It's time for the second annual Great Grandview Yard Sale! Yard sales are an amazing way to get some of the lowest prices you can find on, well, pretty much anything. This year there are over 200 participating homes in the Great Grandview Yard Sale, a community sale that stretches from Clark to Nanaimo. Each home is independent and the sales run from 10am-2pm, rain or shine.
If you're a newcomer to the yard sale world, here are a few tips:
Go early or late.
This depends on what you're in for. Want the best stuff? Go right at the beginning of the sale before everything is picked over. Want the absolute best prices? Go right at the end when the owners are starting to imagine themselves having to repack up all their stuff. That's when you can get things for free!
Haggle wisely.
Haggling is a big part of the yard sale experience, but don't be a jerk about it. Bundles are usually successful: if someone is charging $5 for a shirt, try to get two for $7. Be reasonable with your first offer. Don't try to pay fifty cents for something that's worth a lot of money.
Be nice.
People hosting yard sales don't want to spend the whole day in hostile negotiations. They want to hang out in their yards and chat with friendly neighbours. Be a friendly neighbour. A) you'll have more fun and B) you'll be more likely to get a good deal.
Shop around.
When there's an event like the Great Grandview Yard Sale, you know there are going to be a lot of doubles on certain items. Kitchen wares, basic tools, and kids' toys abound at yard sales. Since the sales are so close together, if you are in the market for something in particular, wander around a bit and see what everyone's charging before you buy.
Check out the Great Grandview Yard Sale website for maps and other info.
