Estate Sale Shopping For Dummies – All The Tips And Tricks You Need To Know

You’ve been to the thrift store. You emotion the flea market. You’ve exhausted Facebook Marketplace. Where’s a gal to find that peculiar thing astatine a terms that won’t interruption the bank? The reply is the property merchantability – truthful buckle up, due to the fact that contiguous we’re exploring the deals that tin beryllium recovered successful the onshore of downsizing, death, debt, and divorce. (The “4 D’s,” arsenic they’re known successful the property merchantability world!)

I’ve often heard that my friends – adjacent the savvy designers who tin greet flea marketplace vendors by name! – are excessively intimidated to deed the property merchantability circuit, truthful let’s interruption it down! Enter: my step-by-step usher to get you feeling confident, prepped, and acceptable to store similar a pro.

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If you’ve ever wondered where your favourite vintage furnishings store oregon online vendor sources their product, the overwhelming bulk would mention property income arsenic a cardinal supplier! (Actually, the overwhelming bulk would astir apt enactment tight-lipped retired of fearfulness of competition, but I’m a yapper who can’t support a secret.)

I reached into my eating country furniture and pulled a fewer of my caller property merchantability scores. Each portion was purchased wrong the past year, and I looked up the existent vintage marketplace terms for each – it’s harmless to accidental that if you’re not buying property sales, YOU’RE MISSING OUT ON HUGE SAVINGS. Champagne sensation connected a brew budget? Buy your pieces consecutive from the source, conscionable similar an adept – nary vendors oregon markups required. Let’s get into it!

serving classical regency vibes astatine this la property sale

Where to Find Estate Sales

• EstateSales.net: It is, successful fact, this easy. Pop successful your zip code, deed enter, and you’ll beryllium taken to a maestro database of each the income successful your area. If you’re a beginner, I’d urge customizing the filters connected the near manus broadside to destruct auctions oregon online-only sales. (There are inactive tons of deals to beryllium recovered successful those categories, but they unfastened a full caller tin of logistical worms.)
• Local Companies: Once you’ve sorted done a fewer merchantability listings, instrumentality enactment of the listing party. If it’s a business, motion up for their email database – you’ll larn astir their adjacent merchantability earlier anyone else, and you’ll besides often person archetypal dibs to acquisition immoderate leftover pieces astatine deeply, profoundly discounted prices. (I’ve scored much 50% disconnected deals from Sales by Helen than I attraction to admit!)
  
  Once you make a rapport with your section businesses, they whitethorn let you to pre-buy pieces oregon adhd yourself to the sign-up expanse (we’ll get there) via substance message. It pays – virtually – to beryllium bully here!
• Craigslist, Yard Signs & More: Don’t skip retired connected private, family-run sales. If you’re trying to agelong your dollar, these volition beryllium your champion bet. (In my experience, these whitethorn deficiency the aforesaid enactment that you’d spot from a nonrecreational merchantability – allocate a small other clip here. But since the items included haven’t been assessed by appraisers, you’re acold much apt to people an awesome deal!)

How To Prepare For Your First Estate Sale

Before you dive in, a connection of wisdom: the property merchantability crippled is, for the astir part, luck-based. You’re making decisions disconnected imperfect information; you’re hoping that different shoppers person differing tastes; you’re banking that the location won’t beryllium cleared retired earlier you arrive. If you emotion certainty, this mightiness not beryllium fun! But if you spell successful with the cognition that it’s up to accidental and that you’ll find the pieces that are meant for you, you’ll ever person a large time. You’ve been warned! Now let’s get you prepped for your archetypal merchantability visit.

Step One: Pick A Sale – My regularisation of thumb? If you similar the home, it’s worthy a shot. If there’s astatine slightest 1 point successful the photos that makes you spell “hm, that’s benignant of cool,” it’s worthy a shot. If there’s nary location decor pictured but the manner is high-end and well-kept, it’s worthy a shot.

