Estate sales are being held all year long. If you are picking for reselling purposes and not taking advantage of estate sales, then you are really going to miss out on some super deals you may not find otherwise. Estate sales can range from someone moving to finding years of wealth from the accumulation of a life long existence.
Estate sales are not all equal. It is very important to do your homework prior to attending any sale. Most sales will list some if not the majority of the items that are going to be offered for sale. Having that knowledge allows you to decide which sales are worth attending. This also gives you an idea as to which sales are the most important to attend first.
The early bird gets the worm is an old adage and is very appropriate when attending estate sales. Some sales have people lined up around the block waiting to get in. In cases such as these, numbers may be given out to those who get there first, allowing them first choice of all the goodies. Resellers and dealers frequently like to be the first at a good sale. Make a schedule as to what sales you want to get to that day and then decide your route before going out.
Most large sales will span more than one day. Even though it is important to be there before all the "good stuff is gone through", there is something to be said for attending sales on the second or third day. Some sales I will go on the first day to see what is available. I will purchase anything I think is going to have the likely hood of being snatched up quickly and that is a great price. I also like to write down things that I feel are worthy of purchase but may be more than my budget allows at the time. Always ask what hours the sale will be held. I also ask if they tend to close up sales early on the last day. One company here is notorious for that and it is very frustrating to get there and they already have things boxed back up!
For those items I wrote down, I may go home and research them to make sure they are what I want and get a better idea exactly what I can pay for them. I will go back to the sale on the second or third day. A lot of times these pieces are still there but marked down due to the length of the sale. Most professional companies mark prices down the second or the last day. It is a good practice to ask the company or worker if they have mark downs on the last day. You may think that there will be nothing of value left on the last day however I have gotten some really good bargains on the half price day of the sale.
Another thing of value is to get to know the companies or persons holding the sales. Most companies will have a notebook or sign in sheet at the register or at the door. Sign up for future sales by that company if you like what you see at the sale. They will then notify you of upcoming sales so you can be aware and ready for future sales.
Always ask what types of payments the company takes as well. You can email or call ahead of the sale if you are not sure. Some will want cash only, others will be able to take credit or debit cards. Some companies here still take checks with proper ID if they are on a local bank. Nothing is worse than to find a piece that you have been wanting for awhile and not have the funds needed to purchase it.
Wow this is getting long! I am going to make this two parts. Stay tuned for all the things you need to take with you to the sale in order to make it easy on yourself and your purchases!
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