Estate Sale Tips

When you stop and think about it, estate sales are a little curious.  You walk into the home of a complete stranger, and are given free rein to wander around and peruse some of their belongings.  But if you can get past that little bit of discomfort, you are about to discover the joy of estate sales.  And hopefully these 7 estate sale tips will help you really get the most from visiting estate sales. 

I go weak in the knees for white roosters. This one caught my eye while enroute to an upstairs room to claim a classic Dooney & Burke satchel. I was literally 5 minutes too late for the purse, but this charming rooster was a most welcome consolation prize.

Gosh, where do I start? Let’s start with the basics, shall we?  

Estate Sale Tip #1:  How and where to find Estate Sales

I subscribe to a national email service that lists all estate sales in my area: Estate Sales.net .  The email allows you to determine the geographic range of estate sales you are comfortable with.  For example, you could select 5 miles, 10 miles or go as far as 30 miles.  I usually do a 15 miles radius, but the real excitement is finding an estate sale in my zip code!

When the listing first appears, the name of the area or neighborhood is provided, but the actual street address is not shown until the day before the estate sale begins.  The listing also includes photographs of all (or most) of the items for sale.  The photographs can number in the 200’s so there is quite a bit to scroll through.  This is such a help because it allows one to pinpoint exactly which items you’re interested in.  And while I always have the estate listing on my phone, I find it’s easier to just snap a picture of the actual item I may want to look at.  More about that below.

Additionally, Facebook or Nextdoor Neighbor are sources for estate sale announcements.

This collection of Longaberger pottery wasn’t even in the listing photos. 3 mixing bowls, a pie plate, and a small bowl with a lid! After handing over two $10 bills, I waltzed out of the door with it. Okay, I didn’t waltz out; it was so heavy someone had to help me carry it all.

Estate Sale Tip #2:  How to prepare

Bring cash.  Bring lots of cash.  Bring more cash than you think you need.  Because while the estate sale listing will include pictures of all the things for sale, prices are NOT included.  The companies that manage estate sales will sometimes take cards, but it’s not often. They will not take checks. Period.

Bring a large shopping bag (or two) AND some foam sheets or a small role of bubble wrap.  The estate sale company may, or may not, have proper wrapping protection.  Don’t take chances on breaking the beautiful pitcher you got for a song.

This blue & gold scarf caught my attention right away! I tied it onto an oversized tote I found in a thrift shop. So chic!

Leave your purse at home, and just wear a small cross body bag, or a fanny pack, or whatever you have that can hold your cell phone, cash, keys, ID, etc.  You want all appendages as free as possible to be able to lift, move, bend and pivot to get to the treasures you are looking for.

If you are looking for, and expect to bring home furniture (small or large), make sure your trunk or the back of your SUV is open and ready for business.  The estate sale company will help you load your car, but may not necessarily be patient if you have to clean out your trunk first.

Sometimes, there is only one item in the entire sale that I am interested in, and this was one of them. I really only wanted the smaller bowl with handles on the far left. I paid a little up for it, but I know I will enjoy this beauty for many years.

Here she is, helping the piano feel more festive at Christmas.

And now, in a little more simple display.

Estate Sale Tip #3: Be there early

This can go two ways.  I’ve seen lines of up to 50 people an hour ahead of opening, and I have been the 2^nd or 3^rd person in line 30 minutes ahead of opening. There is absolutely no way to predict what kind of line you will come up against.  While waiting in lines is never really ‘fun’, you do meet the nicest people who, like you, love the thrill of the hunt.  I’ve had many great conversations with estate-sale-perfect-strangers. (I even ran into a Facebook influencer I follow!)

Sometimes it’s just better to arrive 30 minutes to an hour after the estate sale has opened, after the initial stampede is over.  I mean, how much damage can happen in that window of time?  

The 3 tiny blue bowls in the bottom left corner are what caught my attention. When I found them, and added them to my bag, I made a spotaneous decision to purchase the gravy boat (upper right corner) as well.

The gravy boat spends most of its days in the glass cabinet in our entry way, along with other white pitchers and my blue & white chinoiserie.

On Thanksgiving, it came out to actually serve as a gravy boat.

And at Christmas, I filled it with pine cones, nestled it into a candle wreath, and set it on the thrift store shelf unit.

