How to Find Garage Sales

Using Websites and Apps

Download an app that collects garage sale data from your area. Search the app store for apps that collect yard sale postings and make it easy for you to find them. Type in the town or zip code that you’re looking near, or let the app use your location to find nearby garage sale postings. One popular app like this is Yard Sale Treasure Map. Try using more than one app to maximize your chances of finding all the garage sales in the area. Some apps only show sales that are advertised on their platform, while others aggregate all the available garage sale data online. Neither show sales that are advertised offline.

Look for nearby sales on a garage sale website. Find garage sale websites by searching “garage sale near me” or something similar. Some of the first search results will probably be from specialized websites. Type in your zip code or town, or the town that you want to look for garage sales in, and the website produces a list of them in the area. Use this list to locate sales you’d like to go to. One of the more well-known garage sale websites is https://www.garagesalestracker.com/saleList.asp. Look on this site or find similar sites for information. Some websites have an option to sign up for email alerts when new sales are posted. Turn on these alerts to get the latest information. Remember these websites might not show sales that aren’t advertised online.

Check Facebook for garage sale posts or groups. Try going to your Facebook homepage and entering yard or garage sale into the search tab. The website will use your location to find advertised sales near you. You’ll need to be logged in to your Facebook account to use this feature. If you don’t have one, see if a friend or family member will let you use theirs to search. There are also some groups dedicated to spreading garage sale news. Try joining some of these for the latest information. You could also look on the Facebook Marketplace, but this is more for people selling specific items.

Browse Craigslist for more sale postings. To find posted sales, go to the main Craigslist homepage for your geographic area. Look under the “For Sale” tab and click the “Garage Sale” option to find nearby sales that people have posted. The added bonus here is that you don’t need to make a Craigslist account to use the search feature. Make sure you're on the correct Craigslist page for your area. Otherwise, you'll get information far away from your search area. You might also find thrift stores advertising under the garage sale category. This could help you locate more deals on cheap items.

Finding Sales the Old-Fashioned Way

Check for ads in your town newspaper. Flip to the classified or ads section in your local paper. Look for small ads advertising their garage sale. Subscribe to your local paper and check it regularly for sale postings. Subscribing to your local paper is also a great way to support local journalism. You can benefit by finding garage sales and the paper benefits with increased business. Some local papers also post their classified ads on their websites, so check here as well. This option is best for smaller, local newspapers. State or national papers wouldn’t carry information about local areas.

Look for advertisements on community bulletin boards or signs. Check any places in your town that have bulletin boards for flyers about garage sales. Take a picture of any flyers you find to remember the information. Some people also hang flyers on traffic and telephone poles, so keep an eye out for these as well. Common places for bulletin boards are libraries, government buildings, churches or religious buildings, and community meeting halls. Some local businesses may also have bulletin boards. Check bookstores, coffee shops, delis, and supermarkets as well. This might sound old-fashioned, but it’s still a great way to find local postings for garage sales. Many people having garage sales are older and might not use the internet much.

Contact local organizations to see if they’re planning swap meets. Make a list of local religious or community meeting areas and contact them to check if there are any events like these coming up. Local groups like these sometimes host flea markets or swap meets. These aren’t exactly garage sales, but the idea is the same, and you can pick up some great deals. These events are sometimes advertised on the group’s website. You might also find information on your local government’s site.

Ride around your neighborhood on a nice day to find sales. Pick a nice day over the weekend in the spring or summer and walk, drive, or ride your bike around your town. Exploring around to find garage sales can still be pretty effective, especially if your town isn’t that big. You might come across some yard sales that were never advertised and find good deals. If you’re exploring, focus on residential areas where people are most likely to be having garage sales. Keep an eye out for signs pointing you towards sales. Remember to bring cash with you while you’re exploring. Most garage sale owners won’t accept credit cards.