Estate Sales

by Cool Runnings 10/30/2017, 10:08 am

Been going to a few every other week or so since getting a new place. Feels a bit weird at first but have found some really cool and unique stuff. Scan through the site Thursday or Friday and check out a few good ones early on the weekend. Anyone here frequent these/have any top finds? I typically check out stuff like old books, pennants, bar cart items, and non-fabric furniture. Furniture is harder though because of pricing and competition.

by Guest 10/30/2017, 10:12 am

I like buying stuff from estate auctions. Having conversations with the previous owners helps keep me sane.

by TheReal_LWS 10/30/2017, 10:14 am

I am for estate sales because it seems to help poor people get decent stuff cheap.

by **Robert J Sakimano** 10/30/2017, 10:20 am

Cool Runnings wrote:Been going to a few every other week or so since getting a new place. Feels a bit weird at first but have found some really cool and unique stuff. Scan through the site Thursday or Friday and check out a few good ones early on the weekend. Anyone here frequent these/have any top finds? I typically check out stuff like old books, pennants, bar cart items, and non-fabric furniture. Furniture is harder though because of pricing and competition.

does it smell like old people??

'cause that would kinda freak me out.

by Cool Runnings 10/30/2017, 10:24 am

Robert J Sakimano wrote:
Cool Runnings wrote:Been going to a few every other week or so since getting a new place. Feels a bit weird at first but have found some really cool and unique stuff. Scan through the site Thursday or Friday and check out a few good ones early on the weekend. Anyone here frequent these/have any top finds? I typically check out stuff like old books, pennants, bar cart items, and non-fabric furniture. Furniture is harder though because of pricing and competition.

does it smell like old people??

'cause that would kinda freak me out.

Depends on the place. I bought an old cribbage set that I really liked then got home and realized the smell came with it Estate Sales 502811600

but it won't last. Most things I've gotten either didn't smell or could be washed. Sales are different though. Has to look clean and well kept for me to check it out. There's like 70 a weekend within 20 min drive so the top few are generally pretty strong.

by **DWags** 10/30/2017, 10:33 am

So, the daughter has a friend whose father quit his job and goes to estate sales and buys, then sells the stuff he buys. His 2 car garage is his staging area for buying, advertising grouping and then selling the stuff out. He's an idiot savant when it comes to looking at shit and knowing their value. I don't hang with him much but would, pick the kid up once in a while at his house. He'd show me his treasures. Made like 5 grand one day off of those old musical things that you stuck in a self playing piano and they'd play a song as they rotated. Looked like shit to me, he paid like a 500 or so for about 25 of them from an estate sale and was shipping them out for 5 grand or something foolish like that. Showed me a jack knife he found. I'm like yeah big deal. He then showed me a book he had looked at the week before. Because of the handle and brand he paid 5 bucks for it and it's was worth almost a grand.

His wife has a decent job, so that's a safety net, but this guy does this for a living. he says he's been at some storage places like t.v. but those are shit. He might travel 400 miles radius during the week to estate sales and claims to make a shit load of money on stuff kids want out of their parents houses and he knows the value.

by **Robert J Sakimano** 10/30/2017, 10:34 am

Cool Runnings wrote:
Robert J Sakimano wrote: does it smell like old people??

'cause that would kinda freak me out.

Depends on the place. I bought an old cribbage set that I really liked then got home and realized the smell came with it but it won't last. Most things I've gotten either didn't smell or could be washed. Sales are different though. Has to look clean and well kept for me to check it out. There's like 70 a weekend within 20 min drive so the top few are generally pretty strong.

that's pretty awesome.

by **Robert J Sakimano** 10/30/2017, 10:35 am

DWags wrote:So, the daughter has a friend whose father quit his job and goes to estate sales and buys, then sells the stuff he buys. His 2 car garage is his staging area for buying, advertising grouping and then selling the stuff out. He's an idiot savant when it comes to looking at shit and knowing their value. I don't hang with him much but would, pick the kid up once in a while at his house. He'd show me his treasures. Made like 5 grand one day off of those old musical things that you stuck in a self playing piano and they'd play a song as they rotated. Looked like shit to me, he paid like a 500 or so for about 25 of them from an estate sale and was shipping them out for 5 grand or something foolish like that. Showed me a jack knife he found. I'm like yeah big deal. He then showed me a book he had looked at the week before. Because of the handle and brand he paid 5 bucks for it and it's was worth almost a grand.

