The Whitman Family Yard Sale Tips!

Hey all! 

Its that time of year again! The time that I look forward to! (As you can tell here.) The only time of the year where I will roll my lazy butt out of bed at 6:30 morning to walk around some neighborhood to buy people's old stuff on their lawn/garage. 

Yard saleing is really a family affair for the Whitman family. My mom, brother, and I are the ones who usually go. Sometimes my aunt and cousin will come along too. I also know that my sister-in-laws are great yard salers too! We went this morning and my dad decided to come with us! He was just getting off work (he works third shift at the Reese's factory - no lie!), so that was fun too! 

Here are some helpful hints that my mom and I discussed as we were walking along this morning for the yard saleing newbies. 

1. Get up early - This may seem like a no brainer, but if you don't get up early, the professionals (the elderly, Mennonites ladies, and the Whitman family) will beat you out for the best things. So, set multiple alarms because if you snooze you lose. 

2. Carry quarters - Sort of broke this rule today (all I had was a twenty), but a lot of things at yard sales are between 25 and 50 cents. So, it is best to carry your change or at least have small bills. 

3. Look for community yard sales. My mom and I always keep our eyes out for the big developments that have community sales, because it is so nice to just park your car once and keep walking from one sale to the next instead of getting in and out of the car to look at yard sale that just has a crapton of baby clothes (NOTE: If you have a baby, are about to have a baby, or are even THINKING about having a baby, two things: 1.) I wish you the best. 2.) Go to yard sales!!) 

4. Dress accordingly. Wear comfy shoes, especially if you find a community sale. Also, if you want to carry a purse I would recommend one like this. It is just so much more convenient to have your hands free to bend down and look at stuff. Also, green bags are pretty nice to have as you starting buying some treasures. 

5.  Don't be afraid to barter. Seriously. If you like something and you think it is a little out of your price range, don't be afraid to ask if they will go lower. This is especially true, if it is later in the day, such as 11 or 12, as the yard sales are winding down. A lot of people are just going to be either dragging all their crap back in the house or to a Goodwill, so a lot of people are just glad to get rid of it, while getting some money for it. 

6. If you like something, pick it up! If you aren't a 100% certain on something keep it in your hands until you decide yes or no because someone else could easily buy it as you are looking around at something else. 

7. Don't be afraid to check out the free box! A lot of people may turn their noses up at a free box, but you never know what you may find in there - I got these shoes and this sweater in two different free boxes . Do I think those people were utterly insane? Absolutely! Is that going to stop me from taking it? Absolutely not!

8. Where to look: We look for signs that advertise community sales or in the newspaper too. Keep your eyes peeled on main streets; a lot of people put their signs there because they know it will be seen.   Also, if you are up for it, do some "free-styling." My brother and I will do this. Basically, it is just driving around town early Saturday morning looking for sales - sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't. 

9. You don't have to buy something at EVERY sale. Some people may feel weird just looking around and then leaving with nothing. Just be polite and say "have a nice day" and most people really won't mind. So don't feel obligated to buy that random pot holder, purse, or lawnmower just because you feel bad. 

Hope that this helps! If anyone has found some great yard sale finds recently, let me know; I would love to hear what you guys have been finding! I'll share some of my favorite yard sale finds some Saturday soon! 

xoxo, 

Laura