The best way to get cheap price during your shopping activities is hunting for store with big cut or discount. But stores got their own period giving away the discount, even so some store are tends to raise the price before the discount. It meant that sometime you see sale 50% on some store, but the store already raise it into 10-20% of the ordinary price. It means that you only get around 30% percent discount.
Yup that’s just marketing strategy to attract customer buying some stuffs. But if you’re asking me how to get the best price, then the answer is Yard sale. In Yard sale or garage sale, you could purchase stuff way beyond the price in store, yes the goods is not brand new, but you could select and bargain the price after all.
Its exciting getting goods in lower price and deals, but there several things you should know before buying, check it out below:
Look Everywhere: People advertise yard sales and garage sales everywhere, from your local paper, church, the grocery store, the gym, Craigslist.com and of course with signs all over town. Have a special notebook for jotting down upcoming yard sales you hear about and make a schedule to hit the ones you think you can fit in.
Make a Route: If you designate a particular Saturday or Sunday for yard sales and garage sales, make a list of all of the ones you plan to hit and consult Mapquest.com or another map to chart a route that’s most efficient. You don’t want to waste money on gas while you’re saving money at the yard sale!
Bring Handy Tools: Carry a small screwdriver in case you need to check batteries; extra batteries, tape measure, rope to tie things to your car, extra bags to carry things with, newspapers to wrap breakables.
Don’t Be an Early Bird: Arrive on time, but not earlier than posted. You’ll only upset the people having the yard sale, and they probably won’t be ready for you so you could miss out on some of the good stuff.
Check for “Nicks”: When buying dishes or glassware, run your fingers over the edges. If there are any nicks or chips that you didn’t see at first glance, your fingers will catch any that are hard to spot. Some yard sale experts carry cotton balls to run along the edge. If there’s a nick, the cotton will get stuck in the groove.
You Want CDs and DVDs – Not Coasters: Always look inside CD and DVD cases to make sure that the disc matches the cover, for one. Also, examine each disc for large scratches or other damage. A cd is nothing more than a coffee table coaster if it’s all scratched up.
Get Them to Name Their Price: Don’t fall into the trap of answering the question “what would you like to pay for this?” If they didn’t label their possessions, ask them what they want for it, and then bargain down. Otherwise, you could end up offering far more than they expected to get.
Don’t bring the Mercedes: If you plan to do a lot of bargaining, you might want to leave the Lexus or Mercedes at home and drive up in your junkmobile instead. No one wants to haggle over 25 cents with Lady Astor.
Check for Parts: Always look inside boxes and check for any missing parts. On a hot day or at the end of a long day, this can seem tiresome, but it will be worth it when you get home and have something you can use instead of another piece of junk you’ll have to try and sell at your next yard sale.
Bring Small Bills and Coins: There’s nothing worst than haggling with someone over 50 cents and paying with a $20. Conversely, you could miss out on a great deal or be forced to over pay if they don’t have change and neither do you. Arm yourself with plenty of change and you’ll pay what you want to pay.
Plug n Play: Always plug in electrical items and test the batteries in battery-operated electronics.
Christmas in July: Don’t forget: off-season holiday items can be had for a steal at garage and yard sales, so pick up those Easter Bunnies and Valentine’s Day decorations now. You’ll be happy next year.
Combine Items for Better Pricing: For instance, if the seller won’t budge on an item you want, group it with another item and say something like “will you take $10 for both?” There are two kinds of garage sales – the ones where people want to make money and the ones where people want to get rid of stuff. The object is to find the ones where people want to get rid of stuff.
Leave the Kids at Home: You’ll have a much more successful day at the yard sales and garage sales without the kids, we promise. If it’s not possible to leave them at home, give them a small amount of pocket change and ask them to go shopping for not only themselves, but to find small items for certain family members they love.
Grab What You Like: Even if you’re not 100% sure you’re going to buy an item, if you like it, pick it up and carry it with you so that someone else doesn’t grab it while you’re browsing. If it’s heavy or awkward, ask the seller to hold onto it while you shop.
Bargain, Don’t Badger: People who throw yard sales and garage sales expect their customers to haggle over the price. So definitely ask if they’ll take less than what they’re asking. But try not to get belligerent if they don’t want to move on their price. Remember, at the end of the day, they’re still stuck with the item they wanted to get rid of, and you’ve moved onto another yard sale.
Haggle Now, Buy Later: If you haggle with a seller and he or she won’t come down to the price you’d like to pay, leave your card behind and tell him or her that if the item doesn’t sell, you’ll be willing to buy it later. This is an example of why it’s a good idea to be friendly throughout the haggling process. If they don’t like you, they won’t call you to buy it, no matter how much they want to get rid of the item.