It seems like this is becoming the norm. I blame the internet and smart phones. I used to hear stories about all the hidden treasures, not so much anymore.
I went to a huge "car boot sale" in England hoping to find a steal... a Formby banjo uke perhaps. No such luck. People know the value of their items thanks to the Net and Antiques Roadshow.
I went to a fairly big car boot over here Sunday morning and it was the pretty much the same except for a Mahalo soprano (which I didn't think was worth investing in!)
I hit up yard sales nearly every weekend in the hope of finding some hidden treasure. So far I haven't come across a single uke, let alone anything else that could be considered a treasure.
I did find a nice large black Harley Davidson coffee mug recently for 50 cents. I had just broken my favorite black mug so it seemed I was meant to have it. Oh, and one of those "as seen on tv" racks for making potato chips in your microwave. (I haven't tried it yet.)
I'd like to think it's like playing the lottery... you cannot win if you do not play. So the more times I visit yard sales, maybe the closer I'll come to the prize.
But I visit yard sales for the walk as much as for the thrill of the hunt. craigslist will usually have one or two within walking distance, and while I'm out I find others. I'll typically spend 60-90 minutes walking. It doesn't matter if I don't find anything. But maybe some day I will.