His wife has a decent job, so that's a safety net, but this guy does this for a living. he says he's been at some storage places like t.v. but those are shit. He might travel 400 miles radius during the week to estate sales and claims to make a shit load of money on stuff kids want out of their parents houses and he knows the value.

so basically he's either Mike or Frank from American Pickers?

(full disclosure: I'm not raggin' on the guy - I like that show - I'm always amazed at how they look at something I wouldn't use as a door stopper and it turns out it's some obscure piece from a 1917 Harley Davidson that's worth $2,700)

by Cool Runnings 10/30/2017, 10:38 am

DWags wrote:So, the daughter has a friend whose father quit his job and goes to estate sales and buys, then sells the stuff he buys. His 2 car garage is his staging area for buying, advertising grouping and then selling the stuff out. He's an idiot savant when it comes to looking at shit and knowing their value. I don't hang with him much but would, pick the kid up once in a while at his house. He'd show me his treasures. Made like 5 grand one day off of those old musical things that you stuck in a self playing piano and they'd play a song as they rotated. Looked like shit to me, he paid like a 500 or so for about 25 of them from an estate sale and was shipping them out for 5 grand or something foolish like that. Showed me a jack knife he found. I'm like yeah big deal. He then showed me a book he had looked at the week before. Because of the handle and brand he paid 5 bucks for it and it's was worth almost a grand.

His wife has a decent job, so that's a safety net, but this guy does this for a living. he says he's been at some storage places like t.v. but those are shit. He might travel 400 miles radius during the week to estate sales and claims to make a shit load of money on stuff kids want out of their parents houses and he knows the value.

Yeah these types are all over the scene. I'm not looking to buy and sell but I've had multiple guys come up to me and ask what I paid for something and then say "great eye you could get double" or something like that. The one thing I purchased that might have some value is this massive mid century mirror with wood paneling type stuff in it. Thing weighs a ton. It's not in perfect condition but I've never seen a mirror like it. It's also 100% filled with souls but whatever.

by Cool Runnings 10/30/2017, 10:39 am

I also saw a mid century standing lamp that I really wanted but was sold by the time I got to the sale. Saw it next week on CL for $900. Guarantee judging off the rest of the place that whoever bought it spent less than 100.

by **DWags** 10/30/2017, 10:40 am

Robert J Sakimano wrote:
DWags wrote:So, the daughter has a friend whose father quit his job and goes to estate sales and buys, then sells the stuff he buys. His 2 car garage is his staging area for buying, advertising grouping and then selling the stuff out. He's an idiot savant when it comes to looking at shit and knowing their value. I don't hang with him much but would, pick the kid up once in a while at his house. He'd show me his treasures. Made like 5 grand one day off of those old musical things that you stuck in a self playing piano and they'd play a song as they rotated. Looked like shit to me, he paid like a 500 or so for about 25 of them from an estate sale and was shipping them out for 5 grand or something foolish like that. Showed me a jack knife he found. I'm like yeah big deal. He then showed me a book he had looked at the week before. Because of the handle and brand he paid 5 bucks for it and it's was worth almost a grand.

His wife has a decent job, so that's a safety net, but this guy does this for a living. he says he's been at some storage places like t.v. but those are shit. He might travel 400 miles radius during the week to estate sales and claims to make a shit load of money on stuff kids want out of their parents houses and he knows the value.
so basically he's either Mike or Frank from American Pickers?

(full disclosure: I'm not raggin' on the guy - I like that show).

