Category: Estate Sales

What are some do’s and don’ts when you attend an estate sale?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Estate Sales, Shopping tips, Tips for the beginnerLeave a comment

You have attended a local auction and even have gone to some antique shops and even thrift stores that are near you.  So what is the next thing that you want to go to?  An estate sale!

Now that you have decided to take the plunge and attend an estate sale, what are some do’s and don’ts to keep in mind when you attend one?

The first thing to remember is that the company holding the sale may be limited to space in the house.  If they are, the company will limit the amount of people inside the house at one time to help with overcrowding.  The sale company will let in a certain amount at by doing something like handing out numbers to help with this.

Another thing to remember is not call or email ahead of time to get the price of an item you are interested in.  I have seen this happen several times when I am at a sale, and I have never seen the company give the price out.  This takes time away from the sale company from either running the sale or setting it up.

The next thing to remember is to respect others at the sale.  Cutting in line either waiting to get into the sale or to pay is one way to anger fellow customers.  Another way is to grab things out of another person’s hands that they are interested in and walk away with it.  These are a few of the jerk things that I have seen happen at sales that shouldn’t go on.  The thing to remember is to treat people the way you want to be treated.

This is just a small handful of do’s and don’ts when it comes to attending an estate sale.  What do you do when you attend a sale?

What are a few tips for when you hold your own estate sale?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Estate Sales, Selling tipsLeave a comment

Whenever you start to buy vintage and collectible items at sales and antique malls, you will eventually come to the point where you will want to sell some of it off.  One of the ways that you can sell some of your items off is with an estate sale.  What are some things to remember when you hold one yourself?

Make sure that you have good traffic flow.  You will want the buyers that come out to look at their own pace, so keep items for sale to both the perimeter and the center of each room.  This way there will be enough room for a couple of people to stand and look at the items without holding up the rest of the shoppers.

Enlist some help.  Have several people at the sale so that they can help with everything from being the cashier to help load the heavy items.  I have seen people bring in some food for the people running the sale to go along with paying them a portion of the sales for them helping out.

Have a plan for the items that did not sell.  This could be donating the items to a local charity or secondhand store that takes donations.  Another thing that you could do is to set them off to the side and you can have items ready in case you have another sale down the road.

This is only a few of the tips for when you have your own estate sale.  What are some others that you have heard of?

Tips to keep in mind when you attend an estate sale

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Estate SalesLeave a comment

Estate sales have always been fun for me to attend—I never know what I might find there.  If you have never attended one before, what are some tips to keep in mind when you attend one?

Talk to the other shoppers when you can.  They might have the scoop on another sale coming up that you could find more goodies at.  One good time to do this is if you happen to arrive early and the sale has not opened yet.

Chill out.  It’s okay to make an offer on an item but being ultra-aggressive about it by pressuring the people running the sale to make the sale is not a good idea.  I have also seen aggressive shoppers show up the night before to see what’s at the sale.  These are great ways to get on the nerves of the people running the sale.

It’s okay to show up on day 2 and even day 3 of the sale.  More often than not, the company running the sale will discount the items for sale and the second and third days.  I have seen companies run a discount of 25% off on the second day and even as much as 50% off on the third day.

This is a small handful of tips for you to keep in mind when you attend an estate sale.  What other tips do you use when you attend an estate sale?

What are some do’s and don’ts when attending an estate sale?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Beginning to collect, Estate Sales, Shopping tips, Tips for the beginnerLeave a comment

You have decided to go to an estate sale that is near where you live.  You are all ready to go, but what are some do’s and don’t to remember when you attend the estate sale?

Do look everywhere.  This includes the attic, the shed and even the garage—I have found valuable items hiding in weird spots.

Don’t block driveways, other houses mailboxes or even fire hydrants.  The best thing to remember is to be considerate of other people.

Do double check the final tally of your bill before you check out.  This way you have enough cash so you can buy everything that you want.

Don’t shop from the “Hold” area.  During the estate sale, there will be an area near the cash register that shoppers can store their items that they are going to buy.  These items are considered sold, and I have seen people get very protective of the items that are on this shelf.

This is a small list of things to remember when you attend an estate sale.  What are some of the do’s and don’ts that you have heard of for an estate sale?

Beginner’s tips for attending estate sales

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Estate SalesLeave a comment

You have decided to take the plunge and attend an estate sale that is nearby.  You have one in mind, but what are some tips to remember for when you go?

Dress comfortably—when attending a sale, it’s a good idea to wear comfortable shoes.  There can be a good amount of walking to and from the sale, and even at the sale itself.

Have something to pack with—the sale that you attend may not have anything for you to pack your purchases with, so it is a good idea to bring some bags or a couple of boxes to put your items in.

Don’t be shy—there will be a time that you may not know what an item is, or you may even want to talk to someone about a price.  The people that are holding the sale will be more than willing to help, so feel free to talk to them.

Bring a measuring tape—this might sound a bit silly, but there have been times a measuring tape has been handy.  There have been times when I need to know the size of something like a picture frame and I even used it to see if an item would fit into my car.

This is a very small amount of tips to remember for when you attend an estate sale.  What tips have you run across?

What are some tips for attending an estate sale?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Estate SalesLeave a comment

You have found a local estate sale nearby that you would like to go to.  The problem is is that you have never been to one before.  Here are a few tips to keep in mind while attending your first estate sale:

Ask about any unmarked items—if there is an item at the estate sale that you are interested in, feel free to ask about it.  There is a good chance that the people running the sale have not had a chance to price it, or the price tag could have just fallen off.

Check to see if there is a pick-up policy—if there is a large item at the sale that you are interested in and have no way of taking it with you that day, see if the people running the sale will allow you to come back for it either that day (or even the next).

Respect the property—there will be rooms that the people running the sale that will want you to stay out of.  They will have the door shut and marked off with either a sign or tape, so stay out and be friendly.

Have fun—there is a good chance that you might leave without buying anything.  The cool thing is that you get to meet some great people and get to see what other shoppers are interested in buying.

This is a small handful of tips for attending an estate sale.  What tips do you know of for attending estate sales?

What are some tips when you attend an estate sale?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Beginning to collect, Estate Sales, Selling tips, Shopping tips, Tips for the beginnerLeave a comment

When I started to sell items online, one of the types of sale that I found are estate sales.  When you go to an estate sale, the contents of the house are usually for sale.  I have heard them referred to as a tag sale and even an estate liquidation.

Estate sales are a wonderful way to find some bargains, but what are some tips to remember when you attend one?

The first thing to remember is that all sales are final.  You need to be careful with this—check everything carefully for damage and to see if any electrical items that you are interested in work.  When you attend a sale, you will most likely see signs that read either ALL SALES ARE FINAL or even one  that reads ALL ITEMS ARE AS IS / WHERE IS.

The next thing to remember is to bring cash.  The people that are running the sale may not have the ability to run a credit card or accept your check.

Another thing to remember is to bring the muscle.  You may need to load a very heavy piece, like a piece of furniture.

The last tip to remember is that there will be times that you can get a discount on the price of the item you are interested in.  The estate sale company that runs the sale will usually have the sale over a couple of days.  The first day will usually be full price while the second day will have 10 to 25 percent off and the third day could be as much as half off the price.

When I go to an estate sale, I am now in the habit of seeing if there is a discount the day I attend.

This is only a few of the tips to remember when you attend an estate sale.  What kinds of tips have you run across?