How to Turn Garage Sale Finds Into Profit

I love watching American Pickers. Mike and Frank wade through people's barns, attics and outbuildings searching for rusty treasure. The reality tv stars pay the homeowners for their "junk" and Mike and Frank turn a profit in their stores, one located in Iowa the other in Tennessee. I don't know how much of this is actually staged, but I do know it's possible to turn garage sale finds into cash.

For the last several years, I make it a practice to watch for garage sale and yard sale signs. If anyone should stick a Caution: This Car Brakes for Garage Sales bumper sticker on his car, it's me. When I pull up to the curb of a house hosting a sale, my heart rate speeds up a bit, wondering what goodies will catch my eye. I serve a church in a ministerial position, full-time. However, I rent out booth space in a flea market, so my hobby is finding "treasure." I know many people sell on online platforms like Ebay or Mercari. I have as well. The one particular perk I enjoy about selling in a flea market booth is that I don't have to concern myself with shipping. Since we are heading into the garage sale season, I thought it might be helpful to share some of the items I find that can quickly turn a profit. These items are some that others may not think about reselling.

Leather and Special Edition Bibles

Three Summers ago, I found a person selling 20 Bibles, all either leather or special edition/translations. She wanted one dollar a piece. I grabbed a box and bought them all without checking any prices online. I knew these would do well. After researching the potential profit, I listed these online instead of selling these in my booth. I ended up making almost $500 in less than a month. Those Bibles were a great find!

Classic Rock Albums

These are becoming harder to find for prices that can be resold for profit. Last Summer during the height of the pandemic, I happened upon a garage sale and the sellers wanted $1 a piece for some great artists from the 70's and 80's. I brought home Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chicago, The Rolling Stones, Foreigner and others. I sold these in my booth for $10-$15 per album. Since there's a resurgent enthusiasm in record players and LP's, it's always good to watch for great deals on albums.

Dr. Seuss Books

These children books recently became an item I started looking for. Over the years, we've read Seuss books to our kids a countless number of times. With the recent flap over some of the drawings being potentially hurtful, the value of certain Seuss books has sky rocketed. Last summer I picked up several Dr. Seuss books for a quarter a piece. One of those happened to be And to think that I Saw it on Mulberry Street. I discovered that my family owned two copies, and I sold one on Mercari last week for $75...not bad for a 25 cent investment. You might be lucky and find some of the other more sought after books at garage sales as well. You can find a list of those here.

Concrete Lawn Ornaments

Two years ago, I stopped at an indoor/outdoor estate sale. As I scanned the items on the exterior of the house, a small concrete donkey caught my eye. I walked quickly to the little guy and immediately knew I needed him for my booth. The owners wanted a $10 bill. I offered $5. We met at $7. A greenish lichen covered his back and undersides, and the outdoor elements had added an additional patina, but I knew it was a money maker. I drove home and sprayed it down with a hose, wiped it off, and added it to my booth. A couple of weeks later it sold for $75. Since then, I have sold concrete elves, dwarves and frogs. People look for these used lawn ornaments. Buying new can be quite pricey from a concrete statuary business.

The Unique or Unusual

There's a saying that goes, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." I believe the same thing goes for items deemed unique or unusual. When the bug first bit to buy and resell, I happened upon a cast iron cat door stop. I knew the cat fell under the category of an "antique." Since it only cost a couple of bucks, I decided to buy it and resell. Within a few hours, the cat sold for $80. Keep your eyes peeled for things that people don't see everyday. If they "speak" to you, there's a good possibility that they will to someone else as well.

When looking for items to resale, don't be afraid to ask for a deal. If an item is 50 cents, I seldom haggle for a better price. However, If I buy 10 items for 50 cents, I will ask the seller to take $3 instead of $5. Usually it's a "no" and we settle on $4. I think people expect you to dicker, so don't be embarrassed to do so. If you are buying to resell, your goal is profit and every $1 counts.

Now, watch for those eye catching signs along the road and find some treasure worth reselling. It takes a little practice and trial and error, but soon you will be making extra money for bills or some cash to tuck away in the vacation fund.