This is a guest post that works as a terrific follow-up to our garage sale post. Thanks to GarageSalesTracker.com!

It is no glaring epiphany that yard sales aka garage sales are a beloved part of American culture. The familiar signs, sometimes professionally printed, but more often scrawled on cardboard with a black marker, punctuate
any weekend drive through American neighborhoods. For some, these signs point the way to untold bargains, and sometimes, even hidden treasures, but for the poster, they simply announce the intent to shed unneeded items.

Either way, yard selling is an institution, an American tradition - one with its own cadre of dedicated enthusiasts. All across the country, on any given morning, there are thousands out before sunrise stocking tables on their dew covered lawns with items from the basement, attic or garage, while others cruise the streets, sleepy eyed, coffee in hand, searching for those nocturnally placed signs. Others have moved into the information age, and utilize websites such as GarageSalesTracker.com to advertise their sales or to plan their shopping strategies on a much wider than neighborhood scale.

It is certainly no wonder that yard sales enjoy such a beloved place in American custom. Aside from the work of hauling items to the yard, there really is no downside for all involved. Sellers get to cleanse their homes of unneeded, unused, or unwanted items, creating lots of new living and storage space while adding cash to the coffers. Shoppers save tons of money buying tax-free articles at pennies on the dollar. Even the kids can cash in on the flow of shoppers with a lemonade and cupcake stand. What’s not to love about that?

When you think about it, there are many reasons why garage sales are so wonderful. Need money for a charitable cause? Yard Sale. Trying to afford something new for the home? Yard sale. Moving out and do not want to haul all your stuff to the new place? Yard Sale. Moving in and need to furnish on a budget? Okay you get the idea. The list goes on and on, from the only place where one can find treasures to furnish with a retro look, to a bridal gown for just a few dollars, the good old American yard sale is a treasure in itself.

Those in the know are aware that yard sales often are the final act of those who are moving out and an early exercise for those who are moving in. This knowledge can empower one to utilize yard sales in ways that pay off in ways that many may not imagine. Yard sales are a great indicator of homes soon to be on the market or areas where homes are selling. May is the start of yards sale season, and this season promises to be busy.

Folks are into saving money more than ever, and lots of moving is going on all across the country. Jobs change, lifestyles change, young people are heading to college and new Americans arrive everyday. All of the above are good reasons for the existence of the yard sale tradition.

So are you ready to be a yard seller? Do you have your magic marker and poster board ready? Are you setting your clock for four a.m. to go out and look for signs? Well, not so fast. Yard selling has changed. Like everything else in American culture, yard selling has gone high tech. That’s right, it’s hit the web, and sites like GarageSalesTracker.com make things a lot easier.

While day glow poster board signs and pre dawn cruisers will never disappear, there are now more efficient ways to advertise and find yard sales. No more wasting gasoline hoping to happen on a sale, now you can just log on and search by area. No more trying to decide which telephone pole will get the most traffic for your sign. Now, you can just log on, post your sale and wait for customers.

Internet sites like GarageSalesTracker.com have brought the age-old tradition of the American yard sale to the 21st century. Sellers can post sale times and locations months in advance, as well as photos of items and driving directions. As a seller, you can get unlimited word count and national exposure for less than the cost of an ad in your local newspaper. There is even a rainout guarantee!

Buyers using the net can benefit as well by searching for specific items and getting fuel saving directions to the right sale for the right item. In addition, buyers can contact the seller beforehand with questions. So save an hour’s sleep, forgo the signs (Okay the kids like doing them so have them anyway), and beat the early bird cruisers by knowing where all the sales are ahead of time. Log on, sit back and make your plan. It is the new wave of an old tradition, and who doesn’t want to be on the cutting edge?

We managed to find a bassinet and some terrific deals on infant clothes Saturday. My wife and I both considered the garage sale adventure a success. After looking at what we bought, I’d have to say we saved anywhere from 75 to 90% off retail. We found tops and onesies for $0.25 to $0.50 a piece. We also found a terrific consignment shop on the west side of town. It was chance that we ran into the place.

