was a bottle off a 17th century merchant ship, that had hit a reef close to Montauk LI. Who would have known… BTW, the guy who sold the bottle for 40K gave the seller 5K for good measure, they only lived 4 miles apart… BTW, the ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Magic8ball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Miss\_Magic8ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Magic8ball)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/3 "2003-05-31T20:38:07Z")
I doubt that anyone in Yellowknife would have anything antiquish… Although I see aLOT of 70’s clothes at the sales held by the old people. … did people actually _wear_ taht stuff? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/4 "2003-05-31T20:48:12Z")
I’m always on the prowl for Craftsman hand tools at garage sales. Also, old telephones, specifically pre-1960’s Western Electric or Automatic Electric phones with dials. (Back when they were Henry Ford black) ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/5 "2003-05-31T20:57:42Z")
I bought some nice rolling office chairs (originallly from an Exxon office, the guy said, and he bought 'em for his office when they were getting new furniture after the merger with Mobil) for $25 each yesterday at a garage sale. ---
**Author:** ![cichlidiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cichlidiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cichlidiot)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/6 "2003-05-31T21:06:44Z")
I usually stop if I see a table full of books. It’s hard to pass up a hardback book for only a quarter, so my last stop I ended up with some leather books written in German. I can’t read them, but it was still a _great deal_! 😛 I think the best bargain struck was for a steamer trunk in really good condition. Paid under $20 for it, and had an offer of $200 while driving it home. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/7 "2003-05-31T21:24:05Z")
My xfiance was on Oprah this week where she bought a photo for 25 cents & got $50,000 back when she sold it. But she didn’t say that happened like 6 years ago. Funny thing is, she was the only person on the program to KEEP the money, the rest of them gave it away in some sort of charity. Right now the economy is down too much locally so we dont have many garage sales anymore. ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/8 "2003-05-31T22:19:09Z")
The last yard sale I went to, I bought an avocado-green briefcase, **Fantasia** on vinyl, and a very cool green wool skirt from East Germany. And I just got a pair of rollerskates at the Salvation Army, which is like a yard sale every day! ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Magic8ball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Miss\_Magic8ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Magic8ball)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2003, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/9 "2003-05-31T23:14:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*My xfiance was on Oprah this week where she bought a photo for 25 cents & got $50,000 back when she sold it. But she didn’t say that happened like 6 years ago. Funny thing is, she was the only person on the program to KEEP the money, the rest of them gave it away in some sort of charity. > > . \*\* She was on _Oprah_? How cool! ---
**Author:** ![Trigonal\_Planar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/0ea827/32.png) [@Trigonal\_Planar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trigonal_Planar)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/10 "2003-06-01T02:45:05Z")
I like old electronic junk and the obligatory selections of bizzare 70s records 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Magic8ball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Miss\_Magic8ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Magic8ball)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/11 "2003-06-01T02:50:43Z")
Well, today I bought about 15 books for 2 dollars. Thats the main thing I look for. I read. Alot. In fact, In the past year I’ve spent almost a thousand dollars on books alone. Thats why I love garage sales… its easy on my wallet. And plus, I prefer my books used. They’re more broken in. I know its a good book if the spine is creased and the pages are dog eared… shows its been read alot. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/12 "2003-06-01T02:57:11Z")
I look for Breyer model horses. Some of the older blue or gold ones (also blue with white dappling and gold with white dappling) are worth 1200-1500 dollars if they’re in good shape. Haven’t found any myself yet, but other model horse collectors have at garage sales and flea markets. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/13 "2003-06-01T04:42:33Z")
I usually end up with housewares of one kind or another. In the past couple of weeks I’ve bought two big planters for the back porch for 1 each (they now have various culinary herbs growing in them), a terra cotta strawberry pot (I'm still trying to decide what to plant in that one), a pastry blender for .25, and 2 yogurt strainers for $.25. It was quite a haul for under $5. But the best purchase was from a different sale: a full-size Weber grill, in almost new condition, for $10! Barbecue at **Eva Luna’s!** ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/14 "2003-06-01T06:42:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miss Magic8ball \* > \*\*I doubt that anyone in Yellowknife would have anything antiquish… > > Although I see aLOT of 70’s clothes at the sales held by the old people. … did people actually _wear_ taht stuff? \*\* The following is incredulous and curious, NOT meant to be snide to **magic**. ?? RrrrUUUH? Are you sure you were looking at 70s fashions? Because people (well teenagers) are wearing “that stuff” today, as we speak. All those clunky shoes and weird patterned polyester shirts? The “peasant blouses”? The jeans skirts that started out as pants, but someone pieced them together with bandana material?, the bell bottoms? (only in the 70s we wouldn’t have been caught DEAD with “highwaters” like the ones that are popular in today’s fashion"). I see kids wearing “that stuff” all the time today!!! What kind of “that stuff” did you see that you were wondering if we really wore it? (I was a teen back then, maybe I can assauge your wonderings). ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/15 "2003-06-01T06:45:09Z")
I usually find lots of books. Also high heels, REAL high heels with the slender heel, not the wide 60s looking clunky heel. Unless you special order online, that’s about the only place you can buy “real” high heels these days. Household stuff, and craft stuff. And dog toys (well, really old stuffed animals, but I’d rather buy some kid’s worn out stuffed toy than let my dog gut some new toy, she can “kill” a toy in no time). ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/16 "2003-06-01T07:58:17Z")
> [@](#): > > Antiquarian wrote: > **BTW, the guy who sold the bottle for 40K gave the seller 5K for good measure, they only lived 4 miles apart…** That was a nice thing to do, it’s good to hear that there are decent people left. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/17 "2003-06-01T15:18:11Z")
I don’t buy books, I already have a book. But I might get some electronics. I work for three thrift stores so I get plenty of stuff to look through every day. The things people donate. Sigh. Used underpants are not a hot item. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2003, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/18 "2003-06-01T15:29:09Z")
We found two four-drawer legal-sized steel file cabinets for $20 each at an estate sale a couple of years ago. The guy had been a photographer, stored all his stuff in them. Perfect condition. I love a bargain. 😃 I also found a beautiful silver dish at a garage sale that I gave to a coworker as a wedding present – three times as nice as if it had been new – it turned out to be her favorite gift, so it was a win/win situation. ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/19 "2003-06-02T01:27:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CanvasShoes \* > > ?? RrrrUUUH? Are you sure you were looking at 70s fashions? Because people (well teenagers) are wearing “that stuff” today, as we speak. > > \*\* I’m not a teenager (granted, not by much, but still), and I love finding weird 70s stuff at yard sales. Bell-bottoms, Greg Brady shirts… even non-clothing curios. So maybe I should go to Yellowknife and hit the sales. ---
**Author:** ![MarlaDurden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@MarlaDurden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarlaDurden)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2003, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817/20 "2003-06-02T01:41:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miss Magic8ball \* > **I went garage saling to day. I like garage saling. I spent 40$ and I got Gardia 3, Might and Magic platinum edition, about 20 books, and some nighties. For 40$.** Don’t get me wrong, I **LOVE** garage sales, but the fact that you bought someone’s pajamas scares me a little. Do you know who could have been having wild and crazy sex in those pajamas. But if you want to sleep in some stranger’s jiz, power to you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/garage-sales-yay-what-do-you-buy/178817.md?page=2)