Soapbox Cars, Punch Buggies & Getting Stopped by the Cops…Trash Talk Episode 7 Recap PLUS Garage Sale Strategies

Hey everyone. For those of you who didn’t know, Trash Talk is BACK  🔥 Since the vlog series is here again, I thought why not share a little recap of the latest episode on the blog?

In episode seven, DRock and I were in for an eventful day — everything from petting a dog to a little friendly competition with another garage sailer, and even getting stopped by the cops. There were lots of fun moments in this one, so definitely check out the full episode if you haven’t already. 

For now, here’s a recap of the highlights from Trash Talk episode seven along with a few suggestions to help you up ⬆️ your garage sailing game. 

Every Minute Counts

Garage sailing is my hobby but don’t be confused. I take this seriously! 

via GIPHY

Get up early

I get a huge amount of enjoyment out of getting up early on a Saturday morning to start my garage sale hunt, and every minute counts. I suggest getting an early start to your day. A quick Google search will tell you that most garage sales start around 7am! 

Plan which sales you want to hit

To make things easier on yourself, know which sales you plan to hit before you head out. Print out the addresses beforehand so you’re not losing time trying to figure out where to go next. 

It’s all about strategy, my friends. 

Keep Trying New Locations

In this episode, I decided to hit sales in a town I’d never been to before – West Milford. Even in all my years of garage sailing all over the suburbs of New Jersey, I’d never been here. That’s why it’s important to keep it fresh and keep scouting new locations. 

Google is your mother

There are too many people who say they don’t have enough money that aren’t taking advantage of garage sale arbitrage. Don’t know where to start? Hit up Google and search “town wide garage sale.” Then pick one and start. 

For those with the interest or the desire to potentially make $100-$1,000 over a weekend, garage sailing is a huge opportunity. Put in a little work upfront, find the people doing sales in your area, get up early and go. 

“Ten Bucks is Forty Bucks, Easy”

On one of the first stops of the day, I scored big time with some finds from Lego that resell for up to $50. 

At stop #6, I came across two 1968 Hot Wheels houses – another epic find. Even though I didn’t end up buying them, a quick search on my phone showed me that I could have bought them for ten bucks and sold them for a profit of $40. 

Please understand, this shit is real out here in garage sale land. While some of it is intuition and interest, it’s also about research. If you’re not sure what an item is worth, look it up and see what similar items have sold for online.

Always be Quick When There’s a Punchbuggy Around! 

Ask DRock 😉

Respect Your Competition

Around garage sale #9 or so, DRock and I noticed a lady that kept beating us to all the sales in the area. Some might get frustrated, but I actually really respected her strategy. When she saw that I was at one sale, she moved on to another that she knew I hadn’t hit yet. 💡

Ask for a Better Price 

One of my best finds of the entire day was a homemade vintage soap box car that the owner wanted to sell for $100. I was able to get it for $50 just by asking. 

Garage sales are a great way to make extra money, but it’s not always gonna be straightforward. If something’s out of your price range or you think you could get a better deal, try to negotiate. You never know. 

Check out this clip to see how it all went down: 

Maybe Don’t Film… 😂

Seems like maybe my “friendly” competition from earlier wasn’t so friendly after all 😂 The jury’s still out on whether it was her that called the cops on us or not, but either way, I gotta respect her hustle!

In all seriousness, be careful filming in any residential areas. Luckily, this West Milford officer was very kind and we were back on our way very soon. 

Kindness Matters

Probably my favorite moment of this episode was when I got to pay $20 to a young girl for a cup of lemonade. The smile on her face was priceless. It took me back to my childhood in 1985 when a bike rider came by and paid me 20 bucks. 

Best money I spent all day. Kindness matters, folks! 

Takeaway

All in all, DRock and I hit about 40 garage sales that day. People ask me why I still do this, and the truth is that I love it…but it’s also because I want to help people get out of their own way. You may not have a lot of money, but you have the ability to Google “town wide garage sales,” you have $20 for gas, and you have the ability to negotiate, buy something for ten bucks and list it for higher on eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Instagram, or Craigslist. 

When you eliminate your excuses, the world opens up! 

Thanks for reading and/or watching the latest Trash Talk! Let me know your thoughts on the episode on Twitter and whether you’ll be trying any of my suggestions!