Garage Sale

Do you all like to bargain shop at garage sales?  We call them garage sales here in this part of the country, but some people call them yard sales.  Same thing.  My mom and I have one about every two or three years.  Usually in the days leading up to the sale as we are collecting things, pricing them, and sweeping out the garage, we declare that it is not worth all the effort.  But then when it is all over and we are counting up the money we made we think maybe we could have just one more. 

I love finding a good deal on something at a garage sale.  Especially something I need and will most definitely use.  Like when I hit the motherload at a garage sale several years ago.  My girls were only a few months old and I stumbled upon a sale where a family was selling TONS of twin girls' clothes.  They were in great shape and were super cheap.  Score! 

I also like finding a good deal on a unique piece of art or a collectible that I find particularly interesting.  We don't have a lot of knick-knacks at our house, so we are pretty choosy when it comes to what we display or hang on the walls.  But we are always on the hunt for something cool to decorate with.  Some of my favorite garage sale finds have been an old wooden crate stamped with the words "New York".  Turns out it was a box used to ship weapons during World War II and we used it as a coffee table for years.  Another treasure was when we found a very old film projector that we displayed on a bookshelf for quite awhile.  With Mike's love of film and his love of vintage finds, it was a perfect fit for us.

Another one of my favorite bargain finds for many reasons: #1) I like birds. #2) I think it's pretty. #3) It reminds me of the little bird figurine in the movie Up.  Do you remember that?  The older man keeps it on his mantel because it reminds him of his wife.  Awww...

Oh and please ignore the dust on top of my dresser.  Haven't gotten around to dusting anytime recently. Ahem.

This weekend my mom and I had quite a successful garage sale.  Between the two of us we made nearly $700!  I sold several car seats, some crib bedding, baby clothes, an old printer, some place mats, shoes, purses, candles, etc.  Really it didn't seem like much, but it all added up quick.  And whatever we had leftover we are donating to a thrift store that helps homeless women with children.  I find a lot of satisfaction in knowing that hopefully my old stuff went to good homes or helped make a small difference in someone else's life. 

What have been some of your all time best garage sale (or thrift store) finds?