Everything You Need to Know About Estate Sales

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I'm not sure when I started going to estate sales, but ever since the first one, I've been hooked. As comfortable as I feel going to estate sales, I know there are just as many people who are unsure about them. I wanted to take some of the mystery away from the process so you can enjoy them as much as I do. Estate sales are such a great way to decorate your home, source for reselling, and have a glimpse into someone else's life.

I know a lot of people think that they are sad and I totally understand that. The reality is, though, that none of us lives forever. I would much rather think about my treasures going to people who will love them or benefit from them when I'm gone, than having them all donated or thrown away when I'm gone. It might not be realistic to buy something at every estate sale, but I do try to buy something (even if it's small) to help honor the person the sale is being held for. Also, the sales are are a strong reminder that we can't take our things with us. However you take that lesson is up to you. Maybe it means acquiring less and spending your money on experiences. Perhaps it means enjoying everything you have to their fullest. Or what if you start clearing out well before you're on your way out of this world. The truth of the matter is, though, it won't matter what our own estate sales look like...we won't be here to see them.

I'm peppering in some photos of a sale I went to recently. There were only a couple of other people there, so it was the perfect time to get a few images. Also, the sale wasn't officially open. They had to clear out some of the life-long collection first to make enough room in the tiny home in order to host a sale.

Okay, enough of the existential pondering...and onto the fun stuff!

Whenever I share about estate sales, I get many of the same questions...but mostly the same one: How do you find estate sales? I'm going to cover this and more in this post, but I'll start with this one because it's the biggie. If you can't find the sales, none of the other info will matter.

HOW TO FIND ESTATE SALES

There are a few ways to go about finding estate sales. I use a few, so I'm assured of having the most success.

1. Follow the local estate sale companies on social media--they will post their sales there, including pictures, video tours, address, and times. Most areas will have at least one or two individuals or businesses who run estate sales. I know from speaking with different social media followers that smaller communities tend to have fewer sales (that makes sense with fewer residents), so there may not be specific people doing the sales there. In that case, it's probably the family doing the sale...if they have one at all. I honestly don't know how I found the first estate sale company whose sale I shopped, but once I had that connection, it was easier to find others by talking to people in line or at the sale itself.
2. Get on the estate sale companies' email lists. Most of the people putting on sales have an email list and will be religious about sending out sale announcements and updates. The emails will have any of the pertinent information that you'll need for the sale, including special instructions for hauling bigger items, parking, etc.
3. Do a Facebook or Instagram search. This would pertain more to finding the companies themselves...if you're just getting started. Facebook, Facebook community groups, and Facebook Marketplace would probably be your best bet for searching them easiest, but I do know many of our local companies can be found on Instagram as well...although, key word searches aren't always as fruitful on that platform. However, if you follow local accounts who go to local estate sales, reach out to them! I'll be sharing later in this post the companies that I follow, but that's only helpful if you live near me.
4. Estatesales.net and Estatesales.org are both websites where you can plug in your location, including how far you're willing to travel, to find estate sales near you. I will be honest that I haven't had as much success with these sites as people in other areas. I think where I Iive, the companies do well enough with their social media and email lists, that they're not putting time into these sites. I do know I've seen more sales on the east side of the state are listed, but I'm not really sure why that is.
5. Google and Craigslist are also great options for finding estate sales. Basically anything you can use as a search engine is a good resource. Once you find one company, you're on your way to finding more, since you can then talk to others at the sales to find more options. I have found most people at sales pretty willing to at least mention other names of companies. You will have to do more legwork to find out additional details, though.
6. Talk to vendors at antique malls, flea markets, and antique shows. People in the reselling world really are pretty helpful and they're a tight-knit community. They want people to be interested in antiques, old stuff, junk...and want to see the love continue. You might find a few tight-lipped people, especially when it comes to auctions they shop or special contacts they have, but I think you'd be able to at least get a bit of information about estate sales to go to.

QUESTIONS ABOUT ESTATE SALES

1. How do you find them? Everything I mentioned above is exactly what I would do to find estate sales. The more you're in the world of sales, the more contacts you'll make too. You'll be surprised once you start going to them how much more you'll learn about how they work and how you can find them.
2. How do you find the sales with the best prices? Just like anything, this can vary from sale to sale, no matter what company is hosting. I have gone to local sales given by the same company and left one feeling like I took total advantage of them because I got such a good deal and then left another one they hosted and felt taken advantage of. Many of our local estate sale companies will do sale days on day two or three. If there isn't something specific you're going for, these are great days to get deals! Some companies will allow you to make bundle deals, but I wouldn't count on that...especially on the first day. However, I have found that the more I buy, the easier it is to negotiate pricing or haggle.
3. What is the difference between a tag sale and an estate sale. I'm not really sure that there is a difference, rather it can be a regional coloquialism. Some people think tag sale sounds a little quainter too...like there might be better deals, although, I wouldn't count on that necessarily being the case.
4. What form of payment do estate sales accept? This will vary widely depending on the estate sale companies themselves. I've been to some that are cash or check only, some take credit cards, and there is even one local company that accepts Venmo. If you're at a privately run sale by the family, they likely will be cash or check only...however, if they have someone tech savvy helping, they might have Venmo as well. Just like a flea market or garage sale, I would tell you to take cash to be safe and it can also be used as a bargaining tool for a better price.

TIPS FOR SHOPPING ESTATE SALES

Obviously, there will be some nuance for the relevance of these tips depending on what your local sales are like and require, why you're shopping (reseller or casual buyer), whether or not you're looking for something specific, and what type of items you're looking for, but these are all things I would consider for myself when going to an estate sale.

