An Estate Sale Guide for Beginners

I love, like many others, to get nice things cheap.

As an avid collector of anything vintage, I'm always looking for new sourcing locations.  Whether it be traditional means like frequenting antique stores and thrift shops, or newer online storefronts like eBay and Facebook Marketplace --- I am constantly scouring these places to find unique pieces. However, thrifting has had such a spike in popularity over the last five years that competition has grown stiff. As a result, I've had to find new ways of expanding my closet and the solution I found was estate sales.

What is an estate sale?

An estate sale is essentially a liquidation of assets that occurs when an older person needs to size down their belongings or unfortunately passes away. Although a bit morbid, this is a sustainable way of ensuring that a houseful of possessions can find suitable new owners that will properly cherish them. 

The items that are sold vary from house to house but can extend from designer shoes to power tools. The sales usually occur on weekends, with about two to three days of selling; additionally, each day following the first has discounted prices in increments of increasing percentages off. It functions on a first come, first served basis. Here are my top four tips for attending estate sales.

1. Get the EstateSales.Net app

Sometimes you can catch glimpse of an estate sale sign on a streetcorner, but the best means of finding one --- especially one with a specific stock --- is to use online sources for your local area. My favorite app is EstateSales.Net which shows you upcoming sales, auctions, and online only bidding. All you have to do is set your location on the dropdown map and it will show you addresses, times, and images of what is being sold. 

2. Do your research beforehand

I prepare for sales by looking at the photos listed online to have an estimate on what specific items I want and roughly where in the house they will be. Buyers can get extremely competitive especially over high-ticket items, like vintage clothing, as many store owners' frequent estate sales for stock. Therefore, having an edge such as knowing which rooms to head in first is beneficial. Alternatively, pre-screening is an effective way of determining if a sale is even worth your time.

3. Arrive early

If you take absolutely anything from this post, please retain this. Show up way earlier than you think you will need to because there somehow will be at least ten or twenty people ahead of you. An hour is the recommended amount, but if you're able to arrive even earlier to secure a better position on the sign in sheet --- do it. I've woken up before sunrise for specific dresses in my collection because the best items tend to sell in first two hours. 

4. Bring a tote bag

Listen, if you see something you want --- you have to grab it! Even if you're uncertain, you should hold onto it until you've gone through the whole house. If you leave something behind, chances are that it won't be there when you come back. Take two bags if you can: one for certain purchases and another for items you have to think about. When you have too many things stacked up in your arms, it can make it difficult to maneuver and with narrow hallways that can often lead to disaster. Come prepared!

As a closing remark, please be mindful that whenever you're attending an estate sale that the space was once somebody's home and that you should treat everything with the utmost respect. Best of luck.