Garage Sales Garner Great Deals, Bronx County , Bronx NY

Bargaining, haggling and bartering will happen in abundance on Aug. 9. The second

Saturday in August is annually National Garage Sale Day. Before you check the ads for sales in

your neighborhood and map out your plan of attack, look over these tips to get the most out of

your front-lawn negotiating:

Yard sale vitals. Bring a hat, sunglasses, sun-screen lotion, comfortable shoes, a map,

plenty of cash and a tape measure.

Remember me? Make sure you have the seller's full attention when you're paying so he or

she won't forget and try to charge you twice if you continue shopping.

Get the worm. Be an early bird, but not the early bird. Arrive early to get first dibs, but don't

intrude on the homeowner's privacy by arriving before the sale is open. Politely give him or her

time to prepare. Power up. When buying something that's battery-operated, open the battery

compartment to check for corrosion. Also, if the item is powered by electricity, ask if you can plug

it in before you purchase it.

Call me. If you're eyeing something, but the price is too high and the seller won't negotiate,

pass on your name and phone number. If the item hasn't sold by the end of the day, the seller

might be willing to come down in price.

Kiddie cost. If you're shopping with your kids, let them pay for their own purchases. It will give

them practice in handling money and build their confidence by talking to adults. Plus, it's worth a

try to see if the sellers will give them a discount.

De-tag it. Remove price tags as soon as you get your items home. The longer a sticker stays

on, the harder it is to remove.

Safety first. Garage sales offer great buys on toys and baby products, but consider safety in

terms of recalls. Contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission at (800) 638-2772 or visit

www.CPSC.gov.