Saturday morning saler: the early bird gets the dirty looks, and other tips

So, you like yard saling. But are you ready to take it to the next level? (Yes, there are levels.)

Here's a few tips to make yourSaturdaysaling more efficient and successful.

The early bird gets the dirty looks

It doesn't matter what time the poster says the yard sale starts, people will always show up early.

I've seen them looking through boxes yettobeunpacked and,in some cases, are still in the seller's hands. I never really saw the benefit of that.

Sure, you get to have the first look at the goods. But you've probably already annoyed the seller and ruined your chances of getting a better price.

Unless you're a collector and you're looking for a specific, hard-to-find item, I'd suggest waiting until it's supposed to start.

Five minutes early is OK, but half an hour is catching them with their pants down.

You can't be in two places at once

Unless there's only one yard sale in your town, you have to make a choice of where to go first.

Choose wrong and you could miss out on a better sale. Or more accurately, a sale better suited to what you're looking for.

My mother-in-law and fellow yard sale addict loves dishes. So when she sees plates, platters and cups, we stop the car.

I like furniture. So based solely on the street address, we try to divine where we might find gold.

Before I had children of my own, I'd never rush to a sale in a new subdivision. The chances of that being a family sale werepretty high and I wasn't looking for Little Tikes playsets or Franklin books.

Plus, because it's a newer home, they're probably selling newer things and that's not really my aesthetic. My first hit is usually in an older part of town, and fingers crossed, I'd luck into an antique dresser or an old steamer trunk.

So go where you thinkyou'll find what you want.

Remaxmarks the spot

Moving sales are great. There are usually more things to look through and sellers would rather make a deal than pack things up for the move.

When I got my first real job and money was tight, I needed a lot of things for my apartment. So I'd go through the estate pages of the paper each week and cross-reference it with my list of yard sales.

A yard sale at a house that's up for sale is great hunting ground.

If the ACWis holding a sale in a church basement, I am so there.

Just like the moving sales, I have always had great luck at charity sales. If the ACW is holding a sale in the church basement, I am so there.

Not only that, I will probably go back again before lunch.

By11 a.m., vendors will tell you to fill a bag for a buck. I may not have been interested in an old hand-knit sweater for $5, but if I can squeeze it in a bag with a bunch of other stuff, I'll take it.

(For the record:I did this and I wear that sweater every. single. evening.)

Maybe you and a friend can even go halveson the bag. Then it's practically free!

Bargains are in the eyeof the beholder

Say you find a bathroom set that you really like but the seller is firm on $5. See if they'll throw in the matching trash can with it.

• Saturday morning saler: advice for yard sale newbies

They think you caved by paying full price and you see it as getting a dollar off. Everyone is happy, including your wallet.

Happy saling!