ReadersDigestAustraliaNewZealand-March2018

MONEY

24 | March• 2018

Second-Hand Finds

It’s hard to know what is worth buying at a garage

sale. These can be great value

PLASTIC AND WOODEN TOYS

Wooden blocks and toy cars are

cheapgaragesalesfinds,andmany

vintagewoodtoysaresolidenough

to be passed from generation to

generation. Clean wooden and

plastictoyswithamixtureofbleach

orvinegarandhotwater.Butstay

clearofstuffedanimals, which can

be hard to clean.

BABY GEARNew parents want to

getridofout-grownbabyswings,

high chairs and strollers as soon as

possible,makingthemagarage-sale

staple.Incaseoffuturerecalls,make

surethemodelnumberisstillvisible.

Don’tbuy:second-handcarseats

(t he s t r uc t u re c ou ld h av e s u ffere d

from damage) and

drop-side cribs.

FRAMESIf you

like one, snap it

up.Framesdon’t

go through much

wear and tear and

often look as new

as the day they

were bought.

LARGE FURNITUREThe key to

buyingbigitemsistowaituntilthe

endoftheday.Bythen,thesellersare

wonderinghowtheyaregoingtoget

that huge sofa back into the house.

Becarefulwithupholstereditems

(bedbugalert!),butonceyou’re

confident it’s clean, look past garishly

coloured fabric; you can always

reupholster a piece of furniture to

bettersuityoursenseofstyle.

BICYCLES AND SCOOTERSBikes

canbeagreatfind,butit’simportant

totakethemforatestdrivebefore

youbuy.Askthesellertheright

questions: Do you store it outside?

When were the tubes last replaced?

What’sthestatusofthebrakepads?

Withscooters,ifthe frame is

solid you can

often replace

missing or worn

parts (handlebar

covers, brakes,

wheels) for much

less than the

cost of new ones.

Check the maker’s

website for prices.

BY ALISON CAPORIMO

PHOTO: ISTOCK