Far Hills Rummage Sale: My Top 10 Tips, Just for Fun

Are you going to the The Far Hills Rummage Sale this weekend?  If you live in NJ, you really should.  If you're busy, shame on you for not marking your calendar when I told you to, you're missing out.  For those of you who are so excited that you're taking off work on Friday to get the best selection, I've learned some tips and tricks over the past few years that I would like to share that will make your day a little smoother.

1. The best stuff goes on Friday. If you want the best stuff you have to take time off work on Friday morning and compete with the professional resellers, the retired and the housewives.  These sale veterans have a game plan - they know what tents they want to hit up and in what order, and they arrive at dawn.  This mostly applies to people looking for specific pieces of furniture, valuable antiques or designer bags.  I like to go on a Friday morning, but honestly I've found equally great deals on Saturdays.
   
2. Arrive early. Very early.
   For those of us in the know, people start arriving very early.  On Friday morning those sale veterans start lining up before 7 am (I'm not kidding) and just wait for hours to get first pick.  However for those of us who aren't crazy, you still want to show up between 8:30 and 9 am to find parking.  The field fills up pretty quickly and it can be a long hike from those side streets.  Plus you want a good parking space close to the event so you can make repeated trips to the car to drop off your purchases and not lug them everywhere.
   
   
3. Bring cash.
   Cash is best. If you are shopping for furniture or want to buy lots of things, bring more money.  If you are just browsing, bring less. I don't always spend it all. Some tents (like clothing and furniture) accept credits cards, but not all tents do.
   
   
4. Bring your reusable grocery bags or totes.
   They sell red ones for like $2 each, but it's cheaper to bring your own.  Most tents will also supply plastic shopping bags, but these do not work well for larger or heavier items.  Your day will be so much better with big sturdy bags, particularly the ones you can throw over your shoulder and keep your hands free. (I love the ones from IKEA.)
   
   
5. Wear layers. Wear boots.
   It's early May (and October) - it will be cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon so layers are important.  This whole thing takes place in a grassy field, even on sunny days there will be a thick morning dew so it's going to be muddy.  Wear boots - wellies if you got them, or a pair of shoes you don't mind ruining.  If it's going to rain, bring an umbrella - the goods are inside the tents but you will be spending a lot of time outside.  Popular tents have lines to get in before the tents open and sometimes during the day when the tent gets too full.  It's fire code so be patient.
   
   
6. Keep an open mind, but have a plan.
   When browsing, keep an open mind about what you are looking for and hoping to find.  Looking for something specific (like curtains or a coffee table) will most likely end in disappointment.  However having a general idea of things you could use in your house or closet is always helpful.  You never know what's going to be there, think of it as a treasure hunt.  In fact like any good treasure hunt it's best to find the map first thing and decide what tents are the priorities (furniture, kid's toys and the boutique clothing are the most popular) and what tents you would like to visit after.
   
   
7. Eat a good breakfast. Bring water.
   Marathon shopping is a lot of hard work - you will get tired, hungry and thirsty.  Without a good breakfast you will break down and buy a greasy hamburger or hot dog from the grill and be attacked by bees at the picnic tables.  Sodas and water have a ridiculous markup so bring your own.
   
   
8. Your children will be miserable.
   Leave the kiddos at home with dad, grandma, or a sitter.  They will hate everything about this and will lose their patience within 10 minutes.  There are no bathrooms or changing stations - just porta-potties and your car.  The tent isles are too narrow for strollers - you have to leave them outside the tents and carry the kids around.
   
   
9. Do not Haggle.
   This is not a flea market.  The people that work there are volunteers and all the proceeds go to the Visiting Nurse Association.  Trying to get a better price on a vase is just plain tasteless, you're haggling over money going to charity.  If you want discounts, go Sunday afternoon for the bag sale when all the prices are slashed.
   
   
10. Use the buddy system.
    Bring a friend.  It's much more fun that way.  They can hold your place in line, help you remember where you parked, shoo bees away, help you get that ridiculous dresser in the car, laugh at with you when you slip in the mud, and be a second set of eyes when hunting the bins for something you want.

If you're coming, I'll see you Saturday.  Look for me in my polka dot wellies with half a dozen grocery totes.