If you want to know how and where to snag a bargain, talk to a fellow homeschooling mom. We love bargains! Many of us know exactly how to find awesome educational freebies online and we’re highly skilled at creating engaging lessons and spectacular projects using inexpensive items from Dollar Tree and the Target Dollar Spot.

But now that spring is here, my bargain hunting excursions are taking me outside the traditional brick and mortar stores and pulling me away from online supersites like Amazon and Overstock. Instead, I’m out and about at local yard sales, gathering up all the educational goodies my minivan can hold.

This past weekend, and with happy, giggly little girls in tow, my sister-in-law and I headed off for a morning of bargain hunting and deal snatching throughout our town-wide yard sale. If you’re like me and yard sale hopping is one of your favorite things to do,  you’ll want to keep reading. I’m offering up some great tips and tricks for yard sale success. The Homeschool Mom’s Guide to Yard Sale Success will help you navigate the neighborhood sales with ease and help you score amazing goodies for your homeschool!

12 Tips for Yard Sale Success

1. Do online research first. Use the internet to find yard sales in your area. Craigslist and Yard Sale Search my are favorite yard sale search tools. Once you know where sellers are located, map out your route, and head off.
2. Clear out space in your vehicle. Make room in the backseat and trunk of your vehicle.You’ll need plenty of space to transport the educational goodies you purchase.
3. Bring your own bags. Some sellers will provide bags for the items you purchase, while other sellers will not. Save yourself the time and effort of making multiple trips to the car by bringing your own bags to yard sales.
4. Bring plenty of cash, including coins. Don’t run the risk of missing out on a fantastic deal because you don’t have enough cash to purchase an item. One dollar bills are good for smaller purchases and coins are great for quickly purchasing inexpensive items like books, which are sometimes sold for as little as a dime or a quarter.
5. Make sure you have plenty of time. Bargain hunting takes time and you’ll likely want to shop multiple sales. To avoid the stress associated with rushing and the disappointment that comes from knowing you missed a great deal, be sure to allow yourself ample time to travel, park, walk, and shop. Most sales begin early in the morning at 7:00 or 8:00 am and end around 1:00 or 2:00 pm in the afternoon.
6. Don’t be afraid to negotiate a price. If you’re purchasing several items from a seller, you may consider offering an appropriate price for the entire lot of goods. As you negotiate, do so in a friendly manner and offer a reasonable purchase price. Sellers are turned off by rude behavior and often say no when they sense buyers are trying to take advantage of them.
7. Go early. The old adage is true. The early bird does catch the worm! Those who arrive first get to see the entire selection of goods and often snatch up the best deals.
8. Go late. By the end of a yard sale, many sellers are tired and just want to get rid of stuff. Sellers don’t want to lug goods back into their garages or haul things off to the Goodwill store. You may be able to use this to your advantage and score some fabulous last minute deals.
9. Bring a measuring tape. Be ready to measure. If you find the perfect looking desk or stumble upon that beautiful bookcase that perfectly matches your style and decor, you’ll want to be able to measure it on the spot.
10. Look high and low. When shopping, don’t set your sights on tabletop items alone. Many sellers place items under tables or set them on higher shelving units. Items are sometimes spread out on blankets under trees. Be sure to look  everywhere.
11. Take a child with you. Because my girls have accompanied me to yard sales for years, they know what I like to purchase and have become skilled at spotting great goods and terrific bargains. Their well trained eyes have often zeroed in on items I have overlooked. In addition, we’ve had kind sellers give us things for free just because my cuties were tagging along!
12. Be pleasant. Approach sellers with a smile, extend a kind greeting, and don’t be afraid to chat. When sellers learn I’m a homeschooling mom looking for educational items, they often direct me to their best bargains or bring things to me as I shop. Recently, a seller went into her home, pulled out an additional stack of board games, and sold them to me at a tremendous discount.

What I Like To Buy at Yard Sales

• Board games: Board games are expensive so I pick them up at yard sales whenever possible. I always ask if all pieces are included and ask permission check the contents to make sure everything is there and is in good condition.
• Children’s Books: If you’re trying to create a home library for your family, buy books at yard sales. The going rate in my area is $.50 for hard cover books and $.10 to $.25 for paperback books.
• Reference books: Hard cover books like dictionaries and thesauruses  are often sold at yard sales. Bypass high prices and hefty shipping costs by shopping for reference books at yard sales.
• Textbooks: Teachers host yard sales too! I’ve seen student textbooks and even spotted a few teacher’s editions at local yard sales.
• Toys: We’ve purchased lots of great toys at yard sales. This is where we’ve found several cute dollhouses. Further, most of my daughters’ collection of Barbie clothes have come from yard sales. Once purchased, we toss the clothes into a small laundry bag and wash them with our next load of laundry.
• Organizational items: Scour yard sales for crates, storage bins, and shelving units. Many sellers are eager to offload these items and you can benefit from the seller’s downsizing efforts.
• Furniture: Larger furniture items are often sold at yard sales. If you’re looking for desks, side tables, or substantial bookcases, shop yard sales first.
• Sports Equipment: Yard sales are a never ending source of tennis racquets, tennis balls, frisbees, and badminton birdies. Step up your backyard game time by shopping for these items at yard sales.
• Musical instruments: If you’re looking for drum sets, guitars, or pianos, hit the yard sale circuit. They can be purchased at a fraction of the usual price.

Items I Avoid Purchasing at Yard Sales

• Stuffed animals: Many of these items are dirty, worn, and potentially full of germs.
• DVDs: The scratches, nicks, and dings sometimes found on DVDs often make them unplayable.
• Safety helmets: These items may no longer be up to current safety standards or may have unseen damage.
• Electronic devices: These items may look good, but may have faulty internal mechanisms that may prevent them from working properly.
• Personal items: Don’t risk your health by purchasing used items such as shoes, hats, bathing suits, mattresses.
• Baby items: Stay away from baby items as they may be damaged and may pose safety risks to your child.

Yard sales can be a great source of educational treasure for the homeschool mom.  If you search carefully, exercise selectivity, and avoid unsafe items, you may leave the local yard sale with items that can greatly enhance your homeschool. Happy shopping!