1. Prep your car. Make room for all those fabulous purchases you’re sure to pile up by clearing out the trunk and backseat of your car, suggests Kathy Peterson, host of TV’s Town & Country Crafts with Kathy Peterson. And if you’re planning on hitting several sales, fill up your tank — it may be miles between stops before you can gas up again.
2. Do your research. There’s nothing worse than hauling home an item only to discover it’s just a little bit too big, not the right color or doesn’t match your other pieces. Make sure to measure any empty spaces you’re hoping to fill. And if you’re looking to add to your china collection, taking pictures of your pattern will definitely come in handy.
3. Dress right. Opt for comfy clothes (with breathable fabrics), sunglasses and sunscreen (because nothing ruins a good day of bargain hunting like a painful burn), and closed-toe shoes (since you’ll be doing a lot of walking around in dirty areas!).

How to Shop Smarter

1. Get the timing down. There are two parts of the day that are best for hunting, says Chris Heiska, sale fanatic and creator of yardsalequeen.com. You just need to determine what your priority is — finding a great piece or a great deal. Going first thing in the morning will get you the best selection, while going at the end of the day (when sellers just want to unload the remaining items) ensures that you’ll get better prices.
2. Turn on the charm. Get chatty — a few minutes of polite, "so-where-are-you-from" conversation can make all the difference in your day of shopping, Heiska says. If the seller likes you, he or she might be more willing to navigate you toward the better pieces. And when it comes time for bargaining, you can use that camaraderie to your advantage!
3. Narrow your search. Where to start? With so many great little knickknacks and hidden gems, even just thinking about sorting through it all can be exhausting. But some items are definitely worth the time and effort, says Tracy Piercy, CEO of the financial education company MoneyMinding. Look for hard-to-find items like discontinued china, first-edition books and vintage clothes. Old-fashioned toys and wooden train sets never depreciate and are sometimes even considered collectors’ items (meaning you can put them on eBay later and make extra cash). In furniture, look for sturdy construction and shapes you like — anything can be re-covered or updated with a coat of paint.
4. Run a price check. If you come across an item you adore and you’re not sure if the price is right, here’s a quick way to tell: Use your cell phone to text the name of the item and the word "price" to GOOGLE (466453) and you’ll receive a list of current listings on the Web for that buy. It can take a couple of minutes — not to mention the frustration of typing everything out on your tiny phone pad — but since the service is free, it’s a bargain-hunter’s dream.

Let’s Make a Deal!

1. Look who’s selling. Before you dive right into haggling, determine how open the seller is to negotiating by figuring out the reason behind the sale, says Piercy. If the seller is just looking to get rid of her loot, you’ve got a good chance of getting a better deal, so you can start quite low (think around 50 percent off if you’ve got several items you’d like to buy together). If you’re dealing with a "semi-pro" seller who holds sales as an ongoing hobby, money is the big motivator there. The translation: You probably won’t get as big a discount. In this case, aim for a bit lower — think 10 to 25 percent.
2. Weave a tale. When sellers have an emotional attachment to their items, they’re more concerned with finding a good home for their possessions than receiving a good price, according to a study done at Arizona State University. So if the thingamajig you’re eyeing seems to be prized, ask questions about its history to prove just how deep your interest goes. Up your chances even more by taking a couple of minutes to explain how you’re planning to use the treasure in some special way — the seller may be more willing to give up that limited-edition Barbie for pennies if she knows it’s going to cheer up a niece who just lost her puppy.
3. Open negotiations. Don’t feel pressured to ask for a deal just because you’re at a bargain sale: If you feel like the cost is fair, just buy it and get on with your day! But if you see an item you want a lower price on, simply ask, "Will you take $__ for this?" Start a little lower than you’re willing to go — that gives the seller room to counteroffer with a price that splits the difference. But be sure to start the discussion before you get to the checkout spot, warns Heiska. Once you’re there, the seller knows you’re truly interested in buying your finds — a no-no, because seeming to be on the fence is the key to getting a better deal. You want the seller to feel that you need just a little bit more convincing.