A Trip Around The Block

What can you get on a trip around the block? Usually nothing, unless you pick in someone’s garbage, but when it’s garage sale season, you can pick up some mighty fine treasures at even mightier and even finer prices! I consider myself a garage sale queen. I’ve been going since I could walk and now just the thought gets my heartbeat racing twice its normal speed. I would like to share some of my garage sale treasures found this summer. That’s right, all of this came only from this summer – just think of the things you can find if you live in a warm place that can have garage sales all year long or if you stop by consignment shops or estate sales! I even think used items are sometimes more fun than old because you don’t have to break them in and you can tell if someone got some use out of them or not (which means you probably will too).

I love jars, vases, pottery, and anything of the like, but I try to limit myself when I go garage saling because there is just so darn much of it. If you need anything of this type, try to wait until garage sale season hits (if you can resist the urge to buy some sooner) and see if you can find anything as beautiful as you can find in stores (or even better). I bought the milk glass vase at a garage sale in July when no one was there. I didn’t find anything I liked, and I felt bad leaving with nothing because the lady kept staring at me, so I bought the vase for twenty-five cents. You can never go wrong with one of those. The green one I got this weekend for fifty cents. It’s gorgeous! I couldn’t pass it up. It is perfection and I have never seen one like this in a store before.

I got this sewing machine earlier in the summer. It was my first purchase of the day. I saw the tag and thought it must be a really old, non-working sewing machine because the price was so low, but when I opened it up I was amazed. It was fairly new and in great condition (from what I could tell). I asked the owner if it still works and she told me it worked great, she just didn’t have a use for it. I was skeptical, but I bought it anyway because it was only TWO dollars!! To my surprise it works, but it didn’t come with any of the attachments but the foot that was on it and the pedal. I haven’t actually sewed anything with it but even if I have to fix something on it, I figure it is much cheaper than even a normal used sewing machine of the same type. Plus, it comes with a nice case.

My boyfriend, San, and I love to grill out, but never get a chance because we both live in apartments. We have been looking for a propane travel grill for picnics and outings but have had no luck. I don’t want to pay over twenty dollars for one, so when I spotted this bad boy for five dollars, I snatched it up. It is pretty large and in good condition (besides the rust on it. I am not picky. As long as it cooks hamburgers and hot dogs, I am happy.

I got this brand new Covington (I believe) handbag with the original tag still on it for five dollars. It was a little spendy, I thought, but I hate haggling and I really wanted one for days when I don’t have a lot of stuff to carry around to class and do not want to lug my big backpack around. It’s perfect for that and it’s very stylish at the same time.

For my birthday, I got an aerobic stepper because I love step aerobics. Those things are not cheap, but I got a good deal on one from Amazon. During the summer, I work out occasionally with friends, but we couldn’t do step aerobics together with only one stepper. Low and behold, I found this nice stepper for three dollars at a garage sale. It works just like mine and even has an extra riser. I couldn’t believe I found it, because I had been looking for a year!

I also was given a few decorating books for my birthday and I keep adding to my magazine subscription, so when I found this magazine rack for one dollar I was so happy. It’s the perfect size and one day I will eventually get around to painting it. For now, it’s fine and is hardly noticeable tucked beside a cozy chair in my bedroom.

I keep becoming more and more obsessed with all things vintage, so when I saw this suitcase for two dollars at a huge Paws and Claws garage sale, I had to buy it. It’s in great shape (it’s holding a ton of clothes I packed to move back to school this weekend) and holds a ton because of the curved top half. It’s gotten good use this summer when I go to visit people for the weekend or a few days during the week.

This weekend, along with the portable grill, I found this great Deluxe BBQ Set. San loves to grill (even more than me) so I bought it for him. It was five dollars and came with a great plastic carry case. It has never been used. I can’t wait to give it to him. It even came with four steak knives (and boy does he have an obsession with cooking knives). Sidenote – he is a pastry chef who now works at a really cool burger joint and a pizza place so he can round out his skills. He loves all things culinary-related so whenever I see anything like this for cheap I have to buy it for him. I’m hoping he will get good use out of it (in the future when he actually has a grill other than his George Foreman – a huge one we also got garage saling) while he is cooking for/with me!

This last one was not picked up at a garage sale, but it might as well have been because the price was so good. I bought it at Marshalls for $3.99 – a price even a poor college student can afford to spend. It’s a set of six tea light holders in the most beautiful colors I have ever seen. I can’t light candles in my apartment at school, but I bought some tea candles to put in them anyway just for decoration.

All of this stuff for only $27.74! Now, that makes me happy! I have more cheap finds at stores like Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Etsy coming up, so stay tuned! Do you garage sale? Is that even a correct sentence? What has been your best buy?