I'm with Jenny

A small plaster disc painted with dolphins, a ceramic Bambi and a plastic giraffe child's toy: what do all these items have in common, besides the fact that we gifted them to the Mirror advisor, Jeffrey Miller?

They're junk. Other people's junk to be exact. But they are treasure in the eyes of the Jennys, purchased at the 34th annual Kingswood Rummage sale. There's nothing like a good bargain hunt to give the Jennys a Thursday afternoon thrill.

So with chocolate milkshakes in hand, we embarked on our mission – abandon responsibility, furnish elder Jenny's future apartment and find wonderful presents to show our advisor just how much we love him (bunches).

(Editors note: We just realized how many of our columns begin with anecdotes about us shirking responsibility. To our professors, employers, parents and friends – we really are engaged in our lives…promise.)

Held the last weekend in April, Kingswood is the largest organized collection of yard sales in Sioux Falls. There were more than 290 registered sales this year and approximately 110 unregistered (rebel) sales. Organized by a volunteer committee, the sale draws thousands of shoppers (probably even a couple more of them named Jenny).

And as far as we're concerned, that's 400-plus chances to find something unexpected or fabulous and best of all, cheap.

The sales throughout the Kingswood neighborhood, stretching from 41st to 26th streets, range from fantastically compiled collections of potential trash-to-treasure items to dismal piles of better-discarded clothing or aged-to-uselessness appliances.

If the Jennys were, to put it delicately, with child, we could have made out like bandits at Kingswood this year. Unfortunately (or perhaps, incredibly fortunately), we are very much not pregnant and had little use for the ‘baby sales'.

The best tactic for rummage success is to find a centrally located parking spot within a cluster of sales. Doing a quick drive-by first, however, will ensure that you don't park in a cluster of damn baby sales when you are really looking for furniture and dishware.

Once you're on foot, the drive-by method is still highly important. Start scoping a sale before you approach the mailbox. If you hit the driveway and hesitate for even a moment, sale etiquette dictates at least a cursory glance at what is probably used underwear.

Had you been observant before hitting the mailbox marker, you could be strolling up to the next sale (with awesome table lamps for $5 a pop), instead of looking at old Coke bottles and holiday decorations.

Say you finally make it to that sale with the awesome lamps, it's always wise to have some cash on hand.

Housewives don't take debit. And they rarely take checks, much like Taco Bell. The real housewives of Kingswood speak the language of cold, hard cash. If you want to get your hands on those desk lamps and the matching area rug, you better be prepared.

Really, this is Rummaging 101 – the Jennys have some much sneakier tactics up our sleeves, but we'll never tell. The best way to learn the art of bargain hunting is by getting down and dirty (that's what she said).