Gone are the days opening the newspaper to the classified section to find estate sales and garage sales, but there are lots of new methods for find those great sales. The key is knowing where to look so you can get there first and score the best deals.
EstateSales.net - Respected Option for Estate Sales
According to the Washington Post, subscribing to EstateSales.net is a good way to get access to great estate sales and yard sales. The site lets you search by area or get daily emails with locations of estate sales in your area. It's a well-respected choice.
How to Make the Most of It
Here's how to get the most out of this service:
- Subscribe to get email updates about estate sales, so you are always aware when there's a good sale coming up.
- For unique items, consider shopping the site. It has the uncommon feature of an online estate sale that you can access from anywhere.
- Check out nationally featured listings to see some of the most incredible sales in the country. Some may be within driving distance.
Yard Sale Search - Simple Search Options
Also recommended by the Washington Post, Yard Sale Search offers a location-based search for yard sales near you. You can find listings that include photos and information about what is offered, and you can set a search radius for how far you're willing to drive. If you decide to have a yard sale yourself to sell antiques, you can post a listing for free.
How to Make the Most of It
Get everything you can out of this site by trying these tips:
- Consider registering. This site does not require a subscription, but you can save your favorite sales by registering as a user. This lets you keep track of the ones you want to visit.
- Take a look at the listings for the hottest yard sales cities in the country. If you live near one of these cities, you can take advantage of the great listings.
- Use the "Today's Map" feature to find garage sales in your area so you can streamline your driving plans.
GSALR.com - Visual Map of Garage Sales
Offering a listing of garage sales, yard sales, and estate sales with a map search feature, GSALR.com is a great choice if you want to see a visual representation of where nearby sales are located. After you input your zip code, you'll see results as pins on a map.
How to Make the Most of It
Get the most out of GSALR.com with these tips:
- No subscription is required, but you can subscribe to get a daily email with a list of nearby sales. This is handy if you want to stay on top of sales without searching every day.
- That pin map is interactive. The pins tell you where the sales are, but there's more you can do with them. You can click a pin to get photos and details about the sale to see if it's worth a trip.
- According to Consumer Reports, planning out your garage sale route ahead of time is the key to getting the best deals. Add your favorite pin addresses to your GPS or map application to plan a great route.
Garage Sale Tracker - Ability to Refine by Item
Even though many of its features are similar to other yard sale and garage sale sites, Garage Sale Tracker offers an additional search option. After you search in your area, you can refine the results by the distance, the date of the sale, and even the type of items for sale. This is handy if you're looking for something specific like sewing machines, tools, or other items. If you live in an area with a lot of sales or it's a busy weekend for garage sales, this search feature can save you time.
How to Make the Most of It
Here's how you can get the most out of this site:
- Subscription is encouraged but not required. If you do choose to subscribe, you can get notifications of sales in your area.
- Garage Sale Tracker has an app you can use for mobile searching. This is handy if you want to create a route for your sales while you're in the car.
- There's also a feature that lets you bookmark great sales. That way, you can go back through your favorites without just remembering them.
Craigslist - Great for All Local Sales
Although you can find local sales on the other search sites above, you may find some options on Craigslist that you can't find anywhere else. That's because people can easily add sales to it, and it's updated constantly. You can find yard sales near you on Craigslist by looking at your city page and then clicking on "garage sales" in the Sales section.
How to Make the Most of It
Craigslist doesn't offer features like saving sales or getting updates, but you can still make the most of it with these tips:
- Click on a sale to see its location on a map. This helps you plan your route.
- Contact the person who posted if you have questions about what might be at a sale, especially if you want to know if something has already sold.
- Consider using an app that works with Craigslist, such as Yard Sale Treasure Map. Then you can save listings and map out your route.
Get Great Deals and Have Fun
Finding antiques at garage sales and estate sales is a great way to get a bargain. You may even run into some fun mysteries and antiques you can't identify. The key is to choose the service that best meets your needs and use it in a way that helps you get great deals and have fun doing it.
