Brother, can you spare an authentic South American crewel work blouse in a large enough size for me to make a pillow out of it. Oh, and for a dime?

I've always been kind of into yard sales. The idea that you might find that hidden gem-- that first edition Mark Twain for 25 cents could be pretty motivating. But not motivating enough to get me out of bed at 5 a.m. so I can fight with strangers over cracked dishes and clothes that smell slightly of mold and moth balls.

But then I learned the ART of the yard sale and a whole new shopping world opened up to me. I love Nordstrom and would shop there every day of the week. But the reality is, I'm now unemployed and required to insure a 16-year-old male driver. Needless to say, my discretionary spending barely covers a Big Mac value meal and definitely not super sized.

Okay, so back to the yard sales. As an upcycler, this is your raw material: your canvas and paint. And it's your cheapest source of supplies, except for dumpster diving, which we will save for another day. So listen, dear student, and I will teach you...

Cristy's Guide to Getting What You Want at Yard Sales Without Having to Fight Some Lady and Her Kids, part 1: Where to Shop

1. Do your research. Check the newspaper classifieds, Craig's List, word of mouth, people with OCD who hang their signs on Wednesday.
2. Take Friday off. People are increasingly starting their yard sales on Friday. On Friday, you get the best stuff and there is a much smaller crowd, kind of like Disneyland on Thanksgiving.
3. Limit your options to make the most of your time. Neighborhood/group sales are great one stop shopping, so start there. After that, map out the sales in neighborhoods where you think you may find what you want (yes, this is yard sale profiling.)
4.  A special note about estate sales. The words "estate sale" have long meant that somebody passed away and their family is letting perfect strangers paw through all the stuff in their house for bargains. Sounds macabre and kind of is, but you can really score on the cool stuff! However,  people have started using the term for any old sale because they know we will flock like moths to the flame. I think they should pass a law that says you can't call it an estate sale unless you have a death certificate in hand. And while I'm at it, you shouldn't be able to call it any kind of sale unless you have at least 20 items. 
5. Fuel up for the long morning ahead. Make sure your gas tank is full and while at the gas station pick up a couple of packs of mini chocolate donuts and a soda with crushed ice. It's gonna be a long morning.
6. Get some small bills. If you try to pay for $2 worth of items with a $100 bill prepare to be jumped and detained as a counterfeiter. Or at least be ready for heavy sighs, dirty looks and rolled eyes.

Okay, now that your prep work is done, we can move into the sale itself. But let's save that for the next post, shall we. Don't worry, you will be ready to roll by Friday (YES-Friday,) with mad yard sale ninja skills.