21 Things You Should Never Buy at Garage Sales
Updated: Jan. 06, 2023
Bargains are great, but cross these gross, broken, and unsafe items off your list when you head out to garage sales.
Tires
If they’ve been in an accident, tires are likely to be unstable and unreliable. Make sure you can get an accurate history.
Wet suits and swimsuits
Personal products that hug your body are technically safe if you wash them in hot water… and still, we’re cautious. But constant changes in water pressure also wear out swimwear faster than regular clothing, so it’s likely a used wetsuit or swimsuit will tear.
Mattresses
Bed bugs could lurk in any used mattress. You might also end up sleeping with other people’s mold, mites, bacteria, and bodily fluids (yuck!). If you’re buying something firsthand, these are things you should never buy at Aldi.
Cribs
Scores of crib recalls, as well as changing safety standards, make it hard to verify the safety of a used crib. Don’t miss these thrift store shopping secrets for scoring the perfect gem.
Laptops or other devices
Laptops, e-readers, tablets, or mp3 players are more likely to be dropped, knocked around, and spilled on, simply because they’re out in the world. A desktop computer sits (mostly) safe at home, but even that would likely cost more to upgrade than buy new.
TVs
It’s hard to determine how well TVs, DVD players, and other electronic devices have been cared for by their previous owners. Plus, technology changes so quickly that you can often get a better quality device. If you’re buying refurbished devices directly from a manufacturer, you’ll be covered by a warranty—but a random TV at a garage sale could be hit or miss.
Shoes
Used shoes have been molded to their previous owner’s feet—and poorly fitting shoes will make you miserable, or you’ll just never want to wear them.
Worn plates, pots, and other cookware
Rust, flaky non-stick coatings, and chemicals that leach out are just a few of the safety problems you can run into with older cookware. But if you see any of these vintage kitchen items for sale, they might be worth grabbing!
Clothes that require a tailored fit
It might look like it fits—until you put it on. Unless you can try something on, it’s often not worth the money you’ll spend on alterations. Don’t miss these things thrift and consignment shop owners aren’t telling you.
Stuffed animals
Stuffed animals can be hard to send through the extra-hot cycle on a washing machine, and like mattresses and upholstered furniture, they can be full of creepy crawlies and other unsavory finds. Of course, if you spot one of these valuable childhood toys, you might want to snap it quickly.
Hats
How’s this for gross: Hats may contain remnants of hair products, sweat, or skin infections. Next, check out these cheap items to buy now that will be worth a fortune in the future.
