‘Queen of garage sales’ shares shoppping secrets

Call her the queen of garage sales. Helen Rawdin lays claim to scouring more than 50,000 of them and wrote a book about it in 1996, "40 Thousand Garage Sales Later."

She pulled out the classified ads. A number of them were circled in dark marker.

"Garage sales are very, very hot now with the economy," she said, gesturing. "They (find deals) and then they sell to eBay."

Rawdin began her quest for good deals in the late 1960s. She worked in real estate, and her boss had an idea: hold a garage sale and donate the money to Easter Seals.

"We raised thousands of dollars," she said. "After that, I went every weekend. I'd go to 20 to 65 garage sales on a weekend, every weekend."

Her passion for the hobby grew. She eventually had a column in the Los Angeles Daily News and ran a hot line for two years. Memorable finds include designer outfits and a gown that had been worn once to the Academy Awards. She also scored sterling silver items, Waterford crystal and designer purses, often paying less than 20 percent of retail prices.

She once bought a piece of high-end luggage without a scratch on it but got it home only to discover it was locked.

"So I took it back," Rawdin said. "The lady said it had been her mother's, and she didn't know the combination. I said, 'What's your mother's birthday?' She said 'May 25th.' "

Rawdin dialed in 5-2-5. The lock opened.

From 1995-2001, she handled only top- drawer items donated by movie stars and big names in Hollywood. The items were later sold as a fundraiser for the Motion Picture & Television Fund.

"Aaron Spelling was my first cousin ... I used to get his wife's and Tori's clothes and ran the sales at the Motion Picture home for seven years," Rawdin said. "I raised them thousands of dollars."

Moving to Las Vegas has not slowed her. Rawdin said there are more than two dozen big garage sales in the valley.

"There are no community sales like there are in Las Vegas," she said. "You take Sun City and all those places, we didn't have those places in L.A. or the San Fernando Valley. No one has what they have here."

Melissa Spina, director of community services for Sun City Summerlin, said the appeal is finding something you like at a great price. There's a wide variety of items, including valuable antiques.

"With this economy ... they've gotten so popular," she said. "When I was a kid, my mom would take me to garage sales, and I'd go, 'Really? We're buying used stuff?' Not anymore. Nowadays, you've got to be up at the crack of dawn to get the really good stuff."

Rawdin said logging so many miles wrecked her knees. She now uses a scooter to get around the garage sales, another reason why she likes community garage sales - they are outdoors and sometimes in parking lots.

"If you go to enough garage sales, you'll eventually find what you want to buy," she said.

The Summerlin-area resident has plenty of tips for those out to score bargains. First and foremost, scoring a good deal involves being prepared.

Pore through classified ads to select which garage sales to hit - community ones or those with numerous households are preferable, Rawdin said. Saturdays are when most garage sales are scheduled.

Make a list where you note the address, day and time of each sale you plan to visit. Don't know where 1002 XYZ Court is? Go online for directions.

Plan your route, and group places to hit by area. That way you're not wasting time or gasoline.

The early bird gets the worm, and the best deals go fast. If you arrive on time but the seller is not ready for buyers, make a note to yourself to come back a little later and move to the next one on your list.

When you arrive and park your car, be considerate. Do not double-park or park in the middle of a spot that can fit two cars. Do not block a neighbor's driveway.

When you approach, be friendly and greet the person hosting the sale. A warm smile and small talk can lead to negotiating a better price.

Did something on the table catch your eye? Pick it up and keep browsing. You can always decide later if it will be among your final purchases. But you run the risk of someone else grabbing it if you leave it on the table.

If there's a fragile item you want - stemware, a crystal vase - or one that's too bulky to carry as you shop, purchase it and lock it in your car. Then you can go back to continue browsing. Keep old newspapers in your trunk to wrap glassware.

Bring cash. Would you accept a check from a complete stranger? Rawdin suggests carrying $30 in a belly pack and about $5 in quarters.

If there's an item you want but don't have enough money on hand, leave a down payment. Be sure to get a receipt and return as soon as you can with the rest of the money.

Just because an item is marked $5 doesn't mean that's what you have to pay. Offer less and see what it leads to. Some garage sale browsers will pick up a number of items and offer a lump sum price.

If Rawdin spots an item that is not marked, and the seller says, "Make an offer," she declines. She prefers the seller set the price or she might pay too much.

Garage sale hosts can get distracted, often when making change ---- your change. When you pay for an item, say something like, "Here's a $10 bill. You owe me $6.50."

Bartering gets easier with practice, so have fun with it and make a fair offer, Rawdin said. If the seller is firm and it's something you really want, there's no shame in agreeing to the original price.

Contact Summerlin/Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.