Things To Look For At Estate Sales

If you like saving money when buying home goods, and you don’t mind buying second-hand products. Then Estate Sales and Auctions are the place to be at. Estate Sales can offer a variety of valuables for a good price. In some cases entire houses filled with goods ranging from gently used to new, never opened, items.

Yeah, I know that Estate Sales are always full of people, and that you might have to stand in line in order to get the first shot at the deals, and that you will possibly have to haggle for a better price, but Estate Sales offer a great potential for finding lots of great stuff that you can either use in your home or sell for a profit.

These are some valuable items that you should always look for at a Estate Sale

Big Furnishings

Older can be better when it comes to furniture, particularly when we’re talking about pieces like bureaus, tables and shelving units. You’ll generally find solid wood furniture that’s been lovingly kept up at these sales

Paintings

Buying for your own use is easy, basically choosing what you like to compliment your décor. Buying art to flip means purchasing to meet current demands. Stay abreast on themes most popular with collectors such as Art Deco and Mid-Century modern. Keeping tabs on which illustrators are currently bringing the most cash at auction and looking for their work at estate sales can also pay off big.

Kitchenware

Look for unusual versions and out-of-the-ordinary shapes if you’re planning to flip them. Those will be worth the most to a collector. Bigger items like cast iron pans and cookie jars draw interest as well. Basically, if it belongs in a kitchen and it’s kitschy or has a nostalgic look, there’s probably someone out there who will take it off your hands at a profit if you buy at the right price.

Small Appliances

Appliances can be of interest as well, if they are in good working order and the cords are not frayed. All handy small appliances from days gone by hold some value, but avid collectors of vintage electric mixers, toasters, and blenders look for rare models most often. Having an original box can add to the value, too, especially if it has appealing graphics from another era.

Books

Many estate sales feature huge bookcases filled with titles ranging from non-fiction coffee table books to classic novels. These can be a treasure trove for the avid reader, with more common hardcover books as well as paperbacks selling for pennies on the dollar. You can literally buy books for less than it would cost to drive to the library. Some of them, however, can be worth quite a bit more than their original price. This extends to children’s books as well.

Jewelry

You will see many people clamoring for jewelry, so you may have to stand in line and knock elbows to see them as they are shown one at a time from a showcase. Costume jewelry, if it’s of the high-end variety, can be sold in the same way as gold and diamond jewelry because the prices can be comparable.