Swap Meets, Markets and More

GO FOR A DRIVE to discover treasures at farmers’ markets, antiques shops, flea markets, swap meets, garage and estate sales. It’s an adventure every time you set out. You never know what you’ll find — a car part, a vintage toy, perhaps a vinyl record from some long-forgotten collection that’s been dragged out of the attic. It’s a picker’s delight. So get going!

THE PREP Make sure to have your smartphone, a magnifying glass, some cleaning cloths, plus plenty of small bills and coins. The phone will come in handy for searching up value. And pack some hand sanitizer, too; these kinds of sales usually come with their fair share of dust.

THE DISCOVERY Turn those finds around and upside down to look for markings or brands. A quick online search to see what comes up is a great place to start. You may need those handy cleaning cloths to wipe away a bit of dirt or dust for a better look, but quickly assessing whether you’ve found treasure is an important step in pricing, because these sales were built for haggling your way to a bargain. You can also try a reverse image search if you think you’ve struck gold but can’t Google your way to any answers.

THE DEAL If you’re going to haggle, you need to decide what price you’re willing to pay or walk away (which is why it’s important to know the true value of your find). Make a fair offer, but not your best offer; you need some room to negotiate. If you happen upon a sale that has many things you fancy, approach the seller, strike up a conversation and start making a pile. Take your time and keep adding to it. Haggling is one thing, but bundling is another. If you’re buying bunches of bric-a-brac from a day vendor, chances are that vendor is hoping to move as much merch as possible and will be happy to give you a better price if you’ll take more. Small bills and coins come in handy when paying — exact change is always important if you want to try the ol’ “Six bucks is all I have. Take it or leave it!” approach.

THE DRIVE It’s not a destination, it’s a day out for a drive — and that’s part of the fun! Hit small towns, country markets, middle-of-nowhere barns, or head out to other cities to check out their community sales. You may want to plan for a couple of stops in a day or make a weekend of it and travel far and wide. It’s a pleasant way to spend a summer weekend. And when you hit the road, make sure you have your CAA Membership handy. Membership means you won’t have to haggle to enjoy savings — from discounts on gas to deals on dining, savings on snacks and special rates on lodgings, should you decide to spend the night. Perhaps you can even use all those savings on an extra apple pie or handmade quilt at the farmers’ market. CAA