Garage Sale Treasures

To us cheapskates, garage sales are the ultimate department store. Like many bargain hunters, I enjoy the thrill of the hunt as much as I actually enjoy the merchandise I acquire. So what could be better than buying stuff for extreme discounts -- like 99 percent off -- when even the location of the store and type of merchandise is not well known?

This weekend I'm up in Wisconsin for a family wedding, and still I managed to hit a garage sale just after one of the wedding-related parties. I cased the joint in about 5 minutes while the rest of the family waited in the air-conditined car, and still I came up with a primo $5 haul:

My favorite things were this onesie and Tshirt for our baby boy, expected sometime very soon. Since I've started shopping for boy clothes, I've been unimpressed with most. I don't like the "preppy" looks like little sweater vests and polo shirts, and how many freakin' truck shirts does one kid need? These tops are the kind of hip screen prints I'd like to buy but don't for one obvious reason -- this motorcycle onesie goes for about $30 according to the maker's Web site. I got them for 50 CENTS each!

The shirt with the wagon is Love That Baby; I found a couple of shirts with this brand on EBay for $6.50 plus shipping.

These girls' ice skates (retail about $25) were $1. They may be too small for our 5-year-old by winter, but if so I will just store them away until they fit the 2-year-old. It costs us $2 to RENT skates so you can't beat that deal.

 

 

Then there was this 6-pack of Trumpette socks. If anyone out there is looking for a baby shower gift, these are always good. Unlike most infant socks they stay on great, and the colors are really nice. They come in an attractive little box. A six-pack costs $22, which may be fine for a gift but like I'm gonna pay it for my own kid. I like what I paid -- $2 -- much better. 

I'm very impressed with the mom who sold these because all six of the original pairs were still together. I've been given two sets of these socks over the years but when I went through them to stock the new baby's drawer, I could only find a few pairs and a bunch of mismatches.

That just leaves a pair of Timberland sandals (retails about $20) and a pair of ballet slippers, 50 cents each. Stuff like this, I ALWAYS snatch up no matter what the size because one of my kids is going to need them eventually. 

All in all, I figure my $5 and 5 minutes of browsing netted me more than $100 worth of stuff, most of it like new. I heart garage sales!