Oh, and the 3 small blue bowls? Here they are in the center, flanked by other small blue bowls from other estate sales. I scatter them throughout the house, where they can add a little pop of color and greenery.

Estate Sale Tip #4:  Be focused, flexible and adventurous

Have a list, and a picture of the items you are interested in on your phone.  (Many of the pictures in this post were ‘phone’ pictures, exactly what I am talking about.)  When you get there, immediately locate exactly what you are looking for. Don’t get distracted. If you can’t find the exact item, ask one of the estate sale workers to help you find it. (Trust me, they will be everywhere!) Instead of a fumbling description of “a blue-ish vase, not very tall, with pink and yellow flowers”, having an exact picture helps you AND them! If it turns out to be the right size, the right price, the right everything, put it in your bag, or take it to the ‘Hold Table’.  That’s the focused part.

Mission accomplished?  Now you can get flexible and adventurous! Take a look around. Check the walls for artwork and the floors for area rugs. Wander around, peruse the tables and counters, even if you’re not interested. And take your time! Sometimes not everything is listed. (See Longaberger pottery photo above.) Go upstairs through the bedrooms and closets.  Go downstairs into the basement (those have been some wild rides!).  Take a stroll through the garage, too.  Most of the time, you really won’t find anything else.  But then, sometimes you unexpectedly do come home with 2 very nice lanterns and a charming gravy boat, in addition to the 3 blue & white bowls you had your sights on. (And seriously bummed because that gorgeous black winter coat was just too small.)

But here is another side of being flexible, and my personal story is the BEST way to tell it.  This particular estate sale was, thankfully, only a few miles away.  It was a Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun sale, which is pretty unusual.  I didn’t get there until Friday, and I had my sights on a chinoiserie ginger jar.  Since I was there on Friday, Day 2, my chances of being able to find and buy the ginger jar weren’t great.  And I was right; the big ginger jar was gone. But, next to it were two smaller ginger jars that were actually a better size for what I wanted.  Price? $80.00. Each. And that was the 25% marked down price. I’m serious! But, I was beginning to suspect the markdowns would continue, and I was right.  By Sunday, everything was marked down 75%. 

Here is the listing photo of the very over-priced ginger gars. (I wish I had looked more closely at those bowls!)

I went back on Sunday morning (remember, it was only a few miles from my house), and even on Sunday, there was a small line waiting to get in.  I beelined to where the ginger jars had been.  Gone.  But, I did find a jar that I thought was just as pretty as the ginger jars.  Marked down by 75%.  It’s beautiful, and fills the space on the bottom shelf of my estate sale Lane side table perfectly! 

The Italian pottery jar was the only piece left, and then I realized how perfect it would be!

Perfectly filling the bottom shelf of my (estate sale) Lane table.

Estate Sale Tip #5: Be “crowd patient”

I’ve been to sales where the house was so crowded one could hardly walk anywhere. And, I have been to sales where the total count of customers was 3 or 4. To be fair, that particular estate sale was WAY out there in the country. But it was early fall, and the drive was so beautiful, it was well worth it!  (I even took some pictures before I drove home.) 

This garden bench and wreath holder ALSO made it worthwhile!

This garden bench was a lucky find! (They are expensive on Amazon!)

Here is the listing photo of the wreath stand. It’s the only time I have ever seen a wreath stand in an estate sale. (Again, pretty pricey on Amazon!)

And this is exactly what I wanted it for…to hold a wreath on our mantel, minus the nails!

If the second story is available to roam, it can be a double-edged sword.  You want to be polite and wait for the person coming down the stairs, but just when they are almost to the bottom, someone else starts down the stairs, oblivious to how long you have been waiting.  Or the 3 people behind you, also waiting.  In some of the older homes, I have climbed stairs that are very steep and narrow, with only one hand rail. Navigating these stairs with your arm wrapped around a treasure can be tricky.  Be safe!

And then, of course, there is always that one person blocking a path, oblivious to the stream of people trying to get around them.  Or two long lost friends have run into each other, and are settling in for an hour-long gab session. In the middle of the kitchen.   So be patient.  If you are on a schedule that day, and only have a specific amount of time available, I would rethink going. 

The listing photos of these lanterns caught my eye right away.

And here they are…upping the cozy factor on the hearth of our fireplace.

