It was not that long ago that garage sales were looked down upon as low end affairs, a place to shuffle through junk and dusty things. Well, times have certainly changed. A bad economy, poor housing market, uncertainty and fear have led many more upscale people to have garage sales and shop at garage sales…..and even celebrities are getting into the act.
What was once viewed as not cool is now seen as trendy, frugal, hip and politically correct: having a yard sale, a garage sale or an estate sale is not just viewed as a money making opportunity, but it is also great for the environment (we are recycling things and not throwing them into landfills), we can raise money for charities through sales, and it also has a real social and entertainment element to it. These last few factors are what have attracted celebrities to the garage sale world.
I read recently that Johnny Depp’s current flame, Amber Heard, is a regular at flea markets and thrift stores and that he just loves that about her. Lady Gaga loves her consignment shops and is great at mixing in her unique vintage finds with her high end designer attire.
I was also fascinated to read about former Bravo star Kelly Bensimon’s yard sale in the Hamptons, where she was selling a variety of household items, attracted other stars such as Jill Zarin and Joy Behar to shop for her used items.
Even Gwyneth Paltrow, the ultimate snobbette, threw a yard sale in Amagansett, NY where she sold of her children’s old toys and even served lemonade! I was pleased to hear that she was donating the proceeds to charity and happily chatting with shoppers.
So, if you were afraid to try hosting or shopping at garage sales, yard sales or estate sales, because it won’t “look good”, join the tons of folks, celebrities included, that have joined the resale wave. To learn more about hosting a sale, check out the great articles on taggsellit.com/second-hand-social or my web site www.garagesalegold.com. You can also reach out to me on twitter@garagesaleava.
See you next month!