When you go to garage sales there are three things to keep in mind while searching for bargains: Keep your eyes open, be curious (nosy) and adore animals. Sounds a bit odd, I know, but all three helped lead me to quite a find at a recent sale.

It was cold, OK, freezing, on a recent Saturday morning in the Valley. But despite the low temperatures there were still a lot of garage sales. I pulled up to one in east Mesa and I knew right away I wasn't interested in buying anything, or so I thought.

I did, however, see something that will always coax me out of my car and up the driveway: A cute dog. The owners had a darling Shin Tzu-Bichon mix named Gizmo. (I love dogs almost as much as garage sale bargains so I had to give him some attention.)

I bent down to Gizmo's level and we exchanged pleasantries. I scratched his ears and talked to him and he gave me a little tail wag. I was rising up to go when I saw it. A darling Halloween basket.

This wasn't just any basket, though. It was a highly collectible Longaberger. These are handmade in Dresden, Ohio, and signed and dated by the artist. They eventually retire them and each one becomes quite the collectors' item.

The basket I spotted in the garage in a container was round and sported a lid on top with a darling handle in the shape of a ghost.

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