Featured Help collapse the Schrodinger's state for me - estate sale ad

To use 'Good Fellas' lingo,Eve,you totally whacked these neanderthal goombahs ! You beat the house kiddo- Tom Cruise 'Mission Impossible' style.The Lesson seems the little stuff you don't see at Estate Sales is what's worth buying.Plus Evely really knows her vendors and prob what sales to avoid.

 

There are some here I won't touch. One starts their sales at 7AM. Anyone who can see straight at that hour isn't for me. Also - all of the ones coming in from New York or Fairfield County. Anyone coming in from Boston too - they have a bad habit of pricing things close to retail. (estate runners who are from "out of market" in other words) If they say "We can always put it in our store if we don't get our price" ... hit the Back button. Actual antique dealers on the other hand may well be just fine. A friend has his own store and runs estate sales occasionally. He prices some things fairly, some things high, and really blows it at other times.

Usually if an estate sale company takes pictures of an item, they price it up. Best to looking for the things they either only photograph in large groups, or can't be bothered to photograph at all. Family sales, you never know. Sometimes they just want it gone.

 

I feel your pain. I’m on the email list for local estate sales, and I typically don’t open the emails. A lot of times there’s a ton of stuff I wouldn’t like, but there’s one item buried in a table of dozens of things that might have potential. It’s not worth it to me to trek over for the one thing that may or not still be there. Let the local antique dealers get up early to be first in line at 7 a.m. I can buy it from them, and they can make their profit.

A few weeks ago, an estate sale notice went out for the estate of a couple we’d known very well (family doctor who went to our wedding). We went their lovely home about 30 years ago, and he passed away about 25 years ago. I lost touch with the wife, and I guess she recently passed away, and their son was selling everything off. So, I looked at the photos. It was a time capsule of so many high quality things purchased in the 1950s-1960s. Many things were definitely lovely, but nothing that really worked, except a thing or two.

Estate sale photos are interesting, especially when they are from very high end homes, like our friends.’ I enjoy and own so many antiques and vintage items, but it’s interesting to see houses full of high quality things that just aren’t appealing to me. No doubt many others would have the same view of things I’ve carefully “curated” over the years.

I guess we have to enjoy what we surround ourselves with, and not worry about what happens to it when we’re gone.

That being said, I’ve told my kids about certain pieces I have, and how expensive and special they are, i.e. things they should sell versus donate or toss.

 

It's a lot more fun to simply buy things because they speak to you.I've had periods in my life where I've bought mostly for resale and it does take some of the pure joy out of the experience,but in a material world-you gotta do what you gotta do.
I guess it's a tiny bit like painting,writing or making music for yourself or with an eye for sales.

 

"I guess we have to enjoy what we surround ourselves with, and not worry about what happens to it when we’re gone......."

I have a house full of stuff.....that once was made or belonged to, people that are gone. One day..... I'll be gone...and it will all end up with people.....that are still here. !


"That being said, I’ve told my kids about certain pieces I have, and how expensive and special they are, i.e. things they should sell versus donate or toss...."

After reading all the stories of folks who come ere with Mom & Dads, Granny & Gramps .. great Grandma & great Grandpa's stuff......... I suggest you write down details about those items .....& even take photo's......... cuz the day your kids or kids kids show up here......those stories will have changed or been forgotten .

We see it....... all the time !

 

Amen to that.

 

My sister looked at a vase I found. Doesn't look all that pretty but my response? "that's a car." Things do turn up in random household leftovers. Sometimes the family took what they wanted and sometimes they can't be bothered with any of it. Sometimes the things I buy are valuable and sometimes just practical. Davey does cleanouts and hasn't bought a TV or monitor in years. Or booze. I know folks who go for the cleaning supplies. I'm partly retired from reselling for a lot of reasons. These days I know buy stuff I know I can flip locally, or something that "sings".

"I've always wanted one of these but could never justify the expense, and you came walking in with one." I've heard that more than a few times - I don't necessarily know why I grab something, and the gifting can be years from the purchase, but it keeps happening. If I find something that seems to be going for peanuts and it "sings" at me, it goes home. Sometimes it's training, and sometimes the literal voice of G-d.

 

One good story. I went to an estate sale this summer or last summer. Family cleaning out. The first time: no jewelry in this sale. I bought the top of an old quilt in fairly bad condition and hung onto it, and bought some other odds and ends. Went back to the sale a second time on my way home from another errand and saw a box on a shelf that hadn't been there before. Tangled into it was a 14k chain. Oops. The quilt top I sent to a friend for Christmas.

The friend contacted me recently, excited. She took it to her quilting group, who wanted to know where the HECK I'd found that. It was made in the 1890s without a sewing machine.

 

That is why we have inventoried our home, and divided equally amongst our kids so there is no fighting or disappointing. However, the grandkids get the bulk of our investments for their future & our house & the jewelry (which is still being gone through) to be divided between my grandchildren & daughter in law. With the exception of 4 mens watches & cuff links & pocket watches w/ the chains from my grandfather that will go to my 4 boys. The hardest part is for them will be getting into our safe!