In search of a deal: Garage sale veteran gives tips on how to find a deal

Jeff Broddle | Cadillac News Earl Thompson checks out an old Coleman lantern at a garage sale. Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial start of the garage sale season.

For as long as he can remember, Frank Haver has been a garage sale junkie.

Whether he is out on a leisurely ride or on his way to an appointment, the sight of a garage sale sign lures the Cadillac man in.

It might be a book, an old clock or some gadget that may make his life easier. Even if he leaves empty handed, the possibility of finding an unexpected treasure is enough to entice him to stop at every sale he sees.

“You never know what you’ll find — in fact, because there might be something there that I can’t live without,” said the Cadillac man. “And it is nice to get a bargain. It saves you a few bucks here and there.”

Haver answered the following questions on what his draw is to garage sales.

How often do you go to garage sales?

I usually hit one or two … or three or four every weekend. Some of the bigger weekends, like Memorial Weekend, I might hit up to 15 sales.

If I am driving and see one, I gotta stop because there might be something there that I can’t live without.

What are some of your most memorable buys?

I have all sorts. I have bought a few pieces of furniture. I collect old clocks, so it is nice when I can find them. I like to read a lot, so I buy a lot of books as well. If I see something that I might have a use for, I buy it.

Do you pay full price or try to bring the price down?

I don’t do much haggling. If I am willing to pay the price, I will pay it. If not, I just move on and don’t worry about it. I have a friend in Florida who loves to do that. It is like a game to her. Even if it is only a few cents, she is happy. It really has nothing to do with money — she just has fun with it.

Where do you find room for all your new treasures?

It finds its way into my house — pretty much everything in my house was bought at a garage sale. A lot finds its way in the garage, too. I have a two-car garage and I can barely squeeze in one car.

I do try to hold a garage sale of my own once a year. It is a good way to clean out some of it, so I can make room for new things I bring home.

Do you have any garage-sale tips?

Churches and organizations usually have a good concentration of items for sale. You can usually find a lot of things there. The newspaper classifieds are a great place to find sales — it helps because the address is right there.

Although gas prices are high, by just driving around you can usually find quite a few sales.

A lot of people go early to get the best things. I really don’t do that unless there is something I really want. Sometimes you can get better buys at the end of the day if they really want to get rid of everything.

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Garage sale tips