Yard sale season is in full swing and may of us are out scouring the sales each weekend trying to find the best yard sale deals. Steve and I love taking off on the weekends and looking for the latest and greatest deals to find. We actually consider it one of our favorite frugal date ideas since we have so much fun together! For us, we’re mostly looking for kids clothes since I have started getting rid of so many and am working hard at building my Shopify store where I make money selling kids clothes, but we’re also on the lookout for things our girls need and new clothes for me since I’ve lost over 50 lbs in the past year. While we keep those items in mind, we also have a list of must buy yard sale finds that we always grab when we find them. They’re either items that make money or save us money in the long run, but we never pass them up when we see them.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that I am telling you to run out and blow all your money at the first yard sale you find. I’m not and in fact am telling you quite the opposite. Most of the items on my list of must buy yard sale finds are ones that will make me money once I sell them. Some are for my own home, but by and large they are things I either collect already, things we need or things I can sell to earn extra cash at home. The truth is, I don’t like to buy anything new if I don’t have to which is why I actually have a list of things you should never buy new to save money and a list of things to reuse to save money, but with these must buy yard sale finds, I usually don’t have to!
29 Must Buy Yard Sale Finds to Save {or Make!} Money
If, after you do your own yard sale shopping and you grab a few of these must buy yard sale finds, you decide to hold your own garage sale, make sure that you follow my garage sale tips found HERE so you earn the most money possible from your sale. It isn’t unheard of for people to shop one yard sale simply to look for items to sell at their own sale. A large number of these must buy yard sale finds work extremely well as flips and can make you quite a bit of money if done right.
Silver – Anything silver is worth picking up. Old silver coins, silver flatware, silver jewelry and more are all great for selling online if you don’t want or need to keep it yourself. Most items you won’t even want to clean since cleaning silver can often cause it to lose value. Just be sure that what you’re buying is actually real silver. Sterling is almost always stamped with .925 on it unless it is a coin.
Baby clothing – Any mom knows that babies grow extremely fast which means two things; if you’re looking for baby clothes, yard sales are where the deals are and if you’re looking to learn how to make money selling kids clothes, yard sales are where you can easily build inventory. If you are having a baby, keep in mind that while clothes are one of the only 10 things you really need for a baby, they really only need a couple of new outfits. The rest should come from yard sales and thrift stores.
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Cast Iron Cookware – Cast iron literally never goes bad, but it can be super expensive to buy cast iron new. Luckily, it can be restored and made to look and function like new which makes it one of my favorite must buy yard sale finds. Even if it is rusty, go ahead and buy it since you can always learn how to restore cast iron. Once you buy it, add it to your own home and it’ll outlive your grand kids if it is taken care of.
Cookbooks – If you’re like me and still love to have an actual cookbook when you cook instead of a recipe on a Kindle or computer, don’t buy them new. Cookbooks are always available at yard sales for pennies usually and because of that, they made our list of must buy yard sale finds. Save yourself a few dollars and grab them at the next yard sale you see instead. If, for some reason, you can’t find any cookbooks at the yard sales you stop at, check out Thriftbooks HERE. They have amazing deals on used books and are one of my favorite places to get them!
Side Note: If you do prefer to have your recipes and cookbooks on a Kindle, save yourself money by downloading the FREE Kindle Reading App HERE. It is totally free and works on multiple devices including iPhone, Android, PC and more.
Blankets or Bedding Sets – If you’ve looked at buying new bedding lately, you’ll know that it can be quite expensive., Actually, expensive might not be the correct word for it. Outrageous is a better description for what you’ll pay for quality bedding. Luckily, bedding or blankets are one of those must buy yard sale finds that you should almost always grab when you find it for cheap. Aside from being able to use them on your own bed, there are reasons why you should be storing blankets for emergencies. Add to those two reasons the fact that you can usually sell it for a tidy profit if you get a good enough deal and it makes it worth buying.
Name Brand Clothing – Baby clothes are already on our list of must buy yard sale finds, but what about kids, teen and adult clothes? Of course you should always pick them up if they are well known quality brands. There really is truth to the saying “quality over quantity” and there is no better proof than cheap clothing. It shrinks, frays, and generally becomes unwearable after just one or two washes. Instead, keep an eye out at the yard sales you stop at for brands such as American Eagle, Gymboree, The Children’s Place, Aeropostale, Levi, Hollister and more. You will save more by purchasing the quality brands once instead of cheaper items multiple times.
