Popped My Estate Sale Cherry - Part 1

I've always felt intimidated about estate sales so I never made an effort to check 'em out.  A Twitter friend recommended I check out estatesales.net and I came across a listing that was local and the pictures sealed the deal.  I had to go.

I kinda had an idea of what an "estate sale" is by researching on Google.   The 2 best tips were to arrive early and bring bags or boxes.  I made a mental note to shove a reusable bag in my purse but of course I forgot.

The line-up for the estate sale started at 5am but wouldn't officially open until 9am and I got there around 930am - there was a line outside.  I decided to snoop in the garage and it was a disaster.  I had on flip flops which was a bad idea.  There was broken glass, cracked mirrors, nails and a rodent or two could've ran across my feet but all that digging through stuff was worth it.  I found envelopes of negatives (now all I need is a negative scanner).  None are Vivian Maier caliber but a girl can dream.

After a good 10 minutes in the garage, I heard someone calling out names so I decided to see if there was a list - I wrote my name on #87 and decided to head back to the garage.  As I'm walking away, I hear a few ladies get angry that there is a list and complain that they were there since 6am.  Yeah right.  One of them started walking to her car but was yelling back, "You won't be getting my money."

I made a mental note that estate sales can get ugly.  About 5 minutes later, one of the guys running the sale came to the door and announced everyone could go in.  I had no idea where to start.  I saw people in closets, rummaging through piles of books, clothes, moving boxes downstairs - it was a mad house.  I started in the first room right by the stairs.  It looked like the master bedroom, there was a queen size bed, tv and bathroom.  There were piles of old bills, receipts and assorted junk on the bed.  And that's when it hit me - what happened to these people and who were they?  I couldn't help but feel excited to roam free and be completely nosy in someone's home but at the same time, felt sad that all this stuff wasn't being claimed by a family member.  Is this what happens when you have no one left?

My tips:

• Go early
• Take a few reusable bags
• Bring cash
• Wear sneakers or comfy, closed toe shoes
• Bring string or yarn (I witnessed some buyers cordon off their stuff to an area with string so they can run around and continue to shop)   
• Be nice to the estate sale staff (A couple of them were straight up mean but remember, they are the ones that price your stuff!)
• Be nice to other buyers (Everyone I spoke to was super nice - gave compliments on their finds and received compliments on mine.  They might even offer you some of their finds or give you advice on your purchases)
• Be prepared to be there for 2 hours or more (Depends how big the house is and if you are willing to really dig through closets and piles)
• Spread all of your items out so the estate sale staff can price (Don't leave in bags or boxes)

Looks like the house was egged :/


Come back to check out Part 2 - My Haul!