10 Items You Should Never Buy at a Garage Sale

Getting a good deal on an item is always awesome, but not everything that has a cheap price tag is a good deal. Just because someone once said something about someone’s trash being someone else’s treasure does not mean that is fact. Sure, there are things you can pick up at someone else’s yard sale that will net you a serious profit, but that does not mean that everything you see at a yard sale is worth the price that you pay to buy it.

Don’t let cheap price tags fool you. Some things are just cheap, and that’s why we’ve decided to save you a few cents and a headache by telling you exactly what you should not purchase the next time you go to a yard sale. These things are so not worth the price that you will pay to buy them, which means that we’re saving you your precious dollars and the act of throwing everything away when you get home.

Helmets

These are items that are designed to keep your head safe in case of an accident but if they’ve already been in an accident, they are no longer safe. You have no way of knowing whether or not someone’s kid just outgrew their bike helmet or it was already in an accident, so don’t buy it.

Tires

Just like helmets, if a tire has already been in an accident, it’s not a safe bet for anyone to buy. Sure, they’re a lot cheaper at a yard sale than anywhere else, but that absolutely does not make them any safer for anyone that needs them. Go ahead and skip the tires and buy them from a reputable dealer.

Mattresses

One word for you: Bed Bugs. Okay, so that was two words, but that’s all you need to know. You don’t want them. Not only because they are disgusting and just, well, disgusting, but also because they are not easy to get rid of. I’ve never had them myself, but it’s a constant fear I have anytime I see a special on them on television. I mean, I wash everything that comes home from vacation with us and leave our luggage in the garage for days – just to be on the safe side.

Cribs

Do you have any idea how many crib recalls there are in the world? So many people know this and still try to make a buck off something that has been recalled, and it is not safe. Additionally, many people are unaware that there are recalls on what they are selling, and you might not know about it either since most cribs don’t come with a label as to its particular brand.

Televisions

You just have no idea what could have happened in the life of this television. Sure, it looks good and the price is right, but you have no idea whether or not this item was struck by lightning or if it was damaged in any way at some point. You just don’t know, and that means you should just avoid it.

Laptops

I know that in my house, laptops don’t work long. I’m on my third laptop this year, and this is actually the first thing I’ve done on this one since getting it a few days ago and learning to use it. It’s awesome, but I give it six months the way I use things. One slammed down lid can break a computer, they can be rebuilt, infected with viruses and if one person spills just one cup of coffee on that thing, it’s game over.

Bottles

Can we all just say it together: Gross! Who wants to drink out of the same dirty nipples as some other kid? It’s not sanitary, it’s not healthy and it’s just gross. Bottles are so cheap, so just buy new ones. Those things wear down and they get moldy and if they’re not cleaned properly, your kid could get sick from one. So just buy your kids new bottles. It’s much healthier, more sanitary and a lot safer. I promise you this.

Sheets and Towels

Here we go again with the bed bug deal. Also, you have no idea what else is living on these things. Sure, you can wash them in hot water and rest assured that you’ve probably killed most of what is on there, but there is no real reason that anyone would want to sleep on a used mattress. It’s gross and kind of disgusting to think that there are so many things that have happened on sheets in the past. Let’s just buy new sheets and leave the old ones to the trash.

As far as towels, it’s the same deal. They’re gross and unsanitary and not at all what you want to use in the bathroom. Just skip these things and go for new ones. They’re not that much more expensive in the first place.

Upholstered Furniture

Here we go yet again with the bed bug deal. Upholstered furniture is not all that easy to clean, for one, so you can’t just pop it in the washing machine in hot water and call it a day. These things can have bed bugs, lice, fleas and so much bacteria and so many germs on it that you’d probably die a little on the inside if you could see what’s lurking on and in these things. Leather furniture is a bit different, so consider that instead.

Car Seats

It is so tempting to pick up a car seat for a secondary vehicle (it’s so much easier to have a second than to remove and re-insert car seats every single time you take a different vehicle, and no one wants to pay full price for two) but you shouldn’t do it at a yard sale. Just like helmets, these are designed for safety measures and there is no way to ensure that a car seat someone else is selling is actually free of accidents and in good condition.

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