Stinky1
I can attest to finding lots of vintage and current audio gear at garage sales mostly in the 2000s and finding a couple of bargains has lead me into frequenting GSs. I have few of 100 plus watt receivers bought for $10 to $35 with receivers going for over $600 then and now up to $1500 on eBay now. I also have found as well as lots of speakers, turntables, RTR tape recorders, cassette, CD and DVD players, etc. Vintage electronics are more in demand than trains.
Around here trains are much rarer and the perception is all old Lionel trains are valuable. I have found a couple ZWs and a Marx 999 boxed freight set at thrifts and flea markets, and a Lionel 520 and Lionel Freight set, 2-8-4 Lionel Berkshire 756, Nichol Plate Road and a Z transformer at garage sales. I got a Williams F7 ABA 4032 at a warehouse sale with hundreds of trains from a collector going out of trains.
I agree is not worth going to garage sales if trains is all you want. I look for lots of stuff like tools, electronics, LPs, DVDs, CDs, books, yard stuff, house hold stuff, you name it. I have also purchased some good furniture.
I find my best source of reasonably priced train gear is the local TCA train meets. I have quit going to distant big city train shows. I will seldom buy train stuff on eBay etc.
Charlie
