After being unable once again to attend the Giant Flea Market in Pasadena with my friend, I took to the old standby of looking for collectibles/antiques at local garage sales near me. Afterwards I was pleased to see the following article at www.about.com about doing just that. Sometimes you find what you are looking for and sometimes, unfortunately, you find what you weren't looking for. Ah, yes, the start of another collection.

GARAGE SALE SHOPPING

From Pamela Wiggins,Your Guide to Antiques.

A Day in the Life of a "Saler"
Tips for Antique Hunting at Garage Sales

Remember, the early bird gets the best bargains, but swinging back by late in a sale may get you a better discount on an item that was priced way too high to begin with.
To get the most bang for your buck time-wise, consider frequenting neighborhood garage sales where a number of homes are having sales at the same time. This way, you can park at the end of a block and walk from house to house.
When you see something you even THINK you might want, pick it up and hold it. You can always put it back if you change your mind.
Carry books on favorite collectibles in your car. If you need to look something up, ask the sale's proprietor to hold the item while you "go get your wallet." If the item is not what you thought it was, you can always tell the seller you've changed your mind.
Don’t be afraid to ask for a discount, but be realistic.

No one wants to go half price on an item during the first few hours of a sale. Anger the seller and you may end up with no discount at all.

A Day in the Life of a “Saler”
Many antique hounds believe you can't find anything worthwhile at garage sales anymore. And I'll admit it, I've fallen into that rut a time or two myself. But just when I think I'll never find another old or collectible item at a garage sale, something pops up to change my mind.
Yes, I did have good luck at a series of garage sales taking place in a neighborhood that, quite frankly, didn't hold much potential for collectibles as far as I was concerned. The first sale I stopped at proved me wrong with a box of antique linens, and a nice vintage snakeskin purse. I didn't buy either, because they were priced a little high, but I began to hope for more.
The next street, through a series of sales, offered a porcelain souvenir shoe from the '40s, a multi-colored set of '50s mixing bowls and a snakeskin bag from the '70s. This time I walked away with the purse for $1. My mother politely yelled at me later for not getting the mixing bowls for her too. Live and learn.

Onward and Upward
By this time, I was gaining momentum. I set out for my next destination: a nice corner lot house with a garage brimming with “stuff.” Sure enough, the proprietor was offering several older kitchen items including a shiny aluminum two-piece cake carrier with a black plastic handle in excellent condition.
I knew this carrier was from the '50s because my mom had one when I was growing up. I've also seen Martha Stewart flaunting similar styles on television in the past, so it was mine for $3. I would have paid in the range of $20-30 to purchase one like it in a local antique mall. I was very pleased with my find.
At the same sale, another shopper just beat me to a nice glass refrigerator dish. I also left behind some really pretty pieces of vintage fabric. Sometimes you just have to know when to say no.
I was about to feel as if I'd used up all my luck for the day, but decided to move on to another block. Good thing I did, because my favorite finds were waiting ahead.

The Finds of the Day
I wandered up a steep driveway and my heart skipped a beat when I saw a 1920s beaded handbag lying on a table. Unfortunately, I realized that it was in pretty bad shape after giving it the once over. I still considered purchasing it for $1, but realized, like I did with the old fabric a little while earlier, that it was a repair project I'd probably never get around to completing.
I made my way next door and things looked pretty picked over. I was about to turn and go when I spotted some Christmas decorations in the back of the garage. I moved in to take a closer look and noticed some glassware, one of my weaknesses, on a table nearby.
There, waiting just for me, was a cute set of six small Fostoria American oyster cocktail goblets, and another set of eight tulip shaped fountain glasses with the Jeanette Glass Company mark on the base. I meekly asked how much the owner wanted for both sets, secretly thinking they were still there because the price was antique shop high.
Much to my surprise, she said $2 a set! These normally sell for about $5-15 per piece. Secretly pleased, I bought the set of fountain glasses to serve homemade ice cream in during the summer months and the Fostoria set to sell.

Last But Not Least
You'd think that would be about all I'd come up with for the morning, but I hit another sale or two and found a 1960s ceramic Santa Claus planter for $1.50. He looks so much like a bank my mom has had for years, I couldn't resist taking him home. There was also an older couple offering several nice Fenton Silvercrest baskets and vases at prices reasonable enough for a collector, but I decided to leave those behind for someone else.
So, after spending a couple of fun hours browsing secondhand wares and spending less than $10, I came home feeling pretty good about my finds.

Will this happen again the next time I venture out to a neighborhood garage sale? One can only hope!