What's the most surprising thing you have bought or sold in a Garage Sale

[Girlfriday17]

My mom has become a professional at buying things at garage sales and even selling hem for more at her own and so when I thought of having one (our little town has an annual one each year) I put some left over construction materials in. A box of subway tiles and some insulation. She thought I was nuts. They both sold. I even sold a box of old brass doorknobs once. What has been your strange find or sale? Just curious. It seems there is a market for everything these days.

 

[dpswift]

Our last sale did not go over well however I sold 10 used flat diapers.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

I bought a very large (5 feet by 5 feet) Oil on canvas of a landscape. It turns out the ppl selling it didn't know the painter (Lee Reynolds) painting's sell for sometimes 5 or 10k$. I have not had this particular painting appraised but I am sure it is worth a few thousand more than the $75 I paid for it 20 years ago. Lee Reynolds is dead now so his stuff is worth even more. I have tried to Google and find a website or catalouge of his works. I have found some. They are worth a lot. but I cannot find this particular painting that I own.

 

[Southernmiss]

It's been years since I had a yard sale, however, a friend who joined me in the last one was floored when she sold her grandmother's medical doughnut that people use after they have hemorrhoid surgery.

 

[tvguy]

Everything in my garbage pile sold (as in stuff I intended to take to the dump BEFORE the sale). Nice furniture, didn't.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I sold my house at my garage sale.

 

[scbelleatheart]

I had a garage sale and what did not sell I put it all on a flat bed trailer, chained to a pole with a "free sign". Someone came in to the office and asked for the key to the chain. He thought the flatbed was free too! He even called his brother to see how much the trailer was worth!
That got rid of a lot of junk though and I did not have to haul it away. Gone in 12 hours.

 

[usnuzuloose]

My most exciting find was a blue chip stamp machine on the stand, and when we went to a different store I found a porcelain blue chip sign. We were thrilled.

 

[3boymthr]

I've been in charge of a charity yard sale for the last several years. It always surprises me what sells and what doesn't and how STINGY people are - even at a charity yard sale and conversely how generous others are. I'm always amazed. The funniest things I've seen not sell - a beautiful set of dinnerware, some gorgeous prom dresses. And the people who were upset/offended when we told them that no we weren't going to sell them the Coach and Dooney & Bourke purses for $1 each - that no we're going to stick to our price of $25 each. (Seriously don't show up before the yard sale even opens and then tell me you can't afford them at that price - really???)

Things that we always sell TONS of- VHS, books, ugly stuffed animals, broken toys, bikes, etc. But I have to say one of the craziest things I ever saw sell was a set of bamboo mosaic "paintings" of beach scenes from the seventies - lord, they were UGLY , but a young girl (about 8 or 9) saw them and was soooo excited by them. She had to have them - one for her wall one for her sisters. She was even more excited when I told her she could have them for $1 ea. It was cute actually.

 

[v.t.]

I bought a ski boat at a garage sale. DH was not to happy with me but once he realized the trailer alone was worth more than I paid for it he warmed up to the idea. When he realized the boat's engine was strong enough to pull him, he even admitted it was a good buy.

 

[ceecee]

The stangest thing I sold was a cooler that Omaha Steaks come in, I had it in the garbage and my sister put $2 on it and it was the first thing to sell. The guy was going fishing and needed a cooler! We also put our Koi and goldfish for sale because we filled in our pond. My old gas grill (garbage too) sold for $5, I guess people buy them for scrape or parts.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

A bag of 9 tarnished drawer pulls from my MIL's old student desk.

A 3' x 3' flat wall mirror (no frame, no brackets, had a small chip in one corner).

A 3' x 4.5' flat wall mirror (no frame, with brackets).

A large carved wooden fish wall hanging.

A black plastic eagle.

Cosmetic bags (had a bunch of free ones from Clinique; put them in a 10-cent box and they've all been sold).

Nail polish.

Cat stuff - like a 25-cent stuffed fish toy.

...and yet some really nice stuff (IMO) is still sitting in the closet. 2 winter coats in great condition, one never even worn, that we'd put out for $5. My SIL tried to sell her BF's ex-wife's Precious Moments for $1 - nope.

 

[wiigirl]

I bought a pair of snow skis....turned out that they were both the right ski from two different sets.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

A friend sold his motorcycle at our garage sale. I think if we had had a dozen of them, we could have sold them all!

 

[gunka]

My wife sold my old underwear. Wouldn't believe it if I hadn't see it with my own eyes.

 

[imsayin]

I sold two chairs, but the buyer only had room for one. They paid for both and never came back for the other one.

 

[vanreg]

I sold my Uncle's Cadillac. There were a lot of comments from people, but it sold.

 

[disney1990]

It's been sometime, but I bought what appeared to be a very old book. Turned out to be a book illustrated by Maxfield Parish, one of my favorites.

 

[seasheller]

For years I went to a neighborhood garage sale where a gentleman sold his pots/pans/dishes/kitchenware samples. He was a salesman in the business and would always sell his samples and donate the money to his children's school. I bought brand new pots (in the box) for $5-20 and used them as gifts. One year he had a table full of colorful mugs, plates, stove cleaner, etc. He said they were 10 cents each but you had to buy at least $1 worth. Got the most beautiful mugs and plates. Sold the plates in my own garage sale for $1 each and the lady was so thrilled to get them. I asked how she planned to use them and she responded that she was going to hang them on her kitchen wall. Duh, what a great idea! The next year I went back and bought some more for my own wall!

 

[Jaya]

I once had two guys almost come to blows over a bowling ball that had a chunk knocked out of it that was in the 10 cent box.