Over the weekend, we got a chance to host Jenn Blake of Scout Vintage Rentals for an Apartment Therapy Design Evening. Jenn was on hand to chat about her inspirations in vintage design as well as to hand out a few tips and tricks for estate sale "scouting" to eager folks while they sipped their wine and nibbled at cheese and treats.
As owner of Scout Vintage Rentals, a vintage and antique rental company in Seattle, Jenn knows that estate sales can be daunting to the inexperienced, and as a wealth of knowledge on the subject, she was ready to share. Plus, we were there to take some notes for the Apartment Therapy readers. Please add some if you have any secrets to tell, as well. Enjoy!
1. Take a buddy. Having extra arms to carry your finds and extra eyes to find them amongst all of the junk is a plus.
2. Plan ahead if possible. Look at photos online of items for sale (if available) to discern the value of the trip and find other sales in the same area to swing by.
3. Show up early. Most estate sales start between 8am and 9am with people camped out and waiting, often since as as early as the night before!
4. The first day of the sale is always the best. If you find something you love, don't wait. Although some sales offer discounts on second and third days, if the piece is amazing, it will be gone by then.
5. Seek out the sign-up list and add your name. Most estate sales now have shopper-initiated "sign-up lists" with first-come, first-serve slots in line. These lists can be tricky and are sometimes taped onto unpredictable places like poles, mailboxes, even bushes!
6. Which bring us to our next point: BYOP. Bring-your-own-pen. Sometimes shoppers won't lend you a pen to sign up on the list. (It's a competitive game at estate sales!) Bring your own pen to make sure you get on that list.
7. BYOB: bring-your-own-bag/box. Estate sales will rarely have bags or boxes around to help you carry your goods to the car. Make sure you're prepared.
8. Bring cash! Often, estate sales will not accept credit cards or checks, and may not know where a nearby ATM is located.
9. Don't forget about tax. Sometimes tax is charged at estate sales, and sometimes not, but keep in mind that your total amount due might increase.
10. You carry it around, you buy it. Carrying an item around an estate sale while you decide whether or not you wish to purchase it is as good as buying it. Estate sale cashiers are usually tallying up your items as you shop and will be irritated to see you leave without buying the item that someone else could have snagged while you were deciding.
11. Don't be afraid to ask questions or ask for receipts. It's your money and yours to use as you see fit - don't be intimidated.
12. Be aggressive and don't be afraid to get dirty or dig. Unless it's marked "PRIVATE," open drawers, closets and cabinets to see what you can find. Don't let any of the other shoppers push you around. You have as much right to be there as anyone else.
13. There is not usually any bartering on the first day of an estate sale but there is no harm in grouping items and requesting a deal if you are an early bird. The bartering will come into play on the 2nd and 3rd days of the sale and you can usually get up to 50% off if you try. Read the fine print of the ad and follow those rules.
14. And last, but certainly not least mdash; be nice. Even if other shoppers are being pushy and rude, stand your ground and maintain a good attitude. It never hurts to be pleasant and may help during bargaining.
(Images: 1. via Scout Vintage Rentals, 2. Andie Wurster of Assemble Gallery & Studio.)
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Re # 13: Bartering is trading. The word wanted is bargaining. I am not aware of bartering on any days of estate sales.
I want to try an estate sale or an auction, but I am kind of terrified. I think my preference would be to start at one that is at a warehouse - like a whole bunch of estates in one.
I get things cheaper at flea markets than I used to at estate sales. Unless the estate is one of someone with similar interests to yours, they can be depressing -- crowded, noisy, and ultimately futile -- plus rude estate shoppers have been known to grab what you are looking at out from under you. I don't go any more.
Auctions are highly variable. Just be cautious and make yourself stop bidding when you reach your pre-determined limit. Also, watch your lot. A friend's father was part of an auction business when I was in high school She and I went along one time for the REALLY boring auction of an old bachelor farmer's estate. The only interesting thing we spotted was a collapsible brass spyglass. It was in a box of unused leather insoles. Then it was in a box of chipped plates. Then it was buried in some clothes... If you thought it STILL was in one of those boxes at final bid, you'd overspend for the crap to get the treasure -- which the auctioneers found and sold independently, later.
