Brag about your garage sale, thrift shop, e-bay bargain finds thread

by FlyingHighNow 39 Replies latest jw friends

  • Lucky Calamity
    Lucky Calamity

    Lady across the street works for a dry cleaning co. and holds yard sales now and then - mostly lots of clothes, but I spied a maroon-colored Asian-style chair that I thought resembled an antique . . . didn't study it until a relative admired it wholeheartedly as something very special . . .

    Well, after studying it, I'm pretty convinced that it's quite the antique . . . looks like its fabric and edging is very, very old, but well-preserved. I haven't reserched it yet, but intend to. It's simply gorgeous and I paid 5 bucks for it. I'm sure it's worth a tad more . . .

    The sorta' ugly lamp I bought for $5 was marked $12, but that'll be our little secret.

    I also bought 4 gorgeous (long) coats at a thrift shop last year for a total of less than $35 . . . won't need any coats for a while!

  • FlyingHighNow
    FlyingHighNow

    My books are mostly old books with Catholic themes from Andy's grandmother.

    Julian kept wanting to play his xbox on the livingroom tv. Last summer on the way home from summer camp, we were discussing my problems with him dominating the livingroom with xbox. Just then, we passed a yard sale and I saw a tv with vcr and game control outlets on the front. We stopped. It was a 13 inch samsung. She wanted $35, I had Julian ask her if she would take $20. She took $25 and threw in a Lazy Susan. He's sitting in there playing xbox in his room now. The living room? It's quiet.

  • AuntBee
    AuntBee

    flyinghigh: " My philosophy is either expensive or looks expensive for little or nothing." ROFL, that's great! --- That's so neat that your son and grandson love to thrift shop! I think it helps teach the value of money too.

    Slimboy: I'm jealous of your being able to make a living selling books. One of my best friends and i envision ourselves being 2 little old ladies with a small used bookstore, discussing all the books with those who come in, and dispensing sage advice about life. LOL (you know i mean in like....15 years or so.... we're not quite little old ladies yet.)

  • mrsjones5
    mrsjones5

    Not having that much money right now I've made a point to find all the thrift stores in my area.

    I've found some really good books priced between $.25 to $2.00, my best find was The Lord of the Rings trilogy in paperback for $1.50. I bought clothes for the kids, hubby, myself for much cheaper than going to Marshalls or Ross. I've even found sewing patterns for $.25 to $1, a Singer buttonhole attachment kit for $5.00, and two patternmaking systems (one for .99 and the other for $1.99. I've bought yarn in a bag for $2.99 and am almost finished making a baby afghan and have already made a change bag with a long cord for when I go to do laundry. Oh and I've bought a lot of kitchen stuff too.

    My neighbors are really into getting stuff off craigslist and they were going to sell some stuff that the wife had gotten from her grandmother, hubby was able to buy from from them a nice late model Brother sewing machine (it's in really good condition) for $40.00.

    Josie

  • oompa
    oompa

    i bought a brand new.....unwrapped bimini top for my net boat from habitat for humanity.......it was 280 bucks new......and the sales order was on the bimini!!!!.......they sold it to me for 25 dollars....i do support them a bit and they knew me.....oompa

    that was the best deal percentagewise maybe.....but i bought a used truck worth 35k for 22 once.......that was sweet..........

    i also bought a brick home forclosure once.......that appraised at 187k after a very mild facelift........for 52k......that was nice...........

  • HintOfLime
    HintOfLime

    I once bought two solid state oscilloscopes at a garage sale for $1 (for both). One I couldn't get working, but the other (the nice one) just needed a few fuses replaced. It would have cost $450 new at that time.

    Nothing like a wife selling broken equipment for her husband!

    - Lime

  • JWdaughter
    JWdaughter

    I found a book at Deseret Books (LDS thrift store) that cost me $1 and which made me about $250.00 on Ebay. That was my best ever bargain. I once got a great food dehydrator at a thrift store for $5 that would be about 60.00 new. I ended up selling it later at MY garage sale when I moved because I really didn't use it much-but I had great intentions:)

  • mrsjones5
    mrsjones5

    I just bought a really cool 70's style sewing chair for 10 bucks.

  • Lady Lee
    Lady Lee

    Hmmm I didn't mention the painting I bought at a garage sale. We took $10 with us and got to one house and I saw this beautiful painting propped up on the grass. Went around to the garage and bought a platter for $5 then went back to stare at the painting again. I asked how much and the lady said $5. No way. Her hubby went by and said "You can't sell my painting!" "Sorry SOLD" I said and handed over the $5

    When we got it home we did a bit of research on teh internet and discivered the artist was well-known enough to have a couple of paintings in our Parliament building here in Ottawa. So we had the painting informally appraised by an art dealer. He estimated roughly that it would go for about $1,500-$2,000. Unfortunately it got left behind in Winnipeg when I ran away from home

    Now THAT's a deal!!!

  • FlyingHighNow
    FlyingHighNow

    Josie, I am so glad you're finding all the deals. Julian and I were talking today about some of the things we do to save money and stretch a dollar. I said, "Well, we're poor you know." And he said, "Yeah, but this actually more fun." Julian just turned 13.

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