I guess, but I also think he's bullshitted me sometimes. He's a nice enough guy, used to take my kid and their friends fishing during the day when many of us were working, but I think he way over exaggerates what he brings in with this stuff. I like those shows too, but I get the feeling this guy is taking 5 and saying it's ten. His garage is a mess.

by Guest 10/30/2017, 11:11 am

DWags wrote:So, the daughter has a friend whose father quit his job and goes to estate sales and buys, then sells the stuff he buys. His 2 car garage is his staging area for buying, advertising grouping and then selling the stuff out. He's an idiot savant when it comes to looking at shit and knowing their value. I don't hang with him much but would, pick the kid up once in a while at his house. He'd show me his treasures. Made like 5 grand one day off of those old musical things that you stuck in a self playing piano and they'd play a song as they rotated. Looked like shit to me, he paid like a 500 or so for about 25 of them from an estate sale and was shipping them out for 5 grand or something foolish like that. Showed me a jack knife he found. I'm like yeah big deal. He then showed me a book he had looked at the week before. Because of the handle and brand he paid 5 bucks for it and it's was worth almost a grand.

His wife has a decent job, so that's a safety net, but this guy does this for a living. he says he's been at some storage places like t.v. but those are shit. He might travel 400 miles radius during the week to estate sales and claims to make a shit load of money on stuff kids want out of their parents houses and he knows the value.

I think he lied to you about the player piano rolls. You can buy lots of them on Ebay for $5.

by **DWags** 10/30/2017, 1:32 pm

LooseGoose wrote:
DWags wrote:So, the daughter has a friend whose father quit his job and goes to estate sales and buys, then sells the stuff he buys. His 2 car garage is his staging area for buying, advertising grouping and then selling the stuff out. He's an idiot savant when it comes to looking at shit and knowing their value. I don't hang with him much but would, pick the kid up once in a while at his house. He'd show me his treasures. Made like 5 grand one day off of those old musical things that you stuck in a self playing piano and they'd play a song as they rotated. Looked like shit to me, he paid like a 500 or so for about 25 of them from an estate sale and was shipping them out for 5 grand or something foolish like that. Showed me a jack knife he found. I'm like yeah big deal. He then showed me a book he had looked at the week before. Because of the handle and brand he paid 5 bucks for it and it's was worth almost a grand.

His wife has a decent job, so that's a safety net, but this guy does this for a living. he says he's been at some storage places like t.v. but those are shit. He might travel 400 miles radius during the week to estate sales and claims to make a shit load of money on stuff kids want out of their parents houses and he knows the value.

I think he lied to you about the player piano rolls. You can buy lots of them on Ebay for $5.

Oh, I often think he’s full of shit, but I don’t know enough to call him out. I probably wouldn’t anyway.

by Herbie Green 10/30/2017, 11:15 pm

DWags wrote:So, the daughter has a friend whose father quit his job and goes to estate sales and buys, then sells the stuff he buys. His 2 car garage is his staging area for buying, advertising grouping and then selling the stuff out. He's an idiot savant when it comes to looking at shit and knowing their value. I don't hang with him much but would, pick the kid up once in a while at his house. He'd show me his treasures. Made like 5 grand one day off of those old musical things that you stuck in a self playing piano and they'd play a song as they rotated. Looked like shit to me, he paid like a 500 or so for about 25 of them from an estate sale and was shipping them out for 5 grand or something foolish like that. Showed me a jack knife he found. I'm like yeah big deal. He then showed me a book he had looked at the week before. Because of the handle and brand he paid 5 bucks for it and it's was worth almost a grand.

His wife has a decent job, so that's a safety net, but this guy does this for a living. he says he's been at some storage places like t.v. but those are shit. He might travel 400 miles radius during the week to estate sales and claims to make a shit load of money on stuff kids want out of their parents houses and he knows the value.

That is interesting Dwags. It seems like a fine line between becoming a hoarder.

by **y2kMgrad** 10/30/2017, 11:30 pm

gHost Spartan wrote:Aren't they basically dead people garage sales?