Office and School Supplies – A lot of moms; especially homeschool moms; like to go overboard on the amount of school and office supplies we buy each year during the back to school sales. If your kids will need them at all this year, make certain you take advantage of them by considering them must buy yard sale finds.
Kids toys – Kids toys are great for selling online and making money with if your kids won’t play with them so consider some of them to be must have yard sale finds. Toys such as LEGO, Tonka Trucks, Barbies – in good condition of course – and K’Nex all hold their resale value very well. Case in point, I once picked up a K’Nex Screaming Serpent Roller Coaster set for $20.00. I sold it on Ebay for $175.00 making a $155.00 profit!
Higher end home decor – I absolutely love farmhouse kitchen decor, but I often refuse to pay retail prices for that decor. Instead, I consider any higher end home decor a must have yard sale find. There is no reason at all to pay what most decor costs when you can buy it used or make homemade home decor yourself.
Homeschool supplies – If you’re a homeschool mom and are looking to learn how to homeschool on a budget or where to buy used homeschool curriculum on a budget, there is no better place than a yard sale. Because of this, I consider homeschool supplies and curriculum to be a must buy yard sale find. Just be sure to keep in mind what your child is currently or will be studying and which curriculum you’re currently or will be using. After all, there isn’t much sense in buying curriculum or supplies that your kids won’t use.
Big ticket furniture items – If you need a new bed, new couch or new dining room table, make the local yard sales the first place you go. Most of the time you’ll be able to find them for hundreds less than what you would pay new. In the case of furniture, be sure that you double check for things like bed bugs so you don’t end up costing yourself more in the long run.
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Books – If you like the feel of a real book in your hands, feed your reading habit guilt free and take your pick from the many yard sales that put out tons of books. Most of the time you’ll pay less than $0.50 per book making them must buy yard sale finds for sure! Books do not typically sell well at yard sales so if you find a few you like from the same sale, ask the seller if they will bundle them together for you for one price. They may say no, but usually they won’t as long as your offer is reasonable.
Small kitchen appliances – Buying small kitchen appliances can be pretty expensive for any family so the next time you want to buy a Keurig or to buy a Kitchenaid mixer, make sure to check yard sales near you first. Often, you’ll be able to find them considerably less than you would pay for them new which makes them must buy yard sale finds. The only piece of caution I would give you on buying kitchen appliances at a yard sale is to make certain they work as they are supposed to before you purchase them. Otherwise, you may get home only to find out you bought a dud.
Grills – Here in Texas, we love to BBQ and having a BBQ at home means you must have a good quality grill to cook on. Have you priced them lately though? In case you haven’t, let me fill you in; they’re expensive. That’s why anytime you find a good deal at a yard sale, consider it a must buy yard sale find and buy it. Just be sure to double check that it is complete and in good shape with no bad rust spots on the body of the grill. You can always clean a grilling rack, but rust on the body too badly will cause it to no last long enough to pay for itself.
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Baby strollers – Remember earlier when I said I have a list of things you should never buy new? On the other side of that is the list of things you should never buy used and while car seats and cribs are both something you should never buy used, baby strollers are actually one of our must buy yard sale finds. They hold their resale value pretty well and if you happen to need one for your own baby, you won’t find a better deal.
Camping gear – While there are a few different ways to find deals on used camping gear, they are by and large my absolute favorite on my entire list of must buy yard sale finds. Our family goes camping a lot so if I were to buy our gear new, I would go broke pretty easily. Luckily, I can find amazing deals at yard sales and can avoid an empty bank account.
Cold weather clothing and shoes – One of the best times to buy winter coats, warm pajamas, snow boots and any other pieces of cold weather clothing is during the summer months at yard sales. Most people getting rid of these kinds of items simply want them gone so they sell them super cheap just to get rid of them. If you’re looking for items for your own family, be sure to size up a size or two in case they grow our of their current sizes before the weather turns cold.
Wedding supplies and clothing – If you’re getting married soon, be sure to add wedding supplies and wedding attire to your list of must buy yard sale items. Often, you can find everything from decorations to the wedding gown and tux itself at yard sales at huge discounts over new items. You’ll pay considerably more out of pocket if you have a wedding where all of your items are new instead of buying used.
Tools – Tools, especially power tools are incredibly expensive to buy if you buy for quality instead of price. That’s why you should add both power and hand tools to your list of must buy yard sale finds. Hand tools aren’t typically expensive new, but they’re even cheaper at yard sales. Power tools are usually as well. As with kitchen appliances, make sure they work as their supposed to or if not, that you can repair the issue before you buy.
