I love Yard Sales that begin on a Friday...I've found some of my best buys on this last workday of the week. They are generally much less crowded, and usually part of a three-day weekend long sale so there's usually plenty of stuff to paw through. The downside? Because it's on a work day for most people, many of the earliest attendees are dealers who know what to look for, have a pocketful of cash, and buy in quantity. So....I've found you've got to be there when they open to find the good stuff. Note I said "when they open". I am one of those rare birds today who try and respect the terms of the sale. Many of us, who hold our own sales frequently, are very aware that there are people that will show up a day early, or at 10:00 at night the night before, or even knock on your door... at 6:00 in the morning.  While occasionally they may find someone who will let them peruse the stuff early before anyone else, most won't...and it helps give us "yardees" a bad name. How does anyone expect to bicker on a deal when they've pissed off the seller right off the bat? 

I  drove to a sale this Friday morning and arrived exactly at 8:00.  As normal, there were several dealers there with large piles set aside already, but it was a big sale so there was still plenty to pick through.  Below are the results of this "Hunt", and the total spent for everything shown was $35. The Mrs., Beasley Doll is original 1967, and two of the model ship kits are 1970s Revell "H" kits. The three boxes of Trolls (well over 60 trolls) included many DAM versions from the early 1980s. Finally, a small lot of early Duncan Spinners topped off the lot at $1 each.  All in all, a great morning!

Here's yet another niche to keep an eye out for while out hunting this weekend. You've probably seen these at Yard Sales, Church Rummage Sales, and sometimes in Goodwill Shops, many times offered for $1 or less each. But did you realize that these are a hot collectible right now? The "Slow Poke Rodriguez" glass shown here was produced as part of the Looney Tunes Pepsi Collector Series in 1973, and currently brings between $25 - $40 each on Ebay. Other Pepsi series from the 1973 and 1976 Warner Brothers Looney Tunes series range from $8.00 to $20 depending on the rarity. A complete collection of all 18 of the 1973 Glasses will often sell in excess of $200. The glasses shown here above were bought at a Yard Sale last weekend for 50 cents each.

Pepsi also produced a set of 14 "Superhero" glasses in 1976. One set recently sold online for $395.  In 1977 a Terrytoons Themed set was released. The Mighty Mouse glass, if in good shape, will bring between $150 and $250.

Another set Pepsi produced was a Disney Themed Series in the  1970s. This "The Rescuers" set of 4 Glasses recently brought $40 (with free shipping) on Ebay!

As a side note, there were also dozens of other advertising glasses produced in the 1970s and 1980s that are NOT bringing over a couple bucks each.  And, of course, condition is everything. Even rare glasses are a tough sell if they show excessive wear. When in doubt, smart phones are a valuable tool to search with when in the field!