Five Things to Look For at Yard Sales this summer

I'm joining up with a group of die hard yard sale going, rummage sale rummaging, dumpster diving bloggers and we are all writing about the five things to look for at yard sales this summer.  Since I am a die hard junker AND I am forever long winded  - I am going to write about TEN things that I am going to look for this year - Five for my personal collections and five for selling.  And, then there is always my wishlist.  The five things I WANT to find.  But, I haven't.  YET.

So, let's get this party started!

First - Top Five Things for Selling:

#1: Cute Stuff:  Anything you had as a child and it was cute?  Buy it.  Old baby toys, squeaks, Irmi lamps, baby cups, baby spoons, baby quilts, things with wiggly eyes and drooly smiles.  If it's cute - someone wants it.

Vintage baby Squeak toys like this old Sun Rubber Ruth Newton are highly sought after now.  

#2:  Old Jars.  From old blue Ball and Mason jars to old Peter Pan Peanut Butter Jars and old Miracle Whip jars - I have bought them all.  Sell the pretty ones as they are - fill the others up with stuff and sell them.  What should you put in them?  Well......

#3: Bulk anything.  Honestly.  Anything.  Milk caps, old match boxes, pool balls, rulers, gum wrappers, bottle caps, spools, pens, pencils, office supplies and on and on and on.  You can literally put anything in an old jar and it is instantly FASCINATING.  I usually buy almost anything I find if it's in bulk and afforordable.

One of the best bulk finds I ever found was 90 brand new brass peepholes for $5.00.  I had no idea what to do with them, but darn it, they were interesting and unique.  So, I bought them.  I discovered they work like little telescopes so I called them "Pocket Telescopes" and sold them mostly to men and kids at $3.00 a pop.  

Another one of my best bulk finds was at my last stop on a ten hour yard sale crawl.  I bought five huge tubs full of cake decorations ranging from every holiday to Disney and TV toppers.  I packaged up the vintage ones for my booths, stocked my Etsy shop with vintage holiday and Teletubbies (I sold 24 packages of Teletubbies ranging from $18-$27 for EACH set.  

#4: Vintage School Supplies.  I love old crayon boxes, chalk boxes, chalkboards, erasers, primers, Readers, Flash Cards, puzzles, learning toys, paint tins and on and on.  Priced right and it will spark nostalgia to people and they will impulse buy it.

I frame old flash cards and they sell well.

Old packaging strikes nostalgia.

#5: Vintage Christmas:  Shiny, glittery, mercury glass, aluminum trees, color wheels, tacky gaudy. Oh, it's all SO GOOD.  I love it all (and I do keep the very best for me.  Because I am greedy.)  But, I do sell a ton of it too.  Boxes of Shiny Brites, loose boxes of Shiny Brites that can be bagged into dozens of good ornaments, old tinsel garland, spun head angels, tree toppers, bottle brush trees, knee huggers, vintage packging and on and on.  Oh, it is all just so delicious!

I found all this on a 4th of July day sale - it was so hot, no one wanted any part of the Christmas stuff. But, I dove right into those boxes and hit pay dirt.

I always dig down under the dollar store junk to the bottom of the box.  You just might find a nice little stash of gold under there.  

And now the Top Five Things for ME:

#1: Vintage Christmas: Yes, I already listed it in the "To Sell" area - but it forebodes repeating.  Yard Sales are great places to find vintage Christmas - you might not find a ton at one sale, but I usually pick up one or two items a day all yard sale season long.  It adds up.  When I go to some of the highway crawl yard sales, I find one thing here and one thing there and before I know it I have a major haul!

Yard Sale crawl finds - see?  It adds up!

#2: Vintage Tablecloths:  This is the one thing I look for at every single yard sale.  I don't find them as often as I would like - but I do find my fair share of them.  And they are all FOR ME.  I have a huge collections, all found for less than $2.00 each.  I keep them stacked neatly in a couple cabinets and they make me super happy.  I do use them at the holidays or for family dinners and on my tables when I am selling at vintage markets.  I do keep a few out for sale because people always want to buy the display cloths.

#3: Vintage Picnic Baskets:  These are the greatest for storage.  I have way too many, but I cannot pass one up if the price is right and it's in good condition.  Last week I did pass one up - bottom falling out and only one handle - "$10.00 - 'cause that's an antique".  Uh, nope.  Anyway, if you can find one for less that the cost of a Rubbermaid tub at Wal-Mart, I say BUY IT.  Store your seasonal items in it, your "to sell" items, ebay listings, extra towels and sheets, craft supplies, your stash of Halloween candy you don't want anyone to know about and on and on. 

Oh, I just love them SO much.

#4: Display Racks.  I love display racks!  So much, in fact, that I can barely stand to actually leave them in my booths for fear they will get stolen or lost.  I have been lucky enough to find several that I use in my booths and at shows.  I am never shy to ask at a sale if a rack is for sale.  More often than not, it is and I swoop in on it. 

 I have these vintage spinner racks that I got at a yard sale for $1.00 each.  I love those things so much that I have them displayed in my office  - EMPTY.  Empty display racks on display.  I may or not be slightly crazy.

#5: Useful Things:  Oh, this one is rather boring.  But, I will buy packages of photo paper, cardstock, printer paper, ink pads, hang tags, envelopes, staples, sticker paper, scrapbooking paper and just about anything that I can use for pricing in my booths, The Junk Ranch booth or even just here at home. Every thing I buy for a quarter saves me money if I need to go buy it at a retail store.

And, lastly (as if I haven't rambled on enough!), here are the Top Five Things that I will be looking for myself this year - my Wishlist.  It's a WISHLIST because I have never found any of these things.  But, I will continue the hunt.  Because, the hunt is half the fun and you never know what you WILL find!

Hazel Atlas PINK Crinoline Dishes:  Because PINK is best.

Vintage Hanging Produce Scale:  Reminds me of my Dad's Produce Department

Old Metal Laundry Basket on Wheels:  It just seems like it would be handy, doesn't it?

Sunbeam Bread Christmas Tin:  Because it is uber adorable.

Kitchen-Aid Replacement Batter Bowl:  Because I hate washing the batter bowl before I make the frosting.  

So, what are YOU looking for this year at yard sales?

Be sure to visit all the other bloggers and see what they recommend looking for this year.  I know I will!

Amy @ Brocante Treasures

Cecilia @ My Thrift Store Addiction

Diana @ Adirondack Girl at Heart

Donna @ Distressed Donna Down Home

Eddie @ Eddie-torial Comments

Jillian @ Bella Rosa Antiques

Kim @ Snug Harbor Bay

Linda @ Itsy Bits and Pieces 

Melissa @ Melissa's Antiques 

Pam @ House of Hawthornes 

Rita @ Panoply 

Shara @ Monkeybox

Sharon @ Blue Willow House

Tuula @ Thrifty Rebel Vintage