Trawling For Tag-Sale Treasure

Newsweek, June, 2005 by Anna Kuchment

Chris Heiska of Lusby, Md., collects old shaving brushes, tin lunchboxes and antique ice-cream scoops. John Schroeder's passion is vintage radios; he's bought more than 100. Anyone can feed his obsessions on eBay, but for some collectors, there's nothing like the rush of rummaging through a great yard sale. "It's all about the treasure hunt," says Schroeder, a Minneapolis-based copy editor and author of "Garage Sale Fever!" ($12.95; gsfever.com ).

Garage sales have long offered a fun, if slightly geeky, way of spending a Saturday afternoon. But the explosive popularity of eBay, PBS's "Antiques Roadshow" and BBC America's "Cash in the Attic" have transformed them into a chic, mainstream obsession. While trawling for treasure in your hometown comes with its own rewards...

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