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Craft Supplies – Depending on what types of DIY & Crafts you do, you could very likely be spending more money than you need to on those craft supplies. Instead of buying craft supplies new,search your local yard sales for them. If you keep your eyes open, you’ll be able to find everything from faux foliage to scrapbook papers and more.
Highchairs – Highchairs, like strollers, usually sell pretty well online which makes them another one of our must buy yard sale finds. Most Moms that are selling them have kids that have outgrown them so they just want them to go away. I bought Emma’s highchair at a yard sale for $5.00 when she was an infant.
Exercise equipment – A lot of people make new years resolutions to get into shape, but by the time yard sale season rolls around; those resolutions are long gone. You can use this to your advantage by buying any exercise equipment or workout gear you need at yard sales. You’ll be able to build your own home gym while saving big bucks at the same time.
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Fishing equipment – When you often go fishing for food as we do, you go through a lot of fishing equipment pretty quickly sometimes. That’s why one of our own personal top must buy yard sale finds is fishing equipment. Gear such as spare fishing poles, spare reels, tackle and more are all on our must buy list. When your grocery budget depends on what you catch sometimes, you make sure to have spares of what you need.
Kids sports gear – I have never seen more expensive equipment for kids than sporting gear unless it was a big ticket item. Luckily, so many kids have played sports that kids sporting gear is all over the place at yard sales. Keep your eyes peeled for things such as bats and gloves, knee pads, cleats and more to help cut down on the cost of your kids extra curricular activities.
Men’s Suits – A quality men’s suit can run you upwards of $200 new which means that if you find them at yard sales in the correct size, you should buy them. Most won’t fit right off the rack, but you can always pay someone to alter it to fit correctly. If you want to save even more, take an online sewing class like THIS one and make the alterations yourself.
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Canning Equipment and Supplies – I love to can my own food, but canning supplies can be expensive if you don’t watch for sales and deals. If you’re new and learning how to can your own food or are just looking to beef up your supplies, watch the yard sales and add jars, rings, canners and other canning tools to your list of must buy yard sale finds. They’re rare to see, but they do pop up every so often. I once picked up quart and pint jars for $0.10 each at a yard sale!
Other Food Preservation Supplies – Aside from canning supplies, there are other ways to preserve foods that can show up at yard sales too. Again, they are rare so make sure to consider them must buy yard sale finds and grab them if you see them. Things such as food dehydrators, mylar bags and FoodSaver machines are all great preservation methods and must buy items. If you’re new to preserving food, mylar bags are a great way to keep dry goods safe from bugs and other dangers to food storage. You can learn how to preserve food in mylar bags right HERE.
Video Games and Video Game Systems – Video games and video game systems – especially working vintage systems – are always high dollar finds at yard sales. Make sure that you go ahead and grab any that you see. You can almost always sell them if you don’t want them. Speaking of video games, if you want to save even more money on them, check out Gamefly HERE. It’s like Netflix for video games. They have a free 30 day trial HERE that will allow you to try the service before you commit to paying.
High Quality Cookware – When me, Steve and the girls moved into our home after Emma and I stopped living in a hotel full-time, I needed new cookware. After all, you usually don’t have a full set of nice pots and pans when you’re hotel living. I stopped at a yard sale and managed to grab a deal on a Brand new set of Calphalon Classic cookware. It retails for over $200.00 new, but I scored it for just $75.00! High quality cookware almost always keeps its retail value too so even if you don’t need it for yourself, you can list it on Ebay with a reserve price and make a profit!
Are you wondering what to do with all the must buy yard sale finds that you buy but don’t need for yourself? Turn them into an amazing home business idea to help you boost your budget! Use Ebay, selling apps like OfferUp or LetGo and open a Shopify store to give yourself the best chance of exposure. If you’ve never heard of Shopify, it’s an online store format that does not require a whole lot of technical knowledge and allows you to have a place to list all your items at once. Plus, it integrates seamlessly into your social media and only costs a few dollars a month. You can check out Shopify HERE.
Another great idea is to keep some of these must buy yard sale finds back as Christmas gifts. A lot of the time you can find brand new items at yard sales and no one will know that you got it cheap. It’s a great way to save money on Christmas and even birthdays! Want to save even more on Christmas? Let me show you how I get Christmas for FREE every single year! Head over HERE and sign up for my FREE Christmas email series! In just 6 weeks, I’ll show you how to do it too!
*Originally published March 2015/Updated July 2018