Whether you’re a modern-day treasure hunter, downsizing or running a business, yard sales often have something for everyone, and garage sale season has begun.
Many Innisfil residents took advantage of the beautiful weather on the weekend to host a few sales for eager passersby.
John Martiskovich and his family advertised their yard sale in Innisfil online as they sought to purge unnecessary items as they prepare to downsize.
“It’s been sort of steady, but not what I’m used to,” he said early Saturday morning. Fortunately, more people came to search through their tables and boxes of objects that included dishes, books, and knickknacks later in the day.
Darren Allen advertised his yard sale with signs posted up and down Innisfil streets, but where objects on tables and lawns are the norm, his driveway was filled with boxes.
“I buy Amazon and Wayfair overstock," he said, explaining returns or overstock is typically sold to a big liquidation company.
"I buy it by the skid, so I never know what I’m getting,” he explained, adding he hosts garage sales year-round.
Innisfil resident and artist, Dixie Roach, has acquired items from garage sales that she has painted and used in various art projects. She has been frequenting garage and yard sales since before acquiring second-hand objects was popular.
“The prices that you get from people who are selling things are already a great deal," said Roach. "Buying found treasures at garage sales not only saves you money and it keeps items out of landfills, but it allows people to preserve pieces that have a unique history.”
For those planning to host a yard sale, Roach recommends adverting online as well as with signs on the streets; remember to write the date and your address in large, dark letters (people looking for yard sales are often driving, so it’s difficult if not impossible to read small font), and place arrows on side streets to help those unfamiliar with the area navigate to your sale.
The federal government offers Facts For Garage Sale Vendors, which includes a list of items that are illegal to sell and items that could pose a safety threat, as well as a link to consumer product recalls.
