Posted By:
NickI have better luck hitting thrift shops and rummage sales than garage sales for sports memorabilia, though I've never found anything pre-war at any of these.
Player-name store model equipment is often available - my latest pickups this way were Jim Rice and Kevin McReynolds autograph model gloves, and yearbooks, media guides, pins, and miscellaneous paraphernalia often make their way in. Sports books are often cheap pickups this way - I've even gotten autographed copies of Ronnie Lott's and Pat Williams's (Orlando Magic general manager) books from rummage sales.
Cards to be found are usually way overpriced modern junk, although sometimes there's modern junk at good prices and occasional big finds - my best was paying $225 at a thrift shop for several monster boxes full of '70s cards, a couple file boxes full of modern sets and near sets, some magazines and other memorabilia (including a Mickey Mantle autograph model glove), and a plastic tub full of miscellaneous higher-value items - mostly '60s and '70s HOFers in baseball and football.