Best bets for May 24-25

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May 23, 2013

Well, here we are. Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial kickoff to yard sale season. And it looks like it’s going to be a good one.

Our flirtation with summer last week is supposed to give way to cooler, more seasonal temperatures. Good thing! We don’t mind the heat and humidity in July (actually, yes we do), but in May?

Check out this weekend’s weather report here.

Here’s our best bets for your yard-saling adventures:

A giant yard/warehouse  sale is 7 a.m. to  4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 3108 W. Market St. in the city. This one touts household and office furniture.

On the East End, in Penn Oaks is a seven-family yard sale 9-5 Friday and Saturday in the Harrowgate Drive and Edgewood Road area.  Their ad lists lots of goods, including Star Trek stuff, a shower chair and a dehumidifier.

In Manchester Township, a huge community yard sale is on Raintree Road between Lewisberry and Mill Creek roads. It’s rain or shine starting at 8 Friday and Saturday.

In the Ridings development (Roosevelt Avenue to Greenbriar Road to Futurity) is a community yard sale 8-2 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Six families are teaming up for a sale at 268 Muddy Creek Forks Road in Brogue today through Saturday, starting at 8 each morning.

In the Brodbecks/Glenville area is an indoor yard sale at 5106 Tannery Road off Route 516 south Friday and Saturday from 8-2 p.m.

The York Dispatch classifieds are chock full of more yard sales this holiday weekend. Check them out here.

 

 

 

 

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Now we have someplace to put our hermit crabs

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May 20, 2013

Sure, it wasn’t exactly sunny and warm, but our yard sale trip went well on Saturday. As usual, we bought plenty of clothes — we just don’t think they’re very photogenic without people in them. So here’s what we got besides our big pile of shirts and shorts.

The purse here will go to the junior Yard Sale Secrets team member. And now we don't have to pay for a hermit crab cage the next time we go to Ocean City.

The purse here will go to the junior Yard Sale Secrets team member. And now we don’t have to pay for a hermit crab cage the next time we go to Ocean City.

The toy collector aboard the Yard Sale Secrets team was tickled pink with these finds. Aside from the Sesame Street characters, we found a classic G.I. Joe boat, a vehicle from the Wheeled Warriors line, two Corps! figures and a 1983 Star Wars figure. The purchase price for this lot was a whopping $2. The boat and the Star Wars figure could each sell for triple that on eBay.

The toy collector aboard the Yard Sale Secrets team was tickled pink with these finds. Aside from the Sesame Street characters, we found a classic G.I. Joe boat, a vehicle from the Wheeled Warriors line, two Corps! figures and a 1983 Star Wars figure. The purchase price for this lot was a whopping $2. The boat and the Star Wars figure could each sell for triple that on eBay.

As usual, we found a load of good CDs and other media to pick up. In the top left, we have Winnie the Pooh and Strawberry Shortcake record sets. Then we've picked up a pile of "Now" CDs. The best picks were a Pink album and an oldie but a goodie in the form of "Nervous Night" by the Hooters. In all, the objects in this picture cost us $8.

As usual, we found a load of good CDs and other media to pick up. In the top left, we have Winnie the Pooh and Strawberry Shortcake record sets. Then we’ve picked up a pile of “Now” CDs. The best finds were a Pink album and an oldie but a goodie in the form of “Nervous Night” by the Hooters. In all, the objects in this picture cost us $8.

We picked this print, depicting a canal scene, for $14.75.

We picked this print, depicting a canal scene, for $14.75.

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Best Bets for May 17-18

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May 16, 2013

The Yard & Garage Sale page is nearly full of advertisements in Thursday’s York Dispatch, and that means plenty of good deals are in store for Yorkers this weekend.

