Yard Sale Season Is Here!

Last year I went to a lot of yard sales. New Bedford has a lot of creative, interesting people. What may be junk to them could be gold to you. If you arrive early enough, you’re sure to find something that piques your interest. I will sometimes wait until the end of the weekend and go for things that were priced too high. Often enough the price can be talked down if the seller doesn’t plan on having another yard sale. It’s always fun trying to haggle for that one item you really want. I think people on both sides enjoy the back and forth wheeling and dealing.

I have noticed a lot of interest in repurposing older items. If you browse through Pinterest, you’ll see hundreds of posts with creative, practical and beautiful ideas. One could pick up a few old books and repurpose them as shelves in their den, or grab an old belt or two for holding curtains back. Maybe take an old wooden box and turn it into a shadow box or shelf for pictures. Then there are much bigger things too. A couch or bed made with a base of cleaned up and painted pallets. Pallets can also make great shelving. A dresser or chest that is missing drawers can be cleaned up and turned into shelves. An old chest can also make an awesome media stand, wine rack or unique cubby shelf for the kids. If you find a large empty vintage picture frame, turn it into a chalk board or breakfast tray. These are just some more common ideas I have seen lately. By spending just a few dollars you can make something awesome for your home!

For those of you looking to make some extra cash, yard sales are a fun, easy way to do just that. Clothing from yard sales created a nice income for my husband and I one summer. We were able to pay our rent for the whole summer by just buying vintage clothing and reselling them on eBay. One really great buy in particular was an old Barracuda Jacket. It cost us a little under $10. The jacket ended up selling for almost $100. But it doesn’t end there. One can make a killing buying and selling vintage t-shirts, jeans, hats, etc. That is just my advice with clothing purchases. I am sure you can figure out what else to look for. Research some top vintage buys on eBay and then scope out yard sales for those items. Watch a few episodes of American Pickers or Pawn Stars. They’ll steer you in the right direction. Who doesn’t enjoy a little History Channel now and then anyway?

So the next time you find yourself driving past a yard sale, stop and take a look. You could find some awesome and very inexpensive items to repurpose for your home. Let your creative side out! Also, you can find a lot of very interesting things that you may not have known about had you not stopped to look.