Garage sale
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A garage sale, also called a yard sale or tag sale, is an informal, irregularly scheduled marketplace of new or used household goods, typically sold by one or at most a few families. In some communities there are designated days every year in which "block sales" are allowed, so that people don't have to get the required permits or collect sales tax.
Typically the goods in a garage sale are unwanted items from the household conducting the sale. The goods are sometimes new, like-new, or just usable, offered for sale because the owner does not want or need the item, to minimize their possessions, or to raise funds. Popular motivations for a garage sale are "Spring cleaning" or the owner's move to a new residence. The seller displays their wares to the passers-by or those responding to signs or newspaper ads. The sales venue is usually a garage, driveway, front yard, or porch. Some vendors, known as 'squatters', will set up in a highly trafficked area not on their own property.
Staples of garage sales include old clothing, books, toys, household knickknacks, and board games. Larger items like furniture and occasionally appliances are also sold. Garage sales occur most frequently in suburban areas on good-weather weekends, and usually have designated hours for the sale. Sometimes, buyers arrive before the hours of the sale to review the items. These buyers are known as "Early Birds", and are often professional restorers or resellers. Such sales also attract people who are searching for bargains or for rare and unusual items. Bargaining on prices is routine, and items may or may not have price labels affixed. Some people buy goods from these sales to restore them for resale.
Some cities, such as Beverly Hills, California, require that the homeowners apply and pay for a yard sale permit, and even with that homeowners in Beverly Hills can only hold yard sales in the back of their homes.
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[edit] External links
Yard Sale Addict
An on-line journal by artist Tom Zarrilli. This site contains photographs and descriptions of clutter he encounters at yard sales in Atlanta.
Weekend Treasure
Free website allowing users to post and find garage sales. Overlays garage sale locations on top of a map.
Yard Sale Queen
Offers general yard sale resources and advice for buyers and sellers.