COMMUNITY SALES

We have our eyes on several community sales this weekend, including:

  • York’s Aslan Heights development off of Greenbriar and Church roads. Always a good event, even if it is 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday only.
  • Looks like there will be plenty of activity on Emerald, Opal, Onyx, Topaz and Gabriel streets in the Northwest. The sales off of Taxville Road are Friday and Saturday 8 a.m.  to 3 p.m.
  • Dallastown Area High School is hosting its own community yard sale on Saturday. It runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and benefits the district’s education foundation.
  • Ashcombe Farms near Fox Run Road in Dover has its community sale Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

HIGHLIGHTS

Some individual sales caught our eye too:

  • Want a jacuzzi? Visit 208 Oak Road in Dallastown 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
  • Or maybe a corner tub? Visit the sale at 240-260 Quickel Road in Dover Friday or Saturday starting at 8 a.m.
  • If records are your thing, check out sales at 17970 Fielding Court in New Freedom, 95 Quaker Meeting Road in Wellsville or the community sales in the Scott Street area of York.
  • An offer of an old Lionel set will have the train fanatics running to the downsizing sale at Homeland Road south of York Hospital.  It runs 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Other intriguing items include advertising items and several tools.
  • Do you remember the famous 25-cent table on East Berlin Road? We sure do. The big sale is back on Saturday starting at 8 a.m. You’ll find it at 1705 East Berlin Road.

WEATHER

Weekend weather, according to abc27, shows some decent weather for hitting the roads. Both Friday and Saturday are expected to have highs around 70 with overcast skies. There’s a slight chance of rain on Saturday.

CHECK OUT THE APP

Yard Sale Secrets, in conjunction with The York Dispatch and the York Newspaper Co., now has a yard sale app for iPhone and Android phones. The app helps you locate all the yard sales advertised on MediaOnePa, which includes sites in York, Hanover, Chambersburg and Lebanon. Zip to the bottom of this page for a link to the app.

TWITTER

Yep, the Yard Sale Secrets has adopted Twitter. We might only use it sporadically, but we welcome you to join us. We especially hope to use it on Saturdays (and some Fridays) when we are out on the road. Join Yard Sale Secrets on Twitter now!

MORE YARD SALE INFORMATION

Got a question for us here at Yard Sale Secrets? Or, even better, a great tip on selling or buying? Then leave a comment for us and we’ll respond in an upcoming post. We love to hear from other yard sale fanatics!

YOUR WEEKEND MISSION

If you’re hosting a yard sale this weekend, take some pictures of your event set up. We would love to see it. If you’re heading out to some sales, lets see some pictures of your loot! E-mail them to jsimcoe@yorkdispatch.com for inclusion in an upcoming Yard Sale Secrets post.

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Yard sale on a time-crunch: How to prep a yard sale in seven days

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May 15, 2013

To save preparation time, make all the items on a yard sale table the same price.

To save preparation time, make all the items on a yard sale table the same price.

Putting on a yard sale can be a tremendous task. Some people take weeks, even months, to get prepared for a yard sale event.

But let’s say you aren’t interested in doing that. You don’t have the time to plan, organize and execute a yard sale — or at least you don’t have much time at all.

With that in mind, here’s a guide to make a yard sale happen in seven days.

The scenario is a typical one: You have been thinking about hosting a yard sale and suddenly the fates align, and you realize that next Friday you have the opportunity.

Here’s your timeline to get your yard sale up and running:

FRIDAY (Seven days from the yard sale)

  • Find an empty room (garage, basement or guest room) and clear out some space. You will use this area as your collection point.
  • Search through your storage areas and find unwanted items. Since this is a storage area, you’ll know all these items are essentially “ready to sell.”
  • Instruct other family members to find their own unwanted items from their rooms.
  • You serve as primary sorter. Sort items of value into piles or boxes: 50-cent items, $1 items, $3 items and $10 items. (Try to keep all like items at the same price, such as clothing items and DVDs)

SATURDAY (Six days from the yard sale)

  • Search your own household areas (kitchen, your room, living room, etc.) for unwanted items.
  • Locate suitable display tables. You can contact friends, use your own or rent them.  You will need a table for each price category you have.
  • Clean any items that need cleaning.

SUNDAY (Five days from the yard sale)

  • Mow the lawn today, rather than the day before your sale. It gives your lawn time to “prepare” for a trampling. Work on making the outside of your house presentable. Consider where your tables will be set up.
  • Test electronic items.
  • Look for instruction booklets and original boxes for items.
  • If needed, coordinate a babysitter for your yard sale days.
  • Scout around for some more items to sell.