Estate Sale Tip #6: Parking

Often times, in the listing information, the estate sale company will specify parking.  No parking in the driveway (duh!).  Do not block other driveways (again, duh!).  Be courteous to neighbors (triple duh!). Park only on the left (or right) side of the street.  I made the mistake once of getting myself caught in a cul-de-sac trying to find a parking spot, and the cars that were trying to get out were not playing nice. When I finally wriggled my way out, I high-tailed it out of there and parked the next street over.

As a rule, I find a spot that is a bit away from the home, and ALWAYS park my car so that I can drive straight out.  I have no interesting in trying to shoe horn my car out between two cars parked too closely to me, and then trying to make a u-turn to get out.  I like a quick get-away!

Artwork anyone? Even though it was tucked into a corner, I zoomed in on this little bird print.

And now I wish I could find 4 or 5 more. The details are so vintage and unique!

I always wanted a little something representative of our new state. This happy find was perfect! Indiana was ratified in 1816, and the cardinal is the state bird.

I’m a little obsessed with red barns. Good thing, though, because I live in red barn country! This little gem hangs over my stove, cheerful and charming.

Estate Sale Tip #7:   The fun part

Of course, the whole adventure of estate sale shopping should be fun, because you are hunting for treasures that will add warmth and beauty to your home, enhance one of your collections, or fill in a blank spot on your mantel. 

But perhaps fun is not the right word, because there is so much more! What I find fascinating is all the different types of homes I have come across. I’ve been in 4,000 square foot stunning executive homes, and I have been in an 80-year-old home that was 750 square feet.  During that sale, they only let 10 people into the home at a time.  Above, I mention ‘wild ride basements’.  I am from California, where basements are rare; moving out to the Midwest, I am literally astonished to find basements the same size as the foot print of the house.  The basement rooms seem to just go on and on. And on.  Honestly, it’s a little spooky sometimes!

These two metal plant holders…I found the one on the right probably 2 years ago on the last day of a sale. The one on the left I found at another sale a few weeks ago. They don’t match, but they are the same structure and size. I am honestly baffled when this happens to me.

Initially I thought to use them on the front porch, but then I realized that their slim structure and airy feeling made them perfect to hold plants inside the house. They typically sit in the glass window of the door out to our deck, where the plants get lots of light.

While you are there, take your time to actually look at the home.  What are the views out the kitchen sink window, what does the backyard look like, how is the kitchen decorated? Is the fireplace stone or marble, is the mantel wood, does it have a hearth?  Do they have a sunroom, a basement, a charming landing upstairs? Is there a cozy little kitchen nook, or an elegant dining room with a crystal chandelier?   What is the neighborhood like? Other people’s homes are so fascinating; it’s a big part of why I look forward to estate sales.

Admittedly, I have a small herd of finials, but this one is hands-down my very favorite.

Twice in my life, I have been permitted a private view of the opposite side of the estate sale process.  Many years ago, one of my very closest friends asked me to “keep an eye on” the estate sale in the home she grew up in. (We were in elementary school together!) I was happy to do so, especially because it gave me the opportunity to purchase 2 chairs from their family dining table set.  I wanted something that connected me to her and her family history.

More recently, a good friend of mine lost her mother. With her family, she went through the process of downsizing her mother’s home, contracting with an estate sale service, and then handling the final step of selling the home. At her family’s estate sale, I purchased a set of silk Poinsettia plants that will sit on our front porch to cheerfully greet guests during the Christmas season.  If you have traveled this road yourself, you understand the very difficult emotional experience of it.  

I hope these estate sale tips are helpful. I learned these lessons the hard way. At one of my first estate sales in our new city, I was so unprepared that I let a Ralph Lauren rug, a set of picket fence bowls, and a beautiful side table get away from me. Thrift stores are wonderful, but in some ways, estate sales are a bit of a step up. I think you find more unique and valuable items, either artwork, decor items, furniture, or china. Even lanterns, plant holders or a gardening bench!  Estate sales can and should be viewed as another tool in your tool box to accessorize your home with your own unique style! 

If thrift shops and estate sales are your ‘thing’, here are a few other posts: 

Estate Sale Upset

Thrift Store Shopping – Twins & Cousins

7 Tips for Successful Thrift Shopping

The Joy of Treasure Finds by Thrift Shopping

Happy Estate Sale Hunting!
From our home to yours~

Kristine