A few years back on a Saturday morning walk, I came upon a yard sale in my neighborhood. It was early and the homeowner, whom I didn’t know, had just finished setting up her displays. As I scouted about her driveway seeking to find a treasure like the perfect shell on a tropical beach, I noticed a box of four Hawaiian print visors inscribed with “Carnival Cruises”.

“We are going on a Carnival Cruise in a couple of weeks,” I excitedly shared with her.

She picked up the visors, brushed them off and said “These were from our cruise last winter when my husband told me he wanted a divorce.”

Not the response I was expecting to hear at a Saturday morning yard sale. I stood stunned as this poor woman continued to tell her heart wrenching story to the first empathetic ear who would listen; yours truly. Sometimes a stranger is just the person with whom to share personal confidences. But I was hoping just to score an original Bruce Springsteen Born to Run Tour t-shirt from 1976. I left with a box of used crayons for my daughter and a two gallon mimosa tree for $5. This turned out to be my treasure, which grew to over 15 feet in my front yard.

Good deals can be found at yard sales and you will get an extra big chance this Saturday, May 5 at Loma Colorado Park when the City’s largest yard sale will take place from 10:00am-3:00pm next to Rio Rancho High School.
Whether this weekend finds you trawling the driveways as an eager bargain hunter, or fearlessly leading your own sale, here are a few tips to get the most bang for your buck.
For sellers, remember, your old stuff is new to someone else, so your presentation is key in maximizing your profit. One man’s work bench is another woman’s butcher block kitchen island. Get out the Pledge and paper towels and clean up.

Put some effort into your sale by staging the driveway with clear signage and an organized and welcoming layout to attract the lookie-loos. Your best buys, including lawn equipment, furniture and tools placed in plain view from the road will stop buyers in their tracks.

These days, avid bargain hunters trawl garage sales for low priced items — only to turn around and resell them at a higher cost at their own yard sale or on eBay. When pricing items, the guideline is to price items at a third of what it costs new. Bargaining is an important part of the yard sale experience, so allow for some negotiating room. But that rule does not apply across the board. No one cares that you paid $50 for the complete set of Jane Fonda workout videos in 1982. You'll be lucky to sell them at all. Put those in the box marked five for a dollar.

Your rusty rake in as-is condition with an old crispy leaf stuck in the prong may not fly off your shelf. Consider spray painting the handle for a fresh look and raise the price from $1 to $5; ka-ching. Are the kids grown and you’re tired of looking at that portable basketball hoop in the driveway? Buy a new net for six bucks and tag it for $75. Then go out for a nice dinner.

As for the yard sailors, all prices are negotiable, so do ask for a lower price. Yes, everyone wants something for nothing, but if you’re a wise consumer, you may have to loosen the wallet in order to get the quality items at an exceptional price. For example, a friend of mine found a pair of genuine Gucci suede loafers in her size at an estate sale. Retailing new for $495; she sailed away with them for $95. If you stick to the basic rules of thumb, you may not only find a treasure, but you’ll have a good time as well.

Thought for the Week: Rio Rancho, Come on Down. You’re the next contestant in the city’s biggest yard sale.

Jennifer Huard’s column appears each Thursday. She welcomes your emails at jhuard@abqjournal.com .