You don't want a flowery couch from the 70's?

Estate Sales C25cb821f55cda795adf7882bfe61075--wood-accents-the-s

by **GRR Spartan** 10/30/2017, 11:33 pm

My experience with the guys I know who do the buy/sell stuff is a couple of them really know line of stuff like knives or old lamps etc. Some impressive knockoffs out there too. Those guys bitch about Ebay too because more estate sale families are looking up stuff before they price on collectables.

A neighbor's daughter lives in Chicago, works in fashion and has paid off her student loans reselling vintage women's clothing using her knowledge of original designers. An untrained eye sees an old dress. She sees a 1965 Dior original

Its a lot like going to the track and talking to the regulars. They always tell you about the trifecta or the long shot daily double but leave out all the bad bets from the last 6 months.

by **DWags** 10/30/2017, 11:44 pm

y2kMgrad wrote:
gHost Spartan wrote:Aren't they basically dead people garage sales?

You don't want a flowery couch from the 70's?

by Space Lord 10/30/2017, 11:44 pm

I have been to nearly 5,000 estate sales or auctions in my life. I know the ropes. In the Lansing area the queens are Wonder Women Estate Sales. I have bought great stuff for great prices from them. You can get your priority number the night before a sale on-line so you don't have to get there early and wait - if you have number 5 you simply step in front of the suckers and get the thick pickins. They also have a cool gallery on Grand River in Old Town for leftovers and overflow. Those girls like to turn that shit over.

by Herbie Green 10/30/2017, 11:56 pm

Are these things usually at the house or do they haul all the shit away and sell it somewhere else?

by Space Lord 10/31/2017, 12:02 am

Herbie Green wrote:Are these things usually at the house or do they haul all the shit away and sell it somewhere else?

Both. Have a lot of out of town sales, too. Go to their website and sign up and you get a notification with pictures when they have a sale.

by **Jake from State Farm** 10/31/2017, 6:13 am

Space Lord wrote:I have been to nearly 5,000 estate sales or auctions in my life. I know the ropes. In the Lansing area the queens are Wonder Women Estate Sales. I have bought great stuff for great prices from them. You can get your priority number the night before a sale on-line so you don't have to get there early and wait - if you have number 5 you simply step in front of the suckers and get the thick pickins. They also have a cool gallery on Grand River in Old Town for leftovers and overflow. Those girls like to turn that shit over.

Wonder Women usually has a lot of good stuff. Epic usually overprices everything. Picked up a toy doll one time for $5 and sold it later that day for $300. We used to go to a lot of auctions but estate sales are way better for not having to stand around all day to wait for the item you want to bid on.

by Cool Runnings 10/31/2017, 7:15 am

Space Lord wrote:I have been to nearly 5,000 estate sales or auctions in my life. I know the ropes. In the Lansing area the queens are Wonder Women Estate Sales. I have bought great stuff for great prices from them. You can get your priority number the night before a sale on-line so you don't have to get there early and wait - if you have number 5 you simply step in front of the suckers and get the thick pickins. They also have a cool gallery on Grand River in Old Town for leftovers and overflow. Those girls like to turn that shit over.

May have to check that out next time I'm in the area. My hunting grounds is about Royal Oak-Bloomfield area typically though I've driven as far as Westland. This guy out there had what looked like a closed sports store. I've never seen so much memorabilia. He had at least 100 pennants and I got 10 or so. Some old Wings ones, MSU NCAA bball champs, mud hens, vipers and then some location ones like Detroit Zoo, Niagara Falls and some national park. He owned a cardboard cutout of Ryan Rayburn that the local A&W used for promotions when he was in his slump and they'd give free fries if he hit a dinger Estate Sales 502811600

by Cool Runnings 10/31/2017, 7:18 am

gHost Spartan wrote:Aren't they basically dead people garage sales?