I haven't had the chance to try them yet, but apps like "Find Tag Sales" are supposed to help you track multiple sales - estate, garage, etc. - and map your route. I'm giving it a shot come spring.
I blogged about this a few months ago...www.lifeonchurchill.com/2011/10/estate-sale-tips.html I get a little giddy when I see an estate sale sign! so many treasures--and the prices are so affordable compared to antique stores. My biggest tip is don't take young kids (unless they are older) my husband and i take turns going into a house to look
Along with bringing a pen and a reusable bag, bring a flashlight! I've been in some dark basement rooms and found stuff others couldn't see. As for auctions, they take a long time so I only go if there are preview photos online and there's stuff of interest to me. I used to be intimated about bidding and haggling, but it gets a lot easier once you've done it and learned from your mistakes.
More tips - 1. Know your prices, and be realistic about your budget. Frankly, some estate sale companies overprice horribly, and I avoid their sales (or wait till the 2nd or 3rd day if I think it's worth it). Sometimes I find better deals at vintage shops and thrift stores than at estate sales. 2. Here are some items to keep in your vehicle if you go to a lot of sales: work gloves (for digging in sheds and barns), rope and twine (for bundling up stuff or tying it to your roof rack), a few tools for disassembling big items that won't fit in your car (crescent wrench, pliers, screwdrivers, etc.), rags and old blankets (for padding fragile items and keeping dirty stuff separate from the clean stuff). And lastly - only bring a buddy if they have a lot of patience and you are not both interested in the same types of items. Friendships and marriages can certainly be tested in this environment!
What is the best way to find estate sales (ahead of time)? I live on the San Francisco Peninsula, but imagine it's the same elsewhere. I went to Craigslist, and it showed all kinds of items for sale aside from actual, organized estate sales. Thank you!
If you have dust allergies, take an antihistamine a couple of hours before the sale and carry tissues. Always take a tape measure and pocket screwdrivers, in case you have to uninstall a lamp or shelf, and so you don't purchase an item which won't fit in the car or anywhere else.
Estate dealers do appreciate donations of plastic and paper bags (or doughnuts!)
signup for alerts at estatesales.org
Thank you, justinp82!
In my neck of the woods estate sales are always advertised in the newspaper. And if you go frequently you'll soon know who is running each sale and get a feel for how they price things.
If the ad lists lots of things I really want, I'll go the first day, but otherwise I'll wait until the last day when things are half-price. I don't know what I've missed and when I find things I want they are cheaper. During the last hour or so I have been able to bundle things and get a better deal... A box of maps at 50 cents each for a couple of bucks... And sellers around here will take bids on items, so if it doesn't sell and your bid is high, they'll call you. A friend has bid $2 over half price and scored on several things after the sale.
About #10... if you carry it around buy it. I used to abide by that rule, until I missed out on a few things. Now if I'm interested, I pick it up and if someone asks to write up my ticket while I'm still shopping I give them what I'm sure about and say "I'm still thinking about this one." and hold onto it.
And if I see someone carrying around something I want, if I keep an eye on them, they might find something else they want more and put down the item I covet. I worked an estate sale last month so I had "first dibs" and on Day One I saw someone carrying around a cookbook I hadn't seen. But later in the day I came across the cookbook in another part of the house so I was able to snag it.
You can see some of my estate sale finds on my wordpress blog JanMadeIt.
Estate Sales (at least near my hometown in Illinois) are absolute gold mines with pretty incredibly low prices. It's definitely where antique dealers do their shopping, who will be your main competitors if you decide to take the leap and go. Just know that the bigger and better the sale, the earlier the coveted "list" will start (yes, indeed, possibly the night before). Another tip besides a pen - bring a notebook sheet of paper in case you are the first one there so you can start the list (coffee and a breakfast bar while you wait are never a bad idea either). I haven't ventured to any out here in New York yet but see many advertised. If anyone has any experience going out here, please share! =)
-Stacy :: http://vintageredesign.wordpress.com
Can someone please explain the sign-up list? I guess I just do not understand how a shopper can just initiate a list that limits other shoppers opportunities... Is this in place of waiting in line to enter the house or something? Obviously I have never been to an estate sale :)
I love bargaining for goodies, makes them even more precious.