Your complete prep list for attending flea markets & tag sales

Getting ready to head out to some garage/tag sales? Are you as prepared as a Boy Scout for your adventure? If not, here are some tips and tricks (I am, afterall, the Shopping Monkey, and somewhat of an expert on these matters). And nevermind that I started this post two weeks ago, and this morning The Bulletin trumped me on it with a similar article gleaned from the wires.

First, start checking the newspaper classifieds and craigslist on Thursday. Some sales start on Friday (especially estate sales) and sometimes those are the best ones (but not always). Some even start early enough that if you're headed to work that day, you can get to the sale and still make it to work on time. Sweet! Pick the sales that sound good, and map out your route (if you're the one holding a sale, check out this post and this one). Our local daily (The Bulletin) even has a "map-it" feature if you go online to check for sales. Prioritize according to how good the sale sounds vs. location, so that you're not bouncing all over town.

Here's a random list of what you'll need for a successful day of shopping. First, cash. Cash still rules the day, and you'll need plenty of varied bills (and coins). Don't just stop at the ATM on your way and load up with a bunch of twenty dollar bills. Most sellers won't have enough change for everybody who does that, and besides, you'll be in a much better bargaining position if you can pull exact change out of your hat. Or your pocket.

I like to use a slim, cross-body Baggallini tote (of course, available at Pomegranate!) for garage sale day (or any other time, for that matter). It keeps your cash safe and close to you, and gives you that hands-free gathering option that you'll want during the shopping crush. No one wants you smacking them with your ginormous satchel of a handbag.

I always have a tiny measuring tape with me; you can't always trust your eyeballs to know if the size is right on a piece of furniture or art. If you are looking for furnishings and accessories, it's a good thing to have some of the dimensions you need written down on a piece of colored card stock in your wallet. Card stock helps keep your list from getting tattered or jumbled in with the receipts. We have a funny little expanse of wall at home that needs a tiny bookcase, no more than 14" wide. I have that written down, because if I rely on memory alone, I'll surely come home with a piece that's 18" wide. Duh!

I always bring with me a little stack of sticky notes and pen. If I have to gather things into a little pile somewhere at the sale, I can mark it with my name. However, try to avoid this leaving things alone in a pile strategy, because some sharky person will always come along, dig through the pile and snag your treasures.

If you go early (I mean really early!) to estate sales, you'll see some die-hard buyers with plastic bins or boxes, and their name and "sold" marked on bits of painter's tape (the blue stuff: it sticks to wood surfaces without damaging anything). They'll then zoom around and attach their stickers to things they want. I'm not a big fan of this maneuver. Years ago I went to an estate sale where some antique dealer had put his name on every piece, went back around and bought just the few things he really wanted, then disappeared. His name was still on everything, and people were sighing in disappointment that pieces were already "sold" -- until we all realized he was long gone. The poor guy running the sale was not amused.

In the back of the car, I always keep a basket or cardboard box, filled with recycled bubble wrap and tissue. Garage sale vendors rarely wrap up small things in satisfactory fashion, and you don't want that faux-Tiffany paperweight rolling around on its own. I also bring along a large, collapsible tote (with some tissue) that I can bring into the sale itself if needed. My favorite is one of those plastic IKEA shopping bags that they sell for next to nothing. They're strong and lightweight, and can carry a load of stuff. A good canvas market bag or two can also do the trick. Some people cart their own boxes right into the sale, but it can be a little rude, especially first thing in the morning when there's a crush of people trying to negotiate their way through the sale.

Perhaps most important? Plenty of bottled water to keep you hydrated through your adventures, and a travel pack of hand wipes, because you will get scummy.