MONDAY (Four days from the yard sale)

  • Survey your items for sale and write up a classified ad. Start with your coolest items first, then list other items that bring in the crowds, such as clothing (include sizes and brand names, if possible).
  • Make signs to promote your sale. You will want to post them on the turn-in to your street (both directions) and on two other intersections that lead to your house. That means you should create six signs (again, two for each posting area).
  • Make up price signs rather than individually pricing all items. The quick way to price items is by pricing in the “Everything on this table is $1″-style. You need to make price signs for each of your price categories.
  • Individually price the few items that need special prices.
  • This is it. Your chance to discover even more items to sell! Did you look in the shed?

TUESDAY (Three days from the yard sale)

  • Reread your rough draft for the classified ad and place it.
  • Prepare some food for the big day: Make some baked goods to sell; Purchase a few cases of water and soda; Unthaw some hotdogs in the fridge.  (You can make a killing on food on a hot day!)
  • Go out an post your signs.
  • Check the weather forecast. Determine if you’re likely to have nice weather and whether you should cancel or not.
  • Get some of your basics around: Get some grocery bags, clean up your lawn chairs, check your grill, find some old table cloths, find a cash box.
  • Look for even more items to add to the sale. Surely there’s something else? Maybe a quick survey of the kids’ rooms.

WEDNESDAY (Two days from the yard sale)

  • Check your classified ad and make sure it looks nice. Check to see if your signs are still up.
  • Get your cash for the sale. We recommend $40 in tens, $40 in fives, $20 in ones and $10 in quarters.
  • Clean out your cooler to store drinks.
  • Put your tables in place on the front lawn. This will let the neighbors know where the sale is happening.
  • Have you looked everywhere for extra items to sell? What about in the car trunk? Or in those storage bins hidden in the corner?

THURSDAY (One day from the yard sale)

  • Put tablecloths down.
  • Attach price signs to each table.
  • Prep your large items to move out front. You can leave them in your backyard until morning.
  • Just before nightfall, set up your tables.
  • Wrap tables in tarps to protect them from the night’s dew.
  • Put ice in cooler.
  • Drop kids off at babysitter. Or at least prep them for taking them to babysitter.
  • Go to bed early.

FRIDAY (Yard sale day!)

  • Wake up early, eat a big breakfast.
  • Pull out large items.
  • Unwrap tables.
  • Bring out food supplies.
  • Turn on stereo for some nice background music.
  • Open up your yard sale, rake in the dough.

SATURDAY (Yard sale day — Part 2)

  • Make more money!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mother’s Day rescue from a rainy weekend

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May 13, 2013

Well, the rain spoiled our yard sale efforts for the weekend, but that didn’t mean we were totally done bargain-hunting. Since it was Mother’s Day, we made a trip up north to visit our sainted mother.

And what did she want to do? Go to the flea market, of course!

Granted, it wasn’t a very big flea market and it was terribly cold, but we managed to get a few choice items.

It was Mother's Day, so buying flowers seemed mandatory. We got these three bundles for a total of $9.

It was Mother’s Day, so buying flowers seemed mandatory. We got these three bundles for a total of $9.

We don't often buy used appliances, but we were in need of a toaster for camping trips. This one was really clean, marked for $8 and we bought it for $5.

We don’t often buy used appliances, but we were in need of a toaster for camping trips. This one was really clean, marked for $8 and we bought it for $5.

The mesh strainers were $1 each. Not a great deal, but they can be hard to find. After that we have a vintage Thundercats action figure and a generic G.I. Joe toy. The two action figures were 25-cents each.

The mesh strainers were $1 each. Not a great deal, but they can be hard to find. After that we have a vintage Thundercats action figure and a generic G.I. Joe toy. The two action figures were 25-cents each.

PICTURES AND QUESTIONS

If you bought some great items at yard sales this weekend, send us some pictures. If you hosted a yard sale, send us some pictures! And if you have questions, comments or ideas about yard sales, send them to us! We will publish them all in future posts.

Mail everything to jsimcoe@yorkdispatch.com. Can’t wait to hear from you!

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