9 Items You Should Absolutely NEVER Buy at a California Garage Sale

Something about warmer weather and longer days makes people want to throw open the windows and spend hours deep cleaning and decluttering their homes. We are not those people, but we are people who love the aftermath of people who are! 

That aftermath is what we like to call “garage sale season.” April, May and June are full of opportunities to treasure hunt after people with initiative have taken the time to declutter. They’re hoping to make a quick buck and you’re hoping to find some cool stuff at a price you can’t refuse. 

There’s some good stuff out there, especially if you have kids that have chosen pricey extracurriculars. Maybe they signed up for the school’s orchestra and they’ve reached the grade level where the school expects them to have their own instrument at home. We were that kid. Our parents weren’t thrilled that we chose the cello.

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By ninth grade, our school had that rule and a good beginner cello can cost anywhere between $1,300 and $2,800. So you can imagine how thrilled they were when they found an old one at a garage sale for $300. Sure, it had some dents and scratches, but that old cello sounded incredible and it may have been one of those higher end instruments in its day. We still have it and we still love it. 

That said, there are some products out there that are like landmines waiting to explode your wallet. Not only are they not a great value, they could be hiding a dangerous safety risk. According to several experts at Bob Vila, Reader’s Digest and Family Handyman these are items that you should NEVER buy at a garage or yard sale. 

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Pro-tip: If you’re planning your own garage sale or yard sale, you shouldn’t sell these either. They’re some of the least likely items to sell!