Things to do in Phoenix #130 Going Yard Sale Shopping around the Valley (Garage Sales, Estate Sales, Community Sales)

“One man’s junk is another man’s treasure,” goes the saying, and when it comes to yard sales (estate sales, car port sales or garage sales), nothing could be more true. Wherever you are in the country, getting up at the crack of dawn (or before), one a Friday, Saturday or Sunday morning and going yard-sale-ing is a lot of fun. Many of us harbor that secret wish that we’ll find the lost Picasso (here’s a story about someone who did), or the rare comic book, or record, coin, collectible Barbie doll, or whatever…at yard sales, you just never know!

Even if your ultimate treasure isn’t on the discovery list, yard sale shopping is one of those wonderful activities that can cost little to nothing and can yield some wonderful finds. From knick-knacks to furniture, boats, televisions, gym equipment to books, who knows where your little yard sale adventure will take you?

In the valley during the summer, yard sales start early, often pre-dawn. The hard-core yard sale enthusiasts are often out before many alarm clocks have woken up the rest of the shoppers, hoping to get in and and browse before anyone else. Yard sale days are often Friday and/or Saturday. There are Sunday yard sales too, but these tend to be fewer in number. They’re all over the Valley, from Carefree to Buckeye, New River to Queen Creek. It’s a tough job to hit them all!

While driving around looking for “yard sale” signs, is one strategy to finding destinations, many people check the local paper a day or two ahead. Sites such as Craigslist and Yardsale.com, AZCentral, and others are also good places to check, and can help you with route planning. These are also useful to check if you’re looking for something specific. If you hit the yard sale jackpot and find a community or multi-family yard sale or garage sale you could spend hours happily browsing among the knick-knacks!

Here are a few links to yard sale information pages on the web. Be diligent. Information online cannot be guaranteed, so use appropriate caution and play it safe. If you find the next big thing, like a copy of the Declaration of Independence stuck in an old picture frame (a true story – here’s a link), please let us know!

Happy trails!

Dates & Times

Mostly weekends
Start early, especially in Summer!

Some Things to Bring

Sunscreen
Water
Small bills
A cell phone (just in case)

Some yard sale websites

As with any event, please check the event website or with the vendor to verify the information posted above. This posting is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for complete accuracy. Please check all dates, times, locations, prices, age restrictions, safety and other information with the event organizer before attending. This information is provided “as is” and accuracy or relevance cannot be verified.