What I Look For At Yard Sales

'Tis the season! The season of yard sales that is. You will find us up and ready to go early, at least two Saturday mornings each month. We love hunting for good deals and have found lots of great stuff already this year!

Even though I love going to these sales, I am very choosy as to what I bring home.I treat a yard sale much as I would a store- Would I pay full price for this? Is it really what I want? Can I make it work until I find something better? The answer to the first question is almost always a no, because I don't often pay full price for anything!haha

I keep a list, sometimes written but mostly mental, as to what I am looking for. I will share that here for fun. Please share the types of things you often look for when at yard sales or thrift stores!

This list is not in any particular order of importance.

1.Tupperware storage containers. Especially the larger Modular Mates.

2. Canning supplies. Real canning jars, canners, Foley Mill, etc. I have already found most of what I need and can store in this department, but always look just in case.Estate sales are the best place for this.

3. Children's supplies. Toys, equipment, consumable art supplies,books. This summer, I'm mainly looking for classic little boy toys that will replace the more babyish toys and that will grow with the toddlers. I pretty much have all the equipment that I need right now.

4. Sports memorabilia. My husband's category! He has successfully e bayed some of his finds and kept a few for himself. He knows what he's looking for in this area.

5. CD's. Again, my musician husband's arena!

6. Videos,DVD's and books. VHS tapes are often cheaper than renting a movie. We keep it if it's one we want in our library. If not, we pass it along to someone else. We've found brand-new wrapped DVD's for a song because they were duplicate Christmas or birthday gifts. Books are usually pretty cheap, so I always look through them and see if there's a title I might enjoy. Like movies, we pass books along if we don't want to keep them.

7.Fabric and sewing supplies. There are enough non-sewers around that these items can be gotten for quite cheap. I look for specific types of fabrics and trims. Clothing, sheets and curtains are also fabric options. I have saved a lot of money by buying sewing stuff used instead of new!

8. Kitchen items. I love nice dishes! Currently my space is limited but every so often I find a piece that I know I will use. Bread pans of a certain size and shape always appeal to me. Also Pyrex dishes and storage jars.

9. Linens. I have a real weakness for table cloths and napkins. When we were first married, I found 4 or 5 table cloths that matched my decor in 2 weeks time! After that, I put myself on a tablecloth fast. Now some of those are stained so I'm once again free to purchase a few! Vintage styles are especially appealing to me. I have way too many cloth napkins so I'm not buying those right now. :-0

10. Clothing. Only if it's something I'm looking for. I hate looking through piles of clothes. Same as at thrift stores where I hate pawing through all the racks of clothing unless looking for a specific item. Last week, I found shoes and my husband found a couple of shirts that we needed. I am not against wearing used clothing; there's just something about rooting through piles of clothes that annoys me. Hopefully, I'll get over this when we have kids...

11. Furniture. These items often are gone first at sales since lots of people are looking for furniture. Great deals can be found though, especially if you are willing to paint or slipcover. We've found wonderful bargains this way!

12. Decorative items. I love baskets, especially square or rectangular shapes. Also picnic-type baskets. Wall art is something I always look at. I don't do many knick knacks in my home so I usually pass those by.

13. Miscellaneous items. Stuff that gets used up like envelopes, cards, stickers, paper. Even items like candles, bath gel, lotion. Often these are brand-new containers. I got a new bottle of the facial moisturizer that I use for 25 cents vs. close to $5 in the store. A locally made jar candle was found in the FREE box a couple of weeks ago.

Your turn. What sort of things are you hoping to snap up at yard sales this summer?