EUREKA -- For two times in as many weeks people holding yard sales have been the victims of poorly produced $20 bills.

The Eureka Police Department said the first report was June 18 from a yard sale on the 2300 block of A Street and the second report was June 25 from a yard sale on the 1400 block of Sixth Street.

”The victims state that an unknown dark-colored Suburban type SUV pulls up to the rummage sale and a 12-year-old boy gets out of the vehicle and uses the fake bill to purchase a few items,” said Suzie Owsley of the Eureka Police Department.

Police are warning anyone who plans on holding a rummage sale.

”The counterfeit $20 are very poor quality with paper that does not feel real,” Owsley said.

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You know you're at a bad garage sale when the merchandise is displayed in shopping carts.

Oh but seriously, I saw one on Saturday that did have one shopping cart filled with stuff.

I would certainly have to agree. I too have seen these types of garage sale setups on my way to/from work. There is a street end that is notorious for people coming over to sell their stuff away. This includes selling it right out of a shopping cart.

Anyone else seen any wierd 'garage' sales?

Thanks to AJ from Thingamababy.com for the quote.

A group of Marietta school friends has come a long way from selling 5-cent Kool-Aid along the sidewalk in the summertime and this weekend they provided an example of why many local people participate in yard sales.

Gillian Rossi, Ashley Hoff, and Laura Riley, all 15; Brooke Rossi, 13, and Emily Welch, 14, threw a giant yard sale Friday and Saturday and raised $507.

Bright sunshine and a soft breeze brought out plenty of bargain-hunters.

“I had this chalk board and I remember playing with it a lot when I was little,” Riley said. “It was hard to give up, but I finally put a price of $5 on it. This woman would only give me $3. She wouldn’t even pay full price, so I said, ‘OK, I really don’t need it anymore.’”

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It's a busy day today for Angie Karakey. She and her partners are running a "store" of sorts in north Scottsdale. "When we first open our doors there's usually a line . . . maybe about 20 people long. They know there's something here they want - jewelry, dolls or quilts."

Angie is part owner of A Woman's Touch, a company that organizes estate sales. An estate sale typically involves homeowners who are selling their "estate" or their home and everything in it for various reasons. Usually it's held due to one of several reasons, or a combination of retirement, relocation, divorce, downsizing and death.

If you like garage sales, chances are you'll love estate sales. While garage sales are often held outside, estate sales are always inside and are full of unique items up for sale. "Estate sale contents should include furniture, household items, appliances, collectibles, everything. Estate sale means complete. Garage sale just means you're changing your décor or the kids have outgrown their clothes."

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* NEWSPAPER ADS. You hardcore sellers should already know to do this. Put one in the paper three to four days before the sale, and let it run all the way to the sale day. Include the location and start time.

* COMBINE GARAGES. Hooking up with a neighbor or friend means more merchandise, which attracts more traffic (trust me, word of a heavy volume garage sale gets around quickly!). Plus, your friend may have a better location -- one that is on a street corner or near a subdivision interest that gets a lot of street traffic.

* PUT UP SIGNS THE NIGHT BEFORE OR TWO HOURS BEFORE THE OPENING. They ought to have lettering 3 to 5 inches high indicating the sale and the address. Use contrasting colors (black on white is best), and three of them with arrows should be enough to guide motorists to the sale.

* "YARD" SALE MAY NEED A PERMIT. If you're selling items in your front yard, most municipalities require you purchase a permit if the sale lasts for multiple days or if you are planning yard sales multiple times per year.

* PRICE ITEMS 1/3 OF THE NEW PRICE...if you want them to move!

* HOLD ITEMS ONLY IF CUSTOMER PAYS UP FRONT

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With Memorial Day crossed off the calendar for 2006, we're now into the prime season for what is one of America's biggest retail sectors, and its least understood.

Least understood, that is, in the sense that everyone knows what the form of retailing is, and has a pretty good idea of its importance in the commercial and cultural landscape, but no one can quantify just how extensive that importance really is.

That sector would be the garage sale.

Or yard sale, or tag sale, or rummage sale, the precise term depending not just on whether the sale itself is in a garage or spread out on a lawn or in a basement, but where in the country it's being held (the favored term can differ by region). For simplicity's sake, we'll stick to garage sale.

You can scour the Web and find plenty of advice on how to run a garage sale, and strategies on how to shop garage sales. Hard data and detailed history on garage sales, however, are hard to come by.

That's not surprising, given how widespread and decentralized the garage sale sector is. They're not run by companies, and there's no industry trade group, so there's no industrywide database to consult. While some municipalities or neighborhood associations require permits for garage sales, many (including Seattle) don't, so that avenue is out for measuring the extent of the industry.

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Every Thursday morning, Jeanie Crittenden follows the signs, searching for treasure.

A self-described garage sale guru, she loves both the process and the prize - and during two decades, there have been plenty of jackpots:

*A signed Eisenberg brooch purchased for a dime and valued at $350.

*A Louis Vuitton handbag for $35.

*A numbered "Star Wars" poster for $5, later sold to a local specialty shop for $150.

*A Jiminy Cricket videotape bought for a dime and sold on eBay for $65.

And there are countless antiques, appliances, toys and designer clothing items bought at a fraction of their full price that fill her home and office.

"It's kind of an adrenaline rush," says Ms. Crittenden, a marketing assistant for a financial planner. "For me, it's just a fun and sometimes profitable hobby."

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