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Posted By: davidcycleback

One thing about garage sales is that all items are priced very, very low so as to get the stuff out the house. You find stuff like dining room sets for $15 and working lamps for 25 cents. Bargains are the norm, and items that aren't bought are often donated or thrown away. Also, the items have typically been in the house for years, with much chance for value contemplation.

It's fair and good to ponder the moral implications when you see a 1933 Goudey Lajoie for 25 cents at a garage sale, but there's nothing wrong with getting Sonny's shoebox collection at a bargain rate. The primary object of the garage sale likely is to "get rid of stuff," and the house owners know their prices are below retail. If they found a Marc Chagall when cleaning out the closets, that was likely consigned to Sotheby's. The gold coins were kept for the grandchildren. The moldy box of baseball cards and the metal file cabinet with only a few dents, they go into the garage sale.