The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Bargain shopping
Garage sales lead to second-hand treasures and quick cash for sellers
By Lindy Stevens, Special Writer
PUBLISHED: August 7, 2008
In places such as Chelsea and Dexter, garage sales are more than just an excuse to pawn off your mother's old muu muus or clear out your collection of dusty cassette tapes.
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Posting up yard signs that lead to card tables packed with 50-cent treasures has become a way of life during the summer months, but in the midst of a tough economy, those same signs have left some locals looking for inexpensive second-hand deals.
For people like Chelsea native Alan Laeder, who hopped on his bike and headed down Main Street around 9 a.m. last Saturday, the weekend sales were the first place he went to find furnishings for his new apartment.
Though he was in the market for a new couch, Laeder said whenever he goes shopping for deals, he likes to keep an eye out for antiques that might be worth more than just their $2 price tag.
Whether its knick-knacks or necessities, though, Laeder said local yard sales are an easy way to get more bang for your buck - especially if you have a small budget for big-ticket items.
"With the way the economy is, you can get better deals this way and a lot of the time it's usually better quality," Laeder said.
That statement was certainly true of the wagon and tricycle that Laeder picked up at Sandy Peterson's garage sale last Saturday.
As for the rest of Peterson's items, the extra foot traffic headed for Summerfest meant her sale attracted more bargain hunters than she had anticipated.
And like most sellers who have ever set up shop in their lawn, Peterson said she had people asking to buy her things at least 30 minutes before she finished putting them out.
But while the early birds who staked out Peterson's sale would probably consider her Main Street home a prime spot for selling off all things unnecessary, Peterson said she hasn't played host to very many garage sales during the 40 years she's lived in Chelsea.
She finally decided to organize a sale this year, after realizing that getting rid of her extra stuff could help her earn a little extra cash.
"Why this year? Let's see, because that's three gallons of gas right there," Peterson said, pointing to the wooden high chair marked at $10 on her front lawn.
Peterson's daughter, Susan Harrison, who helped her mother prepare for last Saturday's sale, also said the pinch of the economy has made her think twice about what's laying around in her basement.
That's why she decided to throw in a few things of her own.
"I would normally just give it all to the Salvation Army and not think about it," Harrison said. "But now I'll just give what's left and try to sell some of it first."
And with a few family members who've recently had their hours cut at work, Peterson and Harrison agreed they've become more cost-conscious than in years past.
Thriftiness is also something Joel Underwood keeps in mind. He and his wife are expecting a baby boy, and with two daughters already the Underwoods were looking to unload all things pink.
A lot of their girls' outgrown dresses were featured at their sale last Saturday morning.
But while Underwood said the extra money was nice, he said that's not the only reason he and his wife have a garage sale annually.
"While we could have donated the clothing and taken a tax write-off, it's also kind of a community thing and it's just fun to see people," Underwood said.
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