Step Two: Do Your Research – Google Lens is your person here! If you spot an point you emotion successful the preview photos, bash a speedy hunt to familiarize yourself with its modular pricing. (You tin besides usage Google Lens successful real-time astatine the sale, but I similar prepping up of clip successful the involvement of moving quickly!)

Several vintage store owners I’ve spoken to implicit the years instrumentality this measurement to the adjacent level: they cheque retired the Google thoroughfare presumption and aerial presumption of the property, successful hopes of gleaning a amended knowing of wherever definite pieces whitethorn beryllium located wrong the home. (If you’re a mean person, you tin skip this step. If you’re a full-time vintage seller successful request of inventory to wage your bills…well, creep away, girl!)

Step Three: Prepare Yourself – Set your budget. Clarify the parking situation. Take attraction to work the listed presumption and conditions – recognize if you request to bring ID (sometimes required for much costly purchases), if recognition cards are accepted, and what the pickup process volition look similar for larger, bulkier items.

jumpscare successful the mirror. but one grabbed that adorable shelving portion connected the close for a song!

When Should I Go To The Estate Sale?

I person a blistery instrumentality here: if you’re conscionable starting out, instrumentality to the past day. The deals volition beryllium acold amended – prices tin beryllium marked down arsenic overmuch arsenic 75% – and immoderate sellers volition besides enact an “all you tin acceptable successful 1 box” modular pricing successful an effort to wholly wide retired the home.

Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the laic of the onshore (the clasp tables, the lines, the entry/exit procedure, each that jazz), fig retired which time you similar best. Maybe you’re the benignant who wants to beryllium successful their car astatine 3 AM to drawback the archetypal slot connected a sign-up sheet! Maybe you similar posting up successful enactment astatine 5 AM with a tract chair! Or possibly that chaos and contention tin consciousness a small overwhelming, truthful you recognize that you’re a definitive time 2 oregon time 3 shopper. (Maybe you’ll larn that you hatred the full happening and that you similar online income and auctions instead! In immoderate case, you’re learning thing astir yourself. That’s beauteous neat, no?)

What To Bring (And What To Leave In The Car)

For the casual property saler, I’d urge keeping the pursuing successful your car earlier heading out.

• Sunscreen: There’s a accidental you’re going to extremity up lasting outside. Protect yourself! (I support this roller successful my car for touch-ups – it’s cleanable for the flea market, too.)
• A Tape Measure: Always. Who wants to bargain a portion and past recognize it doesn’t really fit?
• Compact Tote Bags: I’ve yet to brushwood a merchantability without a “no ample bags policy,” but schlepping each that worldly to your car tin beryllium hard without one! A collapsible container similar this volition beryllium casual to stash successful a smaller purse oregon adjacent a ample pouch – conscionable propulsion it retired aft you’ve paid to transport everything easily!

• Boxes & Blankets: Some income volition let you to transportation a container inside. Some income volition supply boxes to you astatine checkout. Nearly each sale, however, volition beryllium retired of packing paper. If you’re going hunting, support an bare cardboard container and immoderate blankets oregon towels successful the backmost of your car. (Trust me: 1 time you’ll bargain glassware, china, oregon ceramics, and you volition beryllium SO THANKFUL. A stressful thrust location is not however you privation to extremity the day!)
• Dolly: If you’re readying to scoop furniture, you’re liable for moving it retired of the home. Smaller pieces tin beryllium managed with a dolly. Larger pieces whitethorn necessitate a rental motortruck oregon a squad of movers. Have a program earlier you caput to the sale.
• A Friend: If you’re buying a lot, bring a pal. They tin service arsenic a 2nd opinion, an other acceptable of hands, oregon a valued enactment of defence against the vultures astatine the clasp table. I acold similar buying solo astatine the promenade oregon flea market, but property income are a squad athletics successful my book.

a nearly-flawless 8-person acceptable of baccy leafage china for $180! (retail price: $4,880 – seriously)

You’re In! Now What?

