TREASURE HUNT: BUYERS, SELLERS HOPE FOR BUSY YARD SALES

Spring has sprung!

The official date was March 21, and during the past couple of weeks the signs are in the air. People are cleaning attics, basements, closets and kids toy chests.

It's yard sale time!

It only takes a quick trip through the Southeast Missourian classified section to see that yard sales are a popular means to get at least some return on items that would eventually wind up in the trash.

Last Friday's Missourian had almost two pages of yard sales, and, as spring gets into summer, that could stretch into three, even four pages, announcing everything from a single yard sale, garage sale, estate sale to multi-family block sales and communitywide sales, to a "100-Mile Yard Sale," planned from Jackson to Kennett along Route 25 during the Memorial Day holiday.

If you're really into the yard-sale bit, how about a 255-mile trek through Alabama and Tennessee in May or 450 miles of yard-sale bargains through four states next fall.

100 sales a week

During the height of the spring and summer months, more than 100 yard or garage sale ads typically appear weekly in the Missourian.

Many yard sales are prompted by homeowners' resolve to rid themselves of unwanted "junk," but yard sales also prove that "one person's junk is another person's treasure."

And sometimes, at least, what is unearthed at yard sales is pure treasure.

In one instance, a $5 yard-sale clock turned into a $400 eBay Auction deal for the purchaser.

But that's still not as bad as the Massachusetts woman who last spring sold a $50,000 vase at a yard sale.

The vase, marked "Rockwood" on its bottom, was sold for $100.

And on and on you can go -- a 10-cent book that is valued at $50, a $2 tin toy that turns into a $200 eBay item; a $1 Sports Illustrated magazine worth $150.

Books on yard sales

Few people can recognize the value of everything.

Books have been written about yards sales.

Bunches of them, from "Trash to Treasure," by Tony Hyman to "The Complete Garage Sale Kit, " by Diana Rix and Monica Rix-Paxton. And, if your bag isn't reading books, take a look on the Internet.

If you're the buyer, watch for vases and glass, old toys, books, oil painting, Army, Navy and other military memorabilia, and so much more.

"Sports Illustrated" has its own little price guide, written by Steve Prothro and Phil Regli, authors of "Collectors' Guide to Sports Illustrated." Any sports fan knows the value of the numbers one and two SI's, complete with three pages of baseball cards. But, early swimsuit issues are also climbing in value, and certain athletes -- Muhammed Ali, most golfing covers, and others are good.

There are tons of garage sales every weekend, and more than 60 million Americans are out there hunting bargains. "The Complete Garage Sale Kit" book will outline how to conduct a successful yard sale.

Yard sale tips

The Southeast Missourian offers the flyer, "Ten Tips for Garage Sale Success," to garage sale ad customers. It offers tips on how to make the most money possible.

Among the tips offered:

* Plan the sale, two to three weeks in advance.

* Invite everyone you know.

* Run classified ads the day before the sale and the day of the sale.

* Place signs, provided by the Missourian, with direction arrows within six blocks of the home if city ordinances permit it, but check the ordinances.

* Clean your garage and yard.

* Organize the items, according to type, like toys, clothing, knickknacks, furniture.

* Price each item, reasonably.

* Have plenty of change.

Larger yard sales

Admittedly, "great finds" are not frequent at yard sales these days, but look at the possibilities -- old toys, oil paintings, military memorabilia and some 2,000 other categories of collectibles.

The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department holds a communitywide yard sale on occasion.

The 100-Mile Yard Sale, which will include communities along state Highway 25, from Jackson to Kennett, will be in its third year, and inquiries are already pouring in for this one, as sellers and buyers are planning the long jaunt.

Bargains by the mile will be available again this year, from Covington, Ky., through a number of Tennessee towns to Alabama. The 450-mile sale along the Highway 127 corridor will end at Gadsden, Ala. Dates will be established later. Additional information on this long haul can be found on the Internet.

If this one is too long, try a 250-mile haul next month, from Knoxville, Tenn., to Birmingham, Ala. More details on this yard sale along Highway 11, will be posted on the Internet.

Some manufacturers get in on the yard sale craze.

Nudell Manufacturing, at Piedmont, Mo., will hold a two-day yard sale Friday and Saturday at its manufacturing facility. The event will run from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Nudell will sell overstock and discontinued goods -- picture frame, bulletin boards, message centers, chalkboards, office furniture, poly bats and other supplies.

rowen@missourian.com