Grand Rapids Garage Sales are a Springtime Tradition
When the snow melts away, flowers aren’t the only thing popping up around west Michigan.
Garage sales and neighborhood garage sales are, too. Spending a Saturday driving around to the sales is a great thing to do in spring. And bring the kids along and add it your summer bucket list, too!
Use our handy guide to help you restock your kids’ wardrobes on the cheap.
And you never know what other treasures you’re going to find!
Read on to discover tips for shopping at garage sales with kids or running your own. And of course we have a big list of garage sales and neighborhood garage sales – you can add yours to the list, too!
in this article
How to Shop Garage Sales With Kids
Here are a few helpful tips for navigating garage sales with kids in tow:
1. Have a Plan
Use our list below to plan out where and when you’ll be shopping.
2. Involve the Kids
Give the kids a list of things you are garage sale shopping for. This turns your shopping into a treasure hunt!
3. Enlist a Friend
You shop for their items, they shop for yours. Cell phone pics are your friend!
4. Look for Neighborhood Sales
Neighborhood sales means less driving. (See below!) I love getting the kids out of my Mom Mobile once, plopping the youngest in the stroller, and hitting at least five houses before I have to wrestle the kids back into their car seats.
5. Give the Kids Some Spending Money
Give the kids a little baggie with coins. Oh yes….I am soooo not above bribery. While I do believe in the power and awesome-ness that goes with letting my kids earn their own money, I’m also willing to do a little *bonus* pay for Mommy’s sanity.
I usually give each boy $1 to do with what they choose.
If they choose to bring more of their own money along, that’s fine, too. At the end of the day, if they haven’t spent the dollar, I allow them to put the entire thing into the spending jar for later (instead of splitting it up like normal).
How to Add Your Neighborhood Garage Sale to This Guide
We welcome you to add your neighborhood garage sale to this guide!
Please enter your information here.
All new entries must include at least 10 houses, or one church, or the equivalent of either.
(When entering your neighborhood, please give cross streets for ease of locating your sale. If there is a fee for entering your sale, please state it upfront; nobody likes a surprise. This guide is a free service of Grand Rapids Kids.
If your sale is listed here, please help this post reach more customers by sharing this garage sale guide on Facebook, Twitter, or your NextDoor neighborhood site.
While Grand Rapids Kids tries to maintain this list, last minute issues sometimes do arise that are out of the control of both GRKIDS and the organizer of the sale. When possible, please verify events before you go.)
The Big List of 2024 Grand Rapids Garage Sales
We continually update this list as sales are submitted to us over the season. Check back regularly for new garage sales!
Tips for Running a Successful Neighborhood Garage Sale
1. Use Several, Colorful Signs
With a multi-home sale, you can ask each garage sale to make 2-3 signs.
It gives variety to the color, wording and size of the signs and makes a lighter load for the organizer. Be sure to enlist help when putting them up, too!
2. Take Payments Via SmartPhone Apps
Cash used to be King at garage sales, but nowadays many shoppers use money apps on their smartphones, especially to purchase larger items over $50.
There are many apps out there, but two popular ones are Venmo and Square Cash.
3. Hire a Babysitter
Believe me, if you have young children at home while the sale is occurring, it’s easier (and happier) if you hire someone to watch and entertain your kids. If you are having your sale with someone else who has kids, you can all pitch in for the help. It’s worth it!
4. Plan a Food Run
It seems that the sales traffic always picks up at lunch time or near dinner.
Before sales start, designate someone in your group to run out and get food or go in and prepare it for everyone. In our case, we had several homes having sales at the same time so one person from the group took everyone’s orders and got food for us.
5. Get Seller Feedback
Did the dates and times work for everyone involved? Do they think they will participate again next year?
Are You a Garage Sale Shopper?
Do you love shopping garage sales? What other tips and tricks do you have to share?
More Summer Fun
Mark your calendars for Huntington Ridge Condos. Neighbor Garage Sales It is south off W Leonard between Kinney and Wilson April 29 (9 -6 ) and April 30 (9-3 )
Garage sales in Belmont starting Wednesday, April 28th, 2021 till Saturday, May 1st, 2021. 9 till 5. First address is 3091 Gold Dust NE, in Belmont. Near Cemetary on Packer Street.
http://www.facebook.com/groups/westsidegrdeals
I post lots of deals if you’re interested ☺️
Fulton heights is having our annual garage sale May 3rd and 4th.
Does GR have a city wide garage sale day? Asking for a friend.
This is a gold mine. Thanks for the list.