My favorite pastime is going to various yard sales in the central Florida town of Ocala. This area is great for finding treasures at yard sales, Thrift stores, and Antique shops. There is nothing like a great yard sale to get your Fridays and Saturdays going. My friend and I went to the Community Yard sales two weeks ago. Many communities were off of Airport Road in SW 60th Avenue in Ocala. I discovered a fantastic yard sale at a lady’s home. She was selling items for her aunt. Her aunt recently entered a nursing home facility. The aunt was a former Antiques dealer and collector, she had amazing collectibles that were great. I managed to get three items from her. Unfortunately, I stumbled upon this sale late in the morning. By then, I had spent the majority of my money on other yard sales in the area. I should have gotten her phone number to try to buy more items at a future date.
Some items were old tole ware heavy wooden boxes. There were also oil paintings and old figurines. Jewelry and many other different types of collectibles were included.
The same day, my friend and I went to another community. We happened upon a great yard sale. It had really good high-ticket items that my friend was in search of. My friend was looking for a futon and some other furniture. She found it at this yard sale, I found a genuine Louis Vuitton vintage medium-sized handbag. The logo was all over the bag. The Louis Vuitton name was on all the hardware button snaps and the inside. I was really happy. I got a 2500 dollar bag for 50 dollars. The owner had purchased the bag in Spain back in 2004. It was used but needed some leather conditioning to clean up but otherwise in great condition. I found two huge black contemporary plastic planters great for the front porch for only 3 dollars apiece. I could not grab them fast enough.
What the Difference between Yard sales In Ocala in comparison to other Central Florida locations
In my opinion, the prices are really great for great quality items in yard sales. This is especially true in the Ocala area compared to the larger cities like Orlando or Tampa.
In Ocala, yard saling is popular here and these sales attract buyers really early in the mornings. Treasure seekers looking for a deal to be had and finding amazing treasures at unbelievable prices. There are so many yard Sales each weekend in the Ocala Florida area from many different Community sales. It’s hard to find a starting point because Ocala is so large. If you normally find yard sales advertised in the local paper, you will find them on the NE side. They are also listed online. They are also on the SW 200 corridor, Fort McCoy, and SE side. It’s all over the county any given weekend.
There are also yard sales and vintage thrift shops in and around the surrounding areas near Ocala. Locations like Belleview and Dunnellon are included.
Where to start and how to navigate the yard sales
There are multiple yard sales on any given weekend. Start by going online and looking for yard sale ads. Check social sites like Facebook. Online classifieds some examples are Craigslist and Ocala4sale. Most of the time, it helps to find these yard sale listings. Creating a list of places to visit ahead of time will save time. Often, where there is one-yard sale in the area, there are usually more around the surrounding area. Follow the signs to discover nearby yard sales that are not advertised.
The early bird gets the worm, so true. When my friend and I go to yard sales, we often start at 7:30 in the morning. Many Yard sales start at 8 am and go until 2 pm. To get the best deals, it’s often great to go early in the morning. Prices drop significantly on the final day. This depends on how many days the yard sale is running.
There is a website estatesales that shows addresses of yard, garage and estate sales in the local area. Its another place to find listings.
Negotiating and haggling at Yard sales
Yard sales usually offer low prices on most items. This is because the main goal is to get rid of the items. Some sellers have an emotional attachment to items. Others have researched prices on eBay as a pricing source. They sell for higher prices at yard sales. Often resulting in a missed sale of the item. Prices on eBay should not be used as a reference source. Sellers on eBay find, fix, and curate the items for resale. They do so for buyers searching specifically for the items, especially if collectible. The venue is completely different and eBay sellers have to cover expenses like fees, shipping and handling.
Yard Sale sellers should price their items at ⅓ the original cost of the item.
Depending upon the use and wear of the item should also be taken into account in pricing item.
Yard sales are great places to haggle and try to get more discounts especially when bundling multiple items. This is a great strategy to purchasing at discount.
When beginning a negotiation or haggling always remember to be respectful and fair in the offer. Do not offer a price that insults the seller. Avoid offering an extremely low price for an item when the seller is asking for a higher price.
