Rise and shine, it’s almost sunrise on a Saturday morning. Time to grab the coffee and head out to the estate sales.
Usually around about Wednesday, there will be ads to let you know where the sales are in the area for the weekend coming up. Sometimes they’re posted two or more weeks prior for the bigger sales.
Where To Find Estate Sale Ads
- Estatesales.net. Enter your zip code to find sales near you.
- Craigslist. Look under your city or town.
- Local newspaper or online newspaper. Classifieds under Estate Sale or Miscellaneous heading.
- Website. Some estate sale professionals have their own websites where they promote their shows. Use the search engine “Estate Sale vendors” in your local area. The websites will pop up and you can go to the page of your choice. It should tell about their upcoming sales and even have photos.
When you find the show you’re interested in going to. It’s best to start out early. You’ll get a peak at everything when it’s first out and before anything has been sold.
Rule of thumb for value:
- Day 1- full price
- Day 2 – 50 % discount
To get the best deal, look around and see what you may be interested in and go back on day two to see what’s left. Now if it’s something you have to have, buy It!
Rules Of Etiquette At An Estate Sale.
There are just some things we do out of decency as humans, and this list comprises just a couple suggestions on manners and then one or two tips for you as buyer.
- Cash. Only bring cash. No personal checks or credit cards(some take credit cards but you may be charged a fee). Also, small bills, e.g. $1, $5, $10. Unless you’re planning on buying a lot of furniture, you won’t need bills higher than this.
- Bargaining. Never come up to say you know it’s not worth the price on it and what all is wrong with it or announce what you’ll give for it. Instead, quietly shop, gather what you want, bring it to check out with the total cost already figured in your mind. Let the checkout know this is the total and ask if they would be willing to take this figure for the lot—not individual pieces, one by one. Most sales will not bargain on the first day.
- Budget. Have an idea of what you want to spend and don’t go over that. Too, know what you’re coming for. Doesn’t mean you can’t buy anything else, but you’ll have a goal.