Pour yourself a cup of coffee and listen to my latest bargain-hunting adventure. I was at my first yard sale of the day last weekend. It was a bright sunny day in a nice upscale neighborhood. After trekking down a long driveway, I started poking through the usual assortment of toys, dishes and like-new exercise equipment (who are we kidding when we buy those gizmos, anyway?). There, sitting on a table, was a black leather pocketbook. It looked brand new, and I glanced inside to see the maker. Coach! My heart fluttered. How much were they asking? I quickly looked at the tag: five dollars!

For the fashion clueless, Coach pocketbooks retail for $200-$300 new, and used ones can sell for $40, $60 or more on auction sites. I snapped that baby up before the seller could change her mind. This classic pocketbook will only get better with age and will never go out of style. I was on cloud 9 for the rest of the day.

Another recent conquest: a Christian Dior navy suit for $5 found at a church rummage sale. Whether you are looking for fashions for yourself or for resale, it pays keep your eyes peeled.

Not sure what to look for when buying second-hand clothing and accessories? "Secondhand Chic: The Secrets of Finding Fantastic Bargains at Thrift Shops, Consignment Shops, Vintage Shops and More" gives you the lowdown. It shows you how to look beyond the label to find great quality clothes and accessories for cheap, cheap, cheap!

You can find the book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0671027131/auctionbytescom, or check your local library.

To find a listing of second-hand stores, try The Internet Resale Directory at http://www.secondhand.com. You can search the directory's 40,000 listings by keywords, location, business name and type of store.

Happy hunting,
Rosie