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Treasure hunt; There are bargains out there, yard-salers, so go seek your riches

By Amanda Schoenberg, Albuquerque Journal, N.M., Source: MCT Business News

Jul. 5--Beckoning buyers to the next garage sale mecca, 10 bright pink signs lead the way to Betts Street NE in Albuquerque.

On a recent Saturday morning, the front lawn is packed with people checking out living room furniture, kitchen accessories, mounds of clothing and a few bizarre items that sellers Chris Vaughn and Steve Dale are hoping to pass along.

That pink-and-white crocheted toilet seat cover? Vaughn says her ex-motherlaw made it. A metal cylinder with wheels on the bottom? Front yard discussion heats up on this one until one buyer pronounces it a plug-in massager.

Michelle Padilla of Rio Rancho finds a toy for her son. She stayed at her mother's house in Albuquerque to get an early start, she says.

"I just drive around and look for sales," she says. "We're yard-salers."

Mattee Jim, her two daughters and her mother were on their way to a softball game when they spotted the sale. They walk away with a bag of clothes and couch pillows for $8.

Spend some time at a few Albuquerque sales and you will find a busy social scene that cuts across age, ethnicity and class background. And as the recession drags on, buyers and sellers say they are seeing their ranks grow with people looking to make a little cash on their old paperbacks or score a cheap bread maker.

But just what is it that compels people to dig through boxes on a stranger's lawn at 8 a.m. on a Saturday? Macon McCrossen, who hosted a yard sale during the Huning Castle Neighborhood Association annual sale in May, thinks it's the thrill of the unknown.

"You never know what you're going to find -- that's what draws me," she says. "It's the unknown, it's the surprise. And everybody wants a bargain."

A map to happiness

Some yard sale aficionados start out with a plan. Bob Amdahl, a financial analyst with Sandia National Laboratories, plots out his route every Friday. First, he checks the Journal listings online. Focusing on the most promising sales -- multifamily, church and block sales -- he creates his own Google map for a personalized treasure hunt.

He and his wife, Becky Amdahl, head out about 8 a.m. on most Saturdays. While Bob Amdahl looks for books and Webcams that he then converts into telescopes, Becky Amdahl searches for art or toys for the grandchildren.

Following the yard sale circuit can lead buyers into exploring entirely new neighborhoods, evolve into unexpected conversations and even new friendships. McCrossen, who met one friend at an estate sale, says her most recent sale was "two days of nonstop socializing." Bob Amdahl says he has had long talks with perfect strangers about his home state of Minnesota.

Those who put in the time find the hunt brings a dose of serendipity. First, Amdahl was looking for telescopes. Then he thought about learning to play the banjo. You can guess the rest.

"By golly, I've seen them both," he says. "I've even gone to sales with scuba equipment. It's about looking for treasures."

On one Saturday morning in May, the Amdahls stop outside an apartment complex off Eubank where seller Dr. Belfied Belgrave, a Barbados native who has lived in Albuquerque for the past year, is selling clothing on a few tables. They saw the sign from the street. Bob Amdahl admits he doesn't always stick to the plan, which is part of the fun.

"So far, we haven't gotten anywhere on the map," Amdahl says.

Quest for antiques

Some people head to sales for entertainment. But when Jan Glick hits a yard sale, it's work. Glick, who owns Fourth Street Antique Mall with her husband, Roger, often scours advertisements for estate and antique sales to find items she can resell.

But she also spends a good deal of fruitless searching. Sellers are now more knowledgeable about the best ways to lure buyers with ads that promise antiques and huge estate sales, Glick says.

With the popularity of Web sites such as eBay and PBS' "Antique Roadshow," people are more apt to sell their best stuff online, Glick says. Which means dealers can forget about the $25 antique china deal from Grandma's garage.

"You don't get sales like you used to," she says. "People know enough to look it up. Sometimes you find five things if you're lucky."

Michele Palmer, a real estate agent and appraiser who runs A Touch of Class Estate Sales in Albuquerque, typically organizes one estate sale every week until October. She is not alone -- Palmer starts her sales on Thursday to beat the competition.

Buyers must weigh their odds at estate sales. Some early birds flock to sales as soon as they open, but buyers who wait get the best prices. Palmer usually discounts everything 20 percent on Friday and 50 percent on Saturday.

Unlike yard or garage sales, where people unload the contents of the garage or empty it onto the lawn, a true estate sale means everything in the house is for sale, Palmer says.

For voyeurs, estate sales can be compelling. At one recent sale, buyers walked through a home that looked like it had not been altered since the 1970s, where each room had shag carpet to match the paint scheme.

This year Palmer says she has noticed more people shopping for inexpensive groceries in estate sale kitchens.

"Everything from groceries in the kitchen to diamonds in the bedroom -- we price every single thing," she says.

Knowing the right lingo -- and the best neighborhoods -- may help buyers find the hottest sales. In older neighborhoods, there are usually more antiques, Glick says. In neighborhoods with families, buyers can expect more toys and collectibles.

Spend enough time at yard sales and the delicate matter of yard sale psychology will come up. Dale says his yard sale strategy comes down to well-placed signs. Vaughn says good sales need a critical mass for good curb appeal.

"As long as you have a lot of stuff out there people will stop," she says. "If you have a bunch of clothes, they'll just drive by."

When Dale and Vaughn lugged their treasures to Dale's front yard, the couple's friend Pamela Mount staked out a corner to unload her wares. "I'm a recovering pack rat myself," Mount jokes. "I'm powerless over junk."

Mount has learned to keep prices low -- people love paying $1, she says. But she would rather give things to charity than sell highquality items too low. Today she is selling two ladders for $30. A man attempts to bargain down to $25. She holds firm.

"It becomes a test of wills to some people," she says. She ends up giving a ladder to Vaughn. Better karma, she says.

Most buyers and sellers (they're often one and the same) acknowledge there should be some method to yard sale madness. Glick says it drives her nuts when a sale isn't organized and she has to dig through baby clothes on a table full of crystal.

On Betts Street NE, the yard sale traffic ebbs and flows throughout the morning. One customer spots a plastic bag of massive pinecones on the ground. She asks Mount, "How much are the gigantor pinecones?"

"The ones on steroids?" Mount asks.

A minute later, the deal is done, the woman drives off happy and Vaughn has one less treasure on the front yard.

To see more of the Albuquerque Journal, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.abqjournal.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.

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