How I do what I do - finding old toys at flea markets and garage sales.
For about 10 years I have been hitting up garage sales and flea markets. About 90% of my collection was probably found this way, which means it has been a substantially lower cost (though more time) than just trolling ebay for what I want. There are probably a few items (like the more rare Super Powers figures) that I likely will never find at a garage sale, but I can live with that.
1. Know your town. Primarily where I make the best finds is at the areas of town where people my parents' age live. If you are looking for your childhood-era finds, you are probably not heading to the new parts of town.
2. Friday mornings. I go as many Saturdays as I can, but my best finds have always been going to a garage sale on my way to work on a Friday morning. I leave a little early and see what pops up.
3. Ask. Again, asking if anyone has old toys to sell is excellent. My BEST finds at garage sales happened this way. Occasionally someone will have something they have not brought out yet or have not thought about selling.
4. Random toy bins/boxes. Root through these as much as possible, all the way to the bottom. Best bang for your buck.
5. Bring $1 dollar bills and small change. This is more of a courtesy tip than anything else. When you are the first to show at a garage sale or an early bird at a flea market, nothing says "jerkface" more than dropping a $20 on a $1 item.
6. Alternate routes. Don't take the same way home that you came - unless you have to go miles out of your way, take a slightly different route back home if you have time. You may see another sale.
7. Show up early. If you don't, the other toy guys are likely to have gotten there first.
8. Know your values. Don't be afraid to walk away. Know what something sells for on ebay (the "advanced search" option lets you see what things actually sell for).
9. Haggle. At garage sales in particular, people are often looking to get rid of stuff. Unless something is obviously low enough, don't be afraid to ask.
10. Know your capacity. Budget for garage sales and know how much space you have. There have been a couple of times where I scored some major finds, but did not have the room to keep them around. My money for garage sales tends to be the cash I got from selling at the flea market, so I rarely have to go to the ATM - which means it can stay out of my household budget.
If you have any other ideas, complaints, or snide remarks, feel free to post. I'm all ears for new ideas and such.
For about 10 years I have been hitting up garage sales and flea markets. About 90% of my collection was probably found this way, which means it has been a substantially lower cost (though more time) than just trolling ebay for what I want. There are probably a few items (like the more rare Super Powers figures) that I likely will never find at a garage sale, but I can live with that.
1. Know your town. Primarily where I make the best finds is at the areas of town where people my parents' age live. If you are looking for your childhood-era finds, you are probably not heading to the new parts of town.
2. Friday mornings. I go as many Saturdays as I can, but my best finds have always been going to a garage sale on my way to work on a Friday morning. I leave a little early and see what pops up.
3. Ask. Again, asking if anyone has old toys to sell is excellent. My BEST finds at garage sales happened this way. Occasionally someone will have something they have not brought out yet or have not thought about selling.
4. Random toy bins/boxes. Root through these as much as possible, all the way to the bottom. Best bang for your buck.
5. Bring $1 dollar bills and small change. This is more of a courtesy tip than anything else. When you are the first to show at a garage sale or an early bird at a flea market, nothing says "jerkface" more than dropping a $20 on a $1 item.
6. Alternate routes. Don't take the same way home that you came - unless you have to go miles out of your way, take a slightly different route back home if you have time. You may see another sale.
7. Show up early. If you don't, the other toy guys are likely to have gotten there first.
8. Know your values. Don't be afraid to walk away. Know what something sells for on ebay (the "advanced search" option lets you see what things actually sell for).
9. Haggle. At garage sales in particular, people are often looking to get rid of stuff. Unless something is obviously low enough, don't be afraid to ask.
10. Know your capacity. Budget for garage sales and know how much space you have. There have been a couple of times where I scored some major finds, but did not have the room to keep them around. My money for garage sales tends to be the cash I got from selling at the flea market, so I rarely have to go to the ATM - which means it can stay out of my household budget.
If you have any other ideas, complaints, or snide remarks, feel free to post. I'm all ears for new ideas and such.