Always remember to be reasonable and fair when offering to purchase items at reduced price.
If the seller refuses to lower the price, ask them about a possible discount at the end of the day. This applies if the item does not sell. Check if the item is still available then. Many sellers discount the items not selling, later in the day or the next sale day. The buyer risks the item selling to another buyer. However, if they want to pay lower, they can return to purchase, if it’s still available.
Buying for Personal Use or Profit
These yard sales are means and resources for Online and flea market resellers. Thrift stores have increased their prices catering to online resellers. The resale market has an estimated value ranging between 100 billion to 120 billion worldwide. The clothing and accessories resale market has tripled since 2020.
Resale of second hand items is part of the US economy. It’s a billion dollar industry. Small and large stores are embracing it.
As a reseller myself, I purchase items for both Personal use and profit.
As a lover of all things vintage, I often buy items. I imagine these pieces having a place in my home. If these items don’t sell, I am happy to incorporate the pieces into my home. I buy items for resale mainly vintage China, collectibles, books, vintage toys, CDs, DVDs, and vintage VHS. I have sold many items that many people think are obsolete or no longer useful. There are collectors for many items. I do well with these items and often unusual collectibles. As for items I buy for personal use, they are mainly for my garden. I buy pots, gardening tools, and household cleaning supplies. I also get small furniture and small appliances. Paper items, office supplies. Even birthday cards in bulk. I always prepare by getting such items at thrift prices. I create savings for items not found at the thrift. This way, I can incorporate both old and new to design my garden and home. Designing your space with vintage items is challenging. If you have a good eye, you can add a few new pieces to create your unique look.
Tools of the Trade to take to a yard sale
Always carry a hand bag or canvas tote bag to carry smaller items you purchased.
Always bring a measuring tape to measure furniture pieces if searching for certain pieces.
Bring magnifying glasses or a loop to read small signatures or marks on ceramics , glasses, jewelry and art.
If you are looking for Vaseline glass or glass with uranium in it, you will need a black light. This light is necessary to see the glass glow. Without this light, it is very hard to see.
If looking for silver and gold coins, bring a magnet with you. It is a quick way to find out if the metal is silver or not. If the metal item sticks to the magnet then it’s not silver.
Always carry your smartphone. Use it to find yard sale addresses with GPS. It also aids in researching the prices of items for sale. This ensures the item is worth picking up. Some of the best websites to research prices include eBay. It is free. You need to write the item in the search bar. Then hit the filter button. Select more choices. Next, scroll down until you reach sold items and completed items. Select both of these selections. Then the sold comps will show sold prices. They will show the date that the item was sold. You will also see how much it sold for.
If any of the prices are similar, they show the seller what buyers are paying. If prices are close to the same amount, they show the average spending of buyers. This information is available for the item on the eBay site.
Another site that is popular for market price research is Worthpoint, which is a subscription-based website. There are monthly subscriptions and annual subscriptions to allow for the research of the item.
There are many other subscription online price research sites. They are only for specific categories like baseball cards. An example is Beckett.com which includes vintage antique art. An example is Askart, and ArtInfo.com. YouTube is a great source to find resellers. They give information about their vintage finds. They talk about the history. They explain how to find the item and how much it’s valued. There is an online appraiser named Dr. Lori, who gives free video appraisals on YouTube. Love watching her YouTube channel very informative on antiques and collectibles.
There are other famous Youtubers that are professional resellers. Some examples include the Crazy Lamp Lady, Hairy Tornado, and the Nurse Flipper. There are many others as well. I have learned a lot watching them shop for items on you tube.
Don’t forget the Most Important Remember to have Fun
Yard sales are like treasure hunts. At least, that’s how I see them. You never know what you will come across. There will be days you find nothing, or days where you find the most amazing deal of your life. It depends on what the buyer is looking for at the time and finding it at the right price.
Its a fun hobby that can be done with your partner, spouse, kids, grand kids and friends.
It’s not only about the great deals. It’s about the thrill of finding the item you’re looking for. The excitement of getting it at that unbeatable price is unmatched. Often, these items are in amazing condition.
It’s true One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
So eat your heart out and have some fun out there and find some great deals.
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