People don't sell the good stuff at garage sales. Garage sales are people trying to dump worthless garbage on others. Sure you can find good stuff sometimes but the hit rate is abysmal. Estate sales are 100% better because the estates just want to clear out everything.

by TheReal_LWS 10/31/2017, 7:29 am

Cool Runnings wrote:
gHost Spartan wrote:Aren't they basically dead people garage sales?

People don't sell the good stuff at garage sales. Garage sales are people trying to dump worthless garbage on others. Sure you can find good stuff sometimes but the hit rate is abysmal. Estate sales are 100% better because the estates just want to clear out everything.

Eh, six of one. The family has already picked over the stuff, the estate sale usually is just the leftovers nobody wanted.

by Space Lord 10/31/2017, 7:42 am

Jake from State Farm wrote:
Space Lord wrote:I have been to nearly 5,000 estate sales or auctions in my life. I know the ropes. In the Lansing area the queens are Wonder Women Estate Sales. I have bought great stuff for great prices from them. You can get your priority number the night before a sale on-line so you don't have to get there early and wait - if you have number 5 you simply step in front of the suckers and get the thick pickins. They also have a cool gallery on Grand River in Old Town for leftovers and overflow. Those girls like to turn that shit over.

Wonder Women usually has a lot of good stuff. Epic usually overprices everything. Picked up a toy doll one time for $5 and sold it later that day for $300. We used to go to a lot of auctions but estate sales are way better for not having to stand around all day to wait for the item you want to bid on.

Epic is slipperier than a shit house rat.

by Cool Runnings 10/31/2017, 7:52 am

TheReal_LWS wrote:
Cool Runnings wrote:

People don't sell the good stuff at garage sales. Garage sales are people trying to dump worthless garbage on others. Sure you can find good stuff sometimes but the hit rate is abysmal. Estate sales are 100% better because the estates just want to clear out everything.

Eh, six of one. The family has already picked over the stuff, the estate sale usually is just the leftovers nobody wanted.

Some are definitely like that but you don't go to those to begin with. There's plenty of stuff that a family wouldn't care about that would be interesting to others. Also some estates are just huge and even if the family takes some stuff there is just way too much. Estate sales list what's available online beforehand. Easy to pick ones that are worth the trip.

by Cool Runnings 10/31/2017, 8:02 am

Not all estate sales are dead people either. I went to one on Lake Saint Clair where the couple was up there in age and just wanted to travel the world and had no need for the years of cool stuff they'd collected. Everything was priced on the higher end (couple art deco sconces for 1.2k each Estate Sales 502811600

) but they took bids so we threw in some low ball offers and on the last day got called back. I got a 70s lamp and a 50s mirror and both are really unique. If this stuff made it to a showroom it would have gone for a hell of a lot more.

by Cool Runnings 11/1/2017, 9:34 am

Barn sale in Clarkston has an Eames chair available this weekend. Got some wear on it but looks pretty solid. Curious what it'll go for. The only times I've seen Eames chairs in previews they sold day 1. Some other cool furniture, art, etc though so could be worth the trip. Former car industry guy so some interesting auto related things as well.

by Guest 11/1/2017, 12:14 pm

Cool Runnings wrote:Barn sale in Clarkston has an Eames chair available this weekend. Got some wear on it but looks pretty solid. Curious what it'll go for. The only times I've seen Eames chairs in previews they sold day 1. Some other cool furniture, art, etc though so could be worth the trip. Former car industry guy so some interesting auto related things as well.

Some online auctions in southern and mid michigan on this site.
http://www.sherwoodauctionservicellc.com/

by **kingstonlake** 11/1/2017, 5:30 pm

My parents neighbor in Presque Isle had one last year. So much really cool stuff. Probably about 30 vintage outboard motors. All under 15hp.

by Guest 2/1/2018, 10:15 pm

And a sign in this week's auction for WBH.
Estate Sales 497

http://www.1bid.us/cgi-bin/mmlist.cgi?onebid17