Ah, it’s my favorite time of year?the height of the summer yard sale season (in the South, yard sales run from early March to mid-November and there are typically two peak times: post July 4 through Aug. 1 and then again Sept. 15 through Oct. 15).

My affinity for yard sales and the awesome feeling that always accompanies getting a deal began many years ago when my grandparents would take me out early Saturday mornings after my Friday night sleepover with them. Even as a youngster, I recognized and thoroughly enjoyed the “treasure hunting” mindset that yard sales provide.

Well, time passed and the Friday night sleepovers became fewer and fewer, but I still remember that glorious rush of joy when I found this silver, collapsible drinking cup from 1901. It was the neatest thing I had ever seen. Well, more time passed and I stopped going to yard sales very often. Then, with the arrival of my second child, I found myself getting up very early on Saturday mornings again, and I didn’t want my child just sitting in front of the TV all day. I recalled those early Saturday mornings with my grandparents (both gone) and decided this would be a fun activity for me and my son to share. I’m so happy he agreed. And so began the second phase of my yard sale story and the first entry on my yard sale tips list?

TIPS

1) When yard sale shopping with small children, have a theme. (We would always look for the McDonald’s toys that went with the Disney movies we had). Also, bring some juice.

2) If you want selection, go early. If you want deals, go later. (Folks really don’t want to carry their stuff back in the garage at the end of the day, and they are more willing to make the sweet deal.)

3) Be a good customer and carry lots of singles.

4) Don’t ask “Will you take any less” on an item that is already a great bargain (this is just insulting).

5) Don’t price clothing or books higher than $1. (These are among the most common items at yard sales and folks won’t pay more for items that have such an abundant supply).

TRENDS

Although my son does not accompany me as often anymore, I still consider myself an avid yard saler. And over the past couple of years, these are some of the trends I have noticed emerging.

1) The Friday afternoon sale, 3-7 p.m.?I think this is brilliant, not only is then when folks get paid, it’s also cooler and it’s after work when folks are looking for something to do. So why not a little affordable retail therapy on a nice Friday evening?

2) Day Laborers to Debutantes?no longer is the yard sale the exclusive pre-dawn marketplace of the early-rising elderly couple. The face of the yard sale customer is going global. Pick-ups to Mercedes to mini-vans, the offer of a good deal entices us all, especially during this economic downturn.

3) The $1, $2, $5 tables?again a very smart idea. Since so much of the work in a yard sale is pricing, this idea eliminates the need for most of that. Simply designate individual tables with a price (clearly) and put all your $1 items in the same location. Easy pricing, Easy shopping.

4) Debt and Declutter?two of the primary motives for having yard sales these days. They either need to pay bills or have realized that it is quiet possible to survive without most of our junk. People today enjoy the liberating feeling that accompanies paying off a bill or clearing out your closet.

5) Being Green?more and more folks are recognizing yard sales as big ticket recycling. Any time an item is reused or repurposed it is recycled, and it’s so much less expensive and more fun to get something cheap and creatively refurbish it. Brain power and creativity have a much lower overhead than store fronts and advertising campaigns.

TALES

Not only can yard sales generate extra income, they can also be the foundation for lots of good stories. From “I remember the day we got this bedroom suit for $100” to “Did you see that guy on ?Antiques Roadshow’ who got a real Tiffany lamp at an estate sale for $25 and sold it for $14,000” to “The only place you can really find legitimate vintage concert Ts is at yard sales.” All these are true, but my favorite recent tale came from Piper Barlow, who shared the following:

“Apparently, people are starting to think yard sales are like Wal-Mart and that if you get home and the shirt doesn’t fit, it’s alright to take it back for a refund?NOT! At my last sale, I had a woman purchase an overhead stove lamp, and the next day she came back to my house and asked for her money back because the light wasn’t the right color. When I told her I could not refund her money, she then asked if she could look around in my garage and find something to exchange it for.”

So for those few people on the planet who may not be aware of this unstated rule: there are no refunds or exchanges at yard sales.

There’s still plenty of yard sale season to go and the season is bountiful, so go grab a few dollar bills and a couple of fives and get out there and stimulate this economy.