Garage sales an old remedy for cash-starved homeowners

Melissa Wzorek and her girlfriends hold a garage sale every spring to clear the clutter and hang out together. They say this weekend's sale in Palatine has a different feel.

"This year it's more serious than in the past," Wzorek said. "We're trying to make a few extra dollars."

The way people hold and shop at garage sales is changing. As the garage sale season kicks off, they're finding the atmosphere slightly different as homeowners feel the pinch of the recession.

Shoppers are more likely to hold back on purchases and even comparison-shop from one sale to the next.

"I think the main difference in garage sales this year is that people are being much more conscious of what they buy," said Wzorek, of Inverness.

"I don't think people are spending their money on junk they don't need," agreed Linda Schoon, who held a garage sale in Hoffman Estates last weekend. The economy and a tighter family budget were the main forces behind her sale. "I tried to make some extra money. I need the cash to pay the bills," she said.

Shoppers are hitting the garage sales with a mission. Meredith Cunningham found that people were buying things they really needed at her garage sale. "A lot of folks were looking for essentials. The first thing I sold was mixing bowls," the Mundelein mom said.

Housewares, dog things, coffee tables and kids toys were sprawled out on Cunningham's driveway where she sold 70 percent of her merchandise. "I was looking for some extra pocket money and some extra room in the house," she said. "It was quite profitable. I made about $300."

Cunningham was one of about 70 to participate in the annual Cambridge Countryside North subdivision sale that attracts hundreds of shoppers.

Kim Walters, organizer of the Mundelein sale, said the number of homes participating was up slightly over last year.

And organizers are expecting more shoppers than last year at the Mount Prospect Villagewide three-day garage sale that kicked off Friday.

"It's certainly much more of a garage sale economy. Money matters are viewed differently right now," said organizer Tom Zander, of Picket Fence Realty. He expects more than 500 homes to be involved in the 16th annual sale.

"I think we'll get a better turnout of people looking for bargains," said Carol Lynn Seifert, organizer of the Surrey Ridge West and Heritage Park neighborhood garage sales in Arlington Heights. Hawthorn Woods is also holding a communitywide garage sale today.

The streets were packed with cars in Batavia last weekend for the town's annual garage sale. Organizer Roger Breisch said there were about the same number of homes participating as last year.

Kelly Boston, who held a garage sale early this month, said she made about $800 as she sold some big-ticket items.

"I sold my bedroom set," the Palatine woman said. Boston also sold household decor and adult clothing. She said there was a steady stream of shoppers. "We were constantly taking money without much pause in-between," she said.

Boston, who grew up going to garage sales with her mom, says organization is key to a successful sale. The items have to be clean, displayed neatly on tables and marked clearly with prices.

Garage sale experts say if you want to make money, prices should be low, especially these days. Competition can be fierce. A shopper at a recent neighborhood sale was going from home to home looking for the best price for a set of golf clubs.

As anyone who has had a yard sale knows, it's a lot of work to host a sale.

"We probably wouldn't have done the garage sale if the economy was better," said Jill Hughes of Arlington Heights, a self-employed writer. "It takes a lot of time."

Avid garage saler Lisa Fischbach has seen interest in garage sales pick up. The administrative assistant who works for the village of Vernon Hills created a Garage Sale Central link on the village's Web site to help advertise or search for sales.

Her e-mail distribution list of nearly 1,900 people is growing. She sends the list and map of Vernon Hills garage sales out every Thursday.

"You can print it out and go shopping for some good deals."

Serious: Community sales more popular this year