You’ve recovered the home. You’ve parked the car. You’ve stood successful line. And now, it’s your crook to shop. My suggested strategy present is akin to the 1 I employment astatine the flea market: I similar to bash 1 walk to familiarize myself with the layout and inventory, a 2nd walk to deep-dive into each nook and cranny of each room, and a last thigh earlier checking retired to spot if immoderate items had been enactment down by different shoppers.

The catch? If thing stands retired to you, GRAB IT. If there’s a accidental you’d similar to instrumentality a portion home, prime it up. There is nary greater symptom than seeing the vase you’d “be close backmost for” arsenic it exits the premises successful another’s arms. Some income volition make a tag for you wherever they tin people items arsenic sold, which tin escaped up your hands a spot – but erstwhile it doubt, prime thing up and DO NOT enactment it down! (Again, this is wherever having a person tin travel successful handy.)

The 2nd catch? DON’T TRUST THE HOLDS TABLE. The holds array is simply a lawless swamp – a adjuvant instrumentality that’s been transformed into a bastion of stealing and drama. In theory, the holds array is simply a work – a spot for you to enactment down claimed items portion you proceed to store – but successful reality, it’s seldom marked, oft unmonitored, and astir folks genuinely don’t recognize that the pieces connected apical aren’t expected to beryllium shopped oregon taken. Don’t hazard it – support schlepping and accidental a soundless “thank you” that astatine slightest you’re getting a workout successful portion shopping.

And I’ll echo the time-honored proposal to look everywhere. I’ve seen folks permission income with cans of food, trade supplies, packing materials, lawnmowers – the database ne'er ends. Check successful drawers, basements, oregon garages. If it’s not marked disconnected oregon blocked off, it’s yours to explore. When other are you going to beryllium capable to beryllium this nosy successful a stranger’s home? Enjoy the process!

3 Final Estate Sale Negotiating Thoughts

You’ve navigated the sale, you’ve filled your arms, and you’re acceptable to cheque out. What’s next?

Everything is Negotiable…Kind Of: When it comes to multi-day sales, immoderate discounting requests volition apt beryllium met with a effect akin to “kick rocks.” There whitethorn beryllium immoderate wiggle country via a bundling discount for those looking to acquisition a ample quantity of items, however. The likelihood of a palmy dialog increases with each time – work the room, work the seller, and play nice!

Cash Can (Occasionally) Be King: Within the past fewer years, I’ve seen a monolithic power distant from currency successful favour of paying with recognition cards, Zelle, oregon Venmo. The classical refrain that currency tin sweeten a deal? It’s nary longer the mean acquisition (here successful LA, astatine slightest – I’d ideate that the inclination is crossing the state arsenic we speak).

The existent worth of cash, IMO, is arsenic a terms limiter. I bought the retention portion and china acceptable you spot supra for $200 level astatine a family-run property merchantability – a terms lone agreed to due to the fact that the sellers saw maine bare my pockets and knew I lone had $200 successful cash.

BE NICE: I alluded to it before, but YOU NEED TO BE NICE. Be bully to the others successful line; beryllium bully to the radical who fto you successful the door; beryllium bully to the folks astatine checkout. In the lawsuit above, I hadn’t realized that the location was swarming with household members – not different shoppers – and it was their advocacy connected my behalf that landed maine the deal! (“Come on,” they told the pistillate manning the till. “It’s astir over. She loves them. Just springiness them to her,” the household said arsenic I offered my paltry sum.) Be complimentary, beryllium kind, and support immoderate different thoughts to yourself – sometimes luck tin beryllium aided by a bully attitude, I find

If you person immoderate different tips oregon tricks, I’d emotion to perceive them! Have you ever scored thing awesome astatine an property sale? Any stories? Have you been wrong of immoderate unthinkable houses? (I loved Tony Duquette’s 2023 workplace property merchantability – scored a immense $37 framed photograph from underneath a array connected the last time of the merchantability that shocked the sellers; they had nary thought it was there! – and I’m brainsick astir the beauteous homes I’ve seen done Handled Estate Sales present successful LA!)

The station Estate Sale Shopping For Dummies – All The Tips And Tricks You Need To Know appeared archetypal connected Emily Henderson.