Yard Sale Ettitquette 101

For anyone who knows me, it's pretty obvious that I LOVE yard sales. Also anyone who reads a bit knows that I do fairly well at yard sales. How do I do it? I follow what I've called 'Yard Sale Ettiquette'. This is just a collection of what most would deem common sense. Also included at my yard sale rules if you want to ride with me, and tips for making a good score.

School is now in session.

Yard Sale Etiquette:

1) Never walk on someone's lawn unless there is merchandise in the yard that can be browsed.

2) Always greet the proprietor of the sale and when leaving, regardless if you purchased anything, tell them goodbye and thank them for their time. A little kindness can go a long way when you start haggling with folks.

3) Never have the stereo thumping and bumping when pulling up to a sale. More than likely, they are not going to care that you know the words to every <insert popular artist that the kids are into these days> song and you have a loud stereo.

4) Don't smoke at someone else's yard sale. Even if they are smoking and you are a smoker, save it for your personal vehicle and not their yard.

5) Lastly... BRUSH YOUR TEETH!!! This is a big one! If I had a sale, I would not want someone with morning breath trying to talk to me. I would probably ignore them and hope they leave. Don't let this be you.

These are really common sense items. I've always noticed that people are a lot more willing to deal if you respect them. All these etiquette rule establish that respect for the seller.

So what kind of rules would you have to follow to go with me to yard sales? I'm strict. Feel free to follow my rules though for your own adventuring!

Derek's Road Rules:

Rule 1) Never spend more than 2 minutes at a sale unless you are buying or waiting for the seller to find something for you.

Rule 2) Wear shoes, not flip flops. At some point, you will have to walk on grass i guarantee. When you do, the dew from the grass will make your flip flops slick and you will have trouble walking. I avoid flip flops during yard sales as much as possible.

Rule 3) Don't pick something up unless you intend to buy it. This doesn't mean you can't look at the condition of an item or specs of a router if it is in the box, but don't gawk. I don't have time for that and neither should you.

Finally here are some tips that you can use for making those deals.

Derek's Tips:

Tip 1) Never go through an entire box if what you want is visible in it. Usually if a bunch of items are in a box, the seller will sell them all together such as games/books/action figures/etc. Case in point, you find a box of games and all are marked $2 each. On/near the top is a game you want and others that are worthwhile. Don't cherry pick the box. Offer a ballpark for the whole thing. If the seller refuses then cherry pick games to meet or exceed the original offer.

Tip 2) Use the Cash in Face (CIF) method. If you have $7 worth of items in your hands, pull out a five before seeing the seller and offer it up without asking for a total. BE CAREFUL THOUGH! Be tactful in asking. Usually the seller is just as eager to get rid of their junk as you are to buy it. If they see you have the cash ready, they are more likely to accept.

Tip 3) Wear cargo shorts/pants. Put a different denomination of bill in each pocket. This way you can pull out an exact amount and not show your full hand. This goes hand in hand with tip 2. It's the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared.

So those are my tips that I can offer to those who have been yard saling for a while or those that are just getting in the game.

Do you have any tips to share? If so leave them in the comment section below! Maybe I'll use them on my next outing!