Have You Found More Treasures At Yard Sales, or At Thrift Stores?

Yard sales, garage sales, rummage sales, estate sales…a lot of terms that mean more or less the same thing. One word that does deviate, however, is a thrift store. They’re still similar, don’t get us wrong. Both are opportunities for people to buy usually used items for a great price. Yard sales, however, are usually items old from and at a single household, while thrift shops collect and sell donations. Do these small differences really matter that much? Where would you find more treasures? Let’s take a look.

Thrift Stores

Thrift stores are stores that usually receive and sell donated items in order to raise money for charities. Goodwill, for example, raises money to put towards community programs like job training or classes for people with disabilities. Since these are donations (and are usually used), the items don’t usually get marked with high price tags, which makes thrift shops a great option for people who need to pick up things like clothes for a low price.

For one reason or another, thrift stores usually have a fairly extensive selection of clothes, dishes, books, and even furniture. There’s usually an electronic appliance section, but since these donations are often thrown into a donation bin, you might want to think twice before picking up electronics from the thrift shop.

Yard Sales

The humble yard sale. Call us biased, but it’s in our name! Yard sales are magical community events where people come together to buy and sell usually used items for a great price, all while catching up or meeting new neighbors. Whether it’s spring cleaning or a move, yard sales are usually about getting rid of items that just seem to be taking up space and collecting dust in our homes. This means that items at a yard sale are almost always priced incredibly low, but it also means you don’t really know what you’ll find. Books, furniture, and other items are more or less common at yard sales, but it ultimately depends on what’s collecting dust at that house.

That being said, this also means you’ll probably find more surprising or rare items at a yard sale. Books and furniture are also popular items at yard sales, along with other items like Tupperware, but you also aren’t guaranteed to find them. You do, however, run the risk of adventure, since people might sell a book they had lying around for $5 that ends up turning out to be a signed copy of The Old Man and the Sea.

The Difference

So, where do you find more treasures? It depends on what you consider treasures! If you’re specifically looking for either inexpensive or just cool and old-fashioned clothing, we recommend checking out the local thrift store. If you’re looking to pick up a unique item with a story behind it, you might want to visit your neighbor’s yard sale.

These aren’t hard-set rules, either. There have been some amazing finds with plenty of stories at thrift stores, but since thrift store items typically go through a screening process, you’re more likely to just find regular items at a good price. For us? We’re a big fan of interacting with our communities and embracing the serendipity of decluttering. In other words, long live the yard sale!