Garage Sales 101

-


I have a friend named Stephanie who I met when our boys were in kindergarten.


We hit it off immediately and so did our boys!

(My son Chris between Stephanie's boys Mitchell & Michael)

 Stephanie is a woman of many talents... I'll never forget the time she brought spider web cookies to class that seriously rivaled Martha Stewart's!


We soon discovered that we shared the thrill of the hunt whether it was at our favorite discount stores like Ross & Marshalls, thrift stores, garage sales or craigslist.


We loved to trade stories about our latest scores while watching little league games or in the school yard waiting to pick up the kiddos.


 Sharing our passion for treasure hunting was fun and exciting! We always had a great story to share whenever we got together.

 

 Looking back now, I can see why I took to blogging like a fish to water.


There is nothing like finding like minded individuals who share your passion.


Stephanie is fortunate to have a husband and 3 sons who also love the thrill of the hunt and often join her on treasure hunting forays.

 

In fact they have all become quite adept at scoring some incredible FREE STUFF on craigslist.

(One of her son's scored this for FREE on craigslist!)

I thought I was good...

 

but Stephanie takes it to another level altogether!

 

Being a treasure huntress extraordinaire has turned her into a garage sale expert as well.

 

With 3 boys and a large extended family she's become quite good at organizing and throwing some seriously profitable sales.

 (Stephanie's Dad manning the driveway)


She lives in a beautiful neighborhood known as The Gold Coast in Alameda which provides the idyllic setting for her sale.

 

As you can see from the photos, she's a merchandising whiz.


She invites her parents and siblings to join her for a 2-day sale that usually starts on a Friday.


Now I've been to my share of garage sales over the years but have yet to see one that rivals my friend Stephanie's!


Just a few weeks ago while my mom and I were out and about we happened upon her latest sale. 

 

I jumped out of the car, ran up and gave my old friend a great big hug!

(She even has hangers at the ready, now that's service!)

It's been awhile since we've seen each other...  with our boys in college our paths don't cross as much anymore.


I asked if I could take some photos and blog about her sale. She can never say no to me!


Throwing a garage or tag sale is a summer ritual for many.

(Her beautiful home has been featured in several TV commercials)

I hope my friend has inspired you to lighten your load and make a little extra cash to fuel some summer fun!



Happy Summer!



Comments

Helen said…
I love, love, love organized yard sales, but I have to say, the ones where you have to dig sometimes turns up the best treasures. Especially is the seller has NO IDEA what they just sold! Enjoyed the post.
June 21, 2012 at 10:58 AM
Acquired Objects said…
Your friend is very organized with her setup and signs. A woman after my own heart!

Happy first day of summer!
XX
Debra~
June 21, 2012 at 11:59 AM
helen tilston said…
Hi Terri

I like Stephanie's style of display. Her object look clean and tidy also.

Wishing her success in her sale this weekend

Helenxx
June 21, 2012 at 12:13 PM
Beach House Living said…
How great is that to separate things by category!
June 21, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Mary Jane said…
Looks like Stephanie wrote the "how to" book on garage sales. She's got it all going on with the signs and tables. Great post.

Mary Jane
June 21, 2012 at 4:33 PM
Burlap Luxe said…
Hi Terri, you and Stephanie are quite the team, and a long friendship to go along with it.

I am so inspired by her lightening up her junk, treasure chest of goods. I so wish I could be hitting some of these garage, tag, and yard sales in your town its a wonderful place to pick up some great stuff :)

Beautiful friendship you to have.

come visit and enter my hosted GiveAway!

xoxo
Dore
June 21, 2012 at 11:38 PM
Mary Ann Pickett said…
Talk about great organization! Nice to have dear friends like that.
June 22, 2012 at 2:16 AM
jeanette from everton terrace said…
I just did this very thing but it was quite this big :)
How on earth did he find a motorcycle for free??? I had no idea.
Thought of you last week as we drove the long haul down from Seattle to Phoenix and passed right by Alameda on the map.
June 22, 2012 at 6:12 AM
Summer said…
I really miss weekend garage sales in the Gold Coast. Talk about them and think about them often and still cherish some things I obtained. We moved away from Alameda in 1998. Do you remember before computers when you had to look in the newspaper for the street names and drive around looking for the colored flyers? I love it when you post photos of your finds from garage sales and the Alameda Point flea market. Of course, I remember the base when my husband flew jets from there. Sigh!
June 22, 2012 at 7:24 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Holiday Inspiration

-
Image
Well, it was a wonderful Thanksgiving full of togetherness, great food & good times... and when it was all over I went to put a load of laundry on and accidentally ran my new iphone 4 through the wash!      In the meantime, while I wait for it to completely dry out, I thought I'd post some Christmas decorating ideas that I've saved over the years which have inspired me in decorating our home which I've been doing since Black Friday... and oh my, what a mess I'm in at the moment!! These images are from Christmas Ideas 2003.  This gorgeous spread has provided me with the main design theme in my Christmas decor. Hopefully I'll be back in business with my iphone/camera in a few days and will be able to show you how I've translated it into our Holiday Home!
Read more

Holiday Home Tour - House #2

-
Image
Both my mom and my uncle's homes were part of the Holiday Home Tour this year benefiting The Alameda Family Services League. My uncle's home is a grand old Spanish Revival that wraps the corner of Northwood Dr. (the street I grew up on) and Yale Dr. where he and my mom grew up and where my mom now lives. His address is actually Gibbons Drive which is one of the most beautiful tree lined streets in Alameda. "Alameda" actually means, tree-lined avenue!  This fountain greets you at the entry to his home. Santa had the perfect spot for a long afternoon of greeting guests.  You may remember the greeting he gave my mom when he saw her!! A lovely vignette awaits you at the door. My mom is no stranger to this house. They have lived in the same neighborhood, just a few houses apart, for over 40 years! The Living Room with windows on two sides is typical of the Spanish Revival style. My uncle is also a treasure hunter, it runs in the family! I...
Read more

Summer Living

-
Image
We haven't had a summer vacation yet but all it took for me to get inspired to do a little upgrade to our summer room or as my hubby calls it, his mancave, which is actually our garage, was this little number... It had been sitting for the longest time in my favorite thrift store and as hard as I tried to ignore it, it finally got my attention when one night as I was watching a movie with my hubby I imagined it across the room replacing an existing bench. Bright and early the following morning I high tailed it over there hoping it would still be there waiting for me! I sighed a breath of relief when I spied it over in the corner.  It was originally priced at $250 but had been lowered recently to $100. I asked politely if they might meet me at $75.   They promptly agreed as they were anxious to free up space. Once I got it home it became the catalyst for further upgrades in the space. I channeled India Hicks...
Read more