Who are Dom and Liz?
Dom and Liz are a married couple from Massachusetts, USA. They have been together since 2001 (married since 2008), and share a love for videogames and collecting.
When did you start yardsaling?
We had been thinking about trying our hand at yardsaling to find old videogames, and finally decided to start on Saturday, April 9th, 2005. We quickly checked our local newspaper for sales and headed out...at the late late hour of 10AM.
Why did you start yardsaling?
We grew up loving videogames (all the way back to Atari!) and have always enjoyed collecting them. Our GameCube, Game Boy Advance, Xbox, Playstation 1 and 2 collections were already growing rapidly thanks to tons of sales and clearances, and we still had all of our old Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Game Boy, Sega Master System, and Atari games and systems. But we wanted more! We have always dreamed of someday owning a house full of videogames and videogame paraphernalia, and we hope to achieve this through yardsaling.
Aside from videogames and videogame merchandise, what else do you buy?
Anything that catches our eye! Liz is a long-time Lego fanatic, and always picks up anything she sees. Anime and manga (media and merchandise) are also on the list, but these don't turn up too often. We also pick up any books and VHS tapes that look interesting, especially if they are from the 80s. You just never know what you'll find!
Where do you put all that stuff!?
We are in the process of setting up our basement with all of our stuff. It's going to take some time due to other responsibilities, but we're making great headway!
Do you resell what you buy?
Nope! We buy and keep everything for the sheer enjoyment of collecting. Please do not ask to buy anything, as we are not interested in selling anything at this point.
How do you visit so many sales in a week?
Increased familiarity with the communities we visit probably contributes the most to the high sale frequency per week. Additionally, we lived in a well-populated area that gave us lots of options, especially between the months of April and September (prime time in our region). Most importantly, we only spend 1-2 minutes at each sale, even if we score something. "Get in and get out quick" is our motto. Liz creates an itinerary every week using our Virtual Route Planner. Liz then drives while Dom navigates, and by working together they can maximize their time!
Where else do you find videogame deals?
Craigslist, Freecycle, thrift stores, and flea markets have contribued some good deals, but yardsales will forever remain our favorite and most successful venue for videogame deals.
How do you get these deals?
We were definitely shaky when we first started out, but over time we learned how to bargain and haggle. We try to keep a clear idea of what we want to pay for games and systems, and stick to that. We can always adjust that depending on what we have in front of us (e.g. "rare" games or systems), but for the most part we try to stay within our preset price range. We also hit a large number of sales, increasing our chances of finding items. Our "luck" is nothing more than a combination of persistant haggling and dedication to hit lots of sales.
How can I get deals like you guys?
All of our tips can be found in the Yard Sale Guide (also linked at the top of the page). Follow these tips, go out weekly to as many sales as possible, and don't be afraid to haggle!
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