April Garage Sale Finds - Sold!

My daughter and I have been hitting garage sales hard for the last 3 weeks and I wanted to share some of our finds and sales with readers out there who may want to improve their "radar" at garage sales, yard sales, church rummage sales, and thrift stores. We do not usually find these items at thrift stores - books are usually priced much higher and are in pretty bad condition. Board games are usually taped up by thrift store employees so it is hard to see exactly what is inside - the condition and number of pieces. Other items don't even make it to the sales floor. I wanted to show you these items specifically because they are sourced at garage sales, and the choices are different than in thrift stores. Pricing is also different - you never know what you will find and how it will be priced. So, good finds are actually a "cocktail" of all the right ingredients including condition and the price you as the buyer must pay for the item.

Let me add this disclaimer that I don't know everything, and there are items I choose not to sell because either they are a pain to ship, have a high return rate, or are frequently counterfeited. Everyone in this business has different items on their radar and we can all learn from each other by sharing our successes.

This Donna Karan lotion was $25 at a garage sale held by a DKNY rep. It sold for $154.97. This size bottle of lotion is only sold at select department stores once a year on a DKNY promotion. I found 2 of them. The irony: this was shipped to a buyer 30 miles from me, 6.5 miles from the store that sells this item once a year.

Found this men's cologne set at a church rummage sale for $3. It sold on eBay for $44.97 in less than a week. I've never found fragrances new in the package in a thrift store - garage sales are great for finding things like this.

This Scrabble Onyx Limited Edition Game was $5 at a church rummage sale. It sold on auction on eBay for $34.97 in a week.

My daughter found this used iPhone rubber case cover for $2.50 at a garage sale, it sold for $12.50 on eBay within 2 weeks. Cell phone accessories are great sellers, even if used. Look for adapters, cords, cases, and belt clips. This is an area where someone else's trash is profitable treasure.

Found this book at a garage sale for $1 on April 5. It sold on Amazon (FBA) for $49.97 in about 3 weeks.I usually source text books at garage or church sales because, in my experience, they are cheaper and in better condition than in thrift stores or at library sales. I find a lot of brand new books at garage sales for 25 cents - $1.

This Abroad Travel Journal was $4, new in the package at a yard sale. Sold it for $25 on Amazon (FBA) in less than a week.

This Burt Bacharach sheet music was $1 at an estate sale. It sold for $12.50 on Amazon (FBA) in less than a week.

This book was 50 cents at a garage sale. Sold for $12.50 within a week on Amazon (FBA).


If you are not a member of my Facebook Group, I encourage you to join and read the following weekly threads, which can be very educational:


Money Making Mondays - members share their sales, posting links to items that actually sold so others can see the listings and selling prices.

Fabulous Finds Fridays - members post their weekly finds. Also a great way to learn about items that other sellers look for that have value.

After selling online since 2003, I still love this business! Every day is an adventure and I am always learning something new. If you want to take your eBay or Amazon business to the next level, here are some resources I have put together to help you enjoy the world of online selling, and enjoy the freedom of working at home on your own schedule:

Amazon 90 Day Experiment - Build an Amazon Book Business in 3 Months (free download)

Hot Brands to Sell on eBay - comprehensive list of brands that sell well on eBay (free download)