Our garage sale expedition began with the classified ads from the paper and a mug of coffee. We loaded into the car and headed out into neighborhoods, both known and unknown. Our goal was to navigate to the five circled sales we had identified the night before. We hit our first roadblock, when I couldn’t find the neighborhood of one sale. I knew the street — I was sure it’d be just around the next hill. Finally, I relented and called my brother.

“Can you help me find Briarwood Lane? We’re headed to a garage sale over there and can’t seem to find the street.”

“Hang on. I’m pulling into the driveway. I’ll check the yellowpages and call you back.”

“Great. Thanks.”

Since he was going to be a few minutes, I decided to pull into the nearest parking lot and wait. No sense driving aimlessly. We pulled into this lot, with a long warehouse building stretched across it’s length. The warehouse was broken into various shops. The first was a carpet cleaner and the next was titled “All About Kids, Inc.” The marquee suggested they had deals on maternity, infant, and child wares. I was leery after the experience with the over-priced garage sale the day before, but told the wife we should go inside anyways. Just to check it out.

Inside we found a giant store, full of clothing, baby toys, and furniture. We saw cribs, car seats, high chairs, diaper bags, diaper genies, shorts, pants, shoes, sandals — everything for the baby. It wasn’t badly priced either. The crib we like was “on hold,” but the tag marked it at $40 — a far cry from the $150 hand-me-down at the sister sale.

We didn’t find another crib we liked, but we are now officially on the wish list of the store for one that meets our expectations. (Don’t forget you can always ask to be called when an item comes into a store like that. Consignment stores, especially.)

The chance encounter with this store made it all the more enticing. It’s actually rather close to our house. We didn’t end up buying anything, but at least we know there’s some place cheaper than regular retail during the cold winter months.

Oh, and my brother called back. It turns out I had lost direction, and needed to go about fifteen blocks the opposite way. Who said men can’t ask for directions?

My wife and I both had part of this afternoon off work. It was a beautiful Friday, so we decided to scope out some garage sales. The baby will be coming in about two months, so there’s no time to waste. What better way to find deals on a crib, car seat, stroller, clothes, and toys than at a garage sale? The large majority of sales advertised some sort of baby accessory. We headed off to the nearest one to scout for the items mentioned. What we found surprised me a little, but gave me hope for tomorrow morning’s second excursion.

As we mentioned in our previous article, garage sales can be a great place to locate deals. Our readers left inspired comments too, like Kay’s “make an offer” instead of asking if they’ll take a lower price. Saying something like, “I’ll give you $20″ for a $35 dollar item is an assertive offer, rather than a less passive “would you…” approach. However, one sale we visited was not the type you would expect.

The garage sale advertised a crib and bassinet, along with varied clothes, toys, and goodies for both sexes. We thought we might find a crib at a decent rate, especially since the sale advertised for the entire weekend. They must have a lot to get rid of, we thought. Little did we know. They had a ton. The garage was lined with clothing racks, the driveway with tables full of books, toys, and trinkets, and the yard housed a mish-mash of cribs and other large purchases. We strolled through the goods looking for the best deal, except, well, there wasn’t any to be had. The things were nice, really well kept, but definitely over-priced.

The crib we sought out was listed at $150, the bassinet at $65, and the children’s books from $2-$4 a piece. I’m sorry, but if I can buy the same thing at a store for the same price, then I’m going to the store, not to your front yard.

It turns out the garage sale is a monthly thing for these ladies. They own a consignment shop and do the garage sale bit during the spring and summer months. I’m sure it makes them a decent amount, and we actually did leave with a cute lamp. It’s darling. Our goal of finding an affordable crib and stroller went up in smoke though. At least for that stop.

We managed to find one other sale. We had a failed second location. This one turned out to be a normal sale, not a store opening on a front lawn. We found a terrific Graco swing for $20.

We have our heads set on early morning yard sale shopping tomorrow. I’ll post about our experience afterwards. Hopefully we can find some deals and not over-priced nonsense.