Have you ever bought secondhand items? The old saying about one man’s trash being another’s treasure is true.

 

The Beginning

In the U.S. during the nineteenth century, people faced uncertainty and conflict. The country was in trouble, and so were her citizens. It was a tough time economically, and people did whatever they could to feed their families. But often their efforts weren’t enough, so churches and charities stepped in to fill the need.

They accepted all kinds of donations, then held large “rummage sales.” People found what they needed and purchased the items for a fraction of what they originally cost.

In the twentieth century, especially during the Great Depression, people made extra money by selling their belongings in yard sales. After World War II, though, the economy boomed, and yard sales fell out of fashion. People didn’t want secondhand items when they could afford to buy new. However, as the years passed and they ran out of room in their homes for these new and better things, the custom of selling their used goods once again ticked up.

Did You Know…

• The term “rummage” literally means to search randomly through a bunch of stuff. It comes from the sixteenth century and originated in the middle Dutch and old French languages. “Rummage” described the items in a ship’s hold. When a ship made port, the damaged cargo, or left over items, were sold on the pier in a “rummage sale.”
• During the Civil War, women on both sides hosted rummage sales to make money for their soldiers.
• “Yard” sales became “garage” sales because the new homes people were buying now came with garages in which these sales could be held.

 

Yard-Garage-Estate-Moving

In my experience . . . Yard and garage sales are basically the same thing. The prices are usually low, but there may not be a wide variety of items, unless a number of families are involved.

Estate sales are a step above. They usually have a good variety of items, often antiques, but they tend to cost more, especially if a company has been hired to price and run the sale. It’s not that you can’t find deals, but it’s not always as easy since professionals usually know the value of the items they’re selling.

Moving sales—my favorite—usually offer the best price and variety. The seller is normally motivated to sell quickly and for a low price, because they don’t want (or can’t) take the items with them when they move.

 

The Bite

I was bitten by the “garage-sale” bug not long after I moved to Tennessee. A friend took me to the last day of an estate sale. The large, multi-storied house was old and weathered. I learned it had been in the same family—one of the town’s most prominent and wealthy—for generations. During the depression, the family had helped their neighbors survive by buying their extra furniture and miscellaneous items for cash. (And, yes, from what I heard about them, the family paid a fair price for the items they bought.)

Anyway, when the last family member died, the house and its contents had to be sold. My friend told me the house had been filled to the rafters, every room and even hallways, full of items purchased over the decades. It had taken all the previous weekend just to sell most of the furniture. This day, in the final hours of the sale, boxes filled with odds and ends were being sold for a few dollars each. Whoever was running the sale just wanted to get rid of things and finish it. My friend bought a couple of the boxes, and we had a blast going through them, seeing what “treasures” they held.

Not having been to a garage or estate sale before this, I had nothing to compare it to. Looking back, I realize I started “at the top” with this sale. I think the history of the situation and the area made it more exciting. The possibility of stumbling upon an unexpected and rare treasure made it irresistible. Unfortunately, I’ve never again run into that kind of sell, but I have had my share of great finds.

 

Family Outing

I’d been in Tennessee about a year when Mom and Dad visited, and I took Mom garage sale-ing. Dad bowed out. He was more interested in the Saturday afternoon football games . . . until we returned less than an hour later with a carload of treasures found at the first sale we’d attended.

After unloading our buys—including a sturdy, two-drawer wooden filing cabinet, a beautiful, if wobbly, wooden rocking chair, and an artificial Ficus tree—all three of us headed back out in search of new deals. From then on, every time Mom and Dad came to see me, we went garage sale-ing. And we always discovered at least one special or valuable item.

It was not only a fun way to spend time together, but a great way to meet some very interesting people—Dad’s favorite part.

 

Dead or Not?

Looking for stats on garage sales, I learned very quickly: There are as many articles pronouncing garage sales dead and not worth the trouble as there are articles claiming garage sales are making a comeback and are a good way to make money.

I tend to believe they are on the way up. During the pandemic, and with an increase of online marketplaces, the number of garage sales probably did drop. But as the economy has worsened, and supply chain disruptions have led to more expensive and delayed goods, people are once more turning to the tried-and-true garage sale.

I haven’t ever held a garage sale—and don’t plan to start now—but I do love to shop at them. The thrill of the hunt for that unexpected or valuable item continues to draw me. If you haven’t ever been to a garage sale, give it a try. As I said, even Dad enjoyed going. But take a friend or family member with you because it’s always more fun when you’re with someone else.

Did You Know…

• In 2024, these are some of the hot yard/garage sale items: electronics; toys; clothes; board games and puzzles; gaming systems and video games; books; sports equipment; tools and equipment; outdoor furniture; wood furniture; costume jewelry; cold drinks and snacks; and antiques.
• Broken things that are fixable will sell. (I love buying things I can repair.)
• The Highway 127 Yard Sale is the world’s longest. It began in Fentress County, Tennessee, in 1987. Today, this four-day event during the first week of August extends 690 miles, primarily on Route 127, through six states (Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama).
• Though not as popular as the Highway 127 Yard Sale, the Coast-to-Coast yard sale runs along U.S. Route 50 each May.