I have never been able to figure out what the fascination is with yard sales and buying other people's old stuff. My neighbor asked me to help them set up their yard sale earlier this morning. When looking at some of the stuff she is putting out, I'm amazed at how many people drive by and actually look at the stuff and buy it.
I'm amazed that when our neighbors have yard sales (called garage sales here), the people stopping seem to think basic rules of parking are cancelled. They park on the wrong side of the street (one-side only parking here), they park facing the wrong way, they park blocking other peoples' driveways...
90% of everything you find at yard sales is stuff no one is likely to buy - but if you only put the good stuff out no one stops because it's too small. But you CAN find good stuff you wouldn't be able to afford otherwise, you just have to pick through a lot of crap to find it sometimes. Depends on how low your income is. I know people who wouldn't dream of wearing anything you could buy at Wal Mart. The broker you are, the less picky you can afford to be.
i like yard sales. every once in a while i'll find something i could make a cool lamp out of or a really ugly picture in a totally usable frame.
I got a 90 year-old jade pillbox made in Italy at the church yard sale. They wanted $2, but I insisted on paying $5. I like yard sales.
I don't mind'em. Every once in a while there is a nugget of gold in the mountains of trash. My church holds an annual garage sale where members donate goods, and the Youth group gets any profit. We went late on the last day (just couldn't get there any earlier) and everything was 50% off the marked price. Got a backyard badminton/volleyball net, plus a couple rackets, a bean bag chair for my Youngest, a small screwdriver set, some led Xmas lights, and a decorative wicker tray, all for $7. I could've gotten nearly every early Tom Clancy novel, in hardback, at 50 cents each, but decided there was no need, as I'd already read them all.