1. Look at photos and watch videos of the sale items. Normally, the estate sale companies will share plenty of photos of the sale items, as well as, do a live walkthrough video of the sale before it happens. They normally do this on social media and then will share photos in their emails as well. Both photos and video are a great way to see what is at the sale that you might want and where in the house the items are. If you're looking for something specifically, you're going to want to study the photos to see where in the house those items are...to help your chance of getting to them first.
2. Get there early. Most estate sales are first come, first served. Some will require you to wait in the line the entire time, some will do a sign-up sheet, and others will hand out numbers. Regardless of how they organize the line, if you really want something, I would tell you that you want to get to the sale a MINIMUM of an hour early. Where I live, it's not unusual for people to get to the sale two+ hours early. You have to remember that many of the people shopping estate sales do it for their job, so they are going to make sure they are at the front of the line and will be willing to wait. One thing I saw last summer were people bringing buckets to the sale. They could sit on them before the sale started and then use it to fill at the sale. I did it a couple of times and loved it! Also, as nice as it is to think that adults can conduct themselves in a polite manner, more often than not, it's definitely an every man for themselves situation. I've been at sales where it doesn't matter that there has been a sign-up or numbers handed out...some people will budge, cut, or find a way to dodge the rules. At that point there's not much you can do, but hopefully the company running the sale will address it.
3. Be kind (but guarded). Obviously, being nice is the best option, but when you're in line, don't be so free in talking about what you're there for. I have learned the hard way that people will love chatting you up and then turn around and go for the items you told them about. Overall, though, most people are kind. Again, remember that a number of the people shopping the sale are doing it for their job, so they are going to do whatever they feel necessary to get the pieces they want.
4. Go with a shopping buddy. Now, you have to be a little careful about this, if you both shop for the same kinds of things...that can get kind of messy. Overall, though, they can help you pass the time in line and help you spy things that you might want in the sale. Likewise, if you can take someone with you who doesn't really care about shopping, but is still willing to go, they can be your runner and can guard the items you're buying while you continue to shop. I've learned the hard way that your items are not really safe on the "sold table". As much as the people running the sale want that to be a good option, they don't normally have the manpower to keep eyes on it. As I mentioned above about the line rules...there are shoppers who will take from other people's piles. I've had it happen and it's such a bummer. If you don't have someone to guard your pile, you might be smart to do a run through of the house, pay for the items you gather, and then go back in for another pass.
5. Go through the sale more than once. If you have the time, make sure you go back through the house, garage, etc. more than one time. I promise that you will find items that you missed the first time around. This is true for a few reasons: there could be fewer people in certain areas so you'll be able to see better, the frantic feeling of the start of the sale will have passed a bit, as people shop they will uncover items that were hidden before, and your eyes will just naturally be drawn to fresh pieces. Along this line of thinking...be sure to look up and down when you're shopping. Often, people completely miss pieces hanging on walls and what is tucked beneath tables (rugs included). You also want to take the time to look into boxes. You never know what you will find! 
6. Take a box or bag to carry items in. Depending on what you like to shop for, you will want to have a way to carry your items through the sale. If you gravitate toward breakables, be sure to take something to protect them. The sellers might have things, but it's not promised. I've seen people take everything from tote bags to pull-behind shopping carts. I like to think that you want to be considerate of other shoppers with what you're dragging through, but again...estate sales can be a bit like the wild west. I keep a shopping basket and a few bags in my car at all times, since you never know when you might get the itch to shop or happen upon a sale! 
7. Ask if there's anything that hasn't been put out yet. The sellers likely won't have time right then to show it to you right then, but it's a good connection to make. The ultimate goal of the estate sale companies is to clear out the estate. If they think you could buy a lot of product or one type of item in particular, they might be willing to let you do a little private shopping when the time is right.
8. If you're not sure if an item is for sale or not...ASK! Often times, light fixtures, shelves, plants, even lawn ornaments are for sale, but they might not be marked. It absolutely never hurts to ask...you might just end up with some great treasure that no one else considered.
9. Shop for useful items. As much fun as it is to buy the vintage and antique goodies that have a lot of wow factor, I do almost as much looking for useful household items, including paint supplies, tools, garden supplies, cleaning items, ziploc bags, etc. You can save a lot of money on these things and almost every sale has them. Remember...they are selling the entire contents of the home.
10. Have fun! In all honesty, you're going to go to estate sales and be sad. You're going to go and not get what you wanted. You're going to go and it's a total bust. Whatever happens, enjoy yourself. Look at the person's pictures, their keepsakes, their life. Get lost in a bit of time travel and learn some things about how someone else lived and the legacy they're leaving behind.

Whew! This post turned out to be a lot more than I originally thought. I had crowd-sourced a bit, but once I got going, I realized that I had a lot more to offer to the estate sale conversation than I originally had mapped out. I hope that this post has been helpful to you and will help you to feel more confident in going to and shopping at estate sales. They really have become my favorite way of sourcing items for resale and for our own home. I'm able to find much better quality of items and, often, better deals than at the thrift store. I will never not go to estate sales and am always sourcing for my own one day. HA!

As promised, I'm sharing my list of local estate sale companies (in order of favorite to least favorite). These are the ones I know of, but please let me know if I need to update my list with any I've missed!

Pat Jones Tag Sales

Tangerine Zebra - Estate Sales by Tangerine Zebra

Estate Sale by The Perfect Pick

AOK Tag Sales

Sales by Nan

A House Full LLC Estate Sales

Boomers Tag and Estate Sales

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If you've taken the time to read this far, I appreciate it! I would love to know the part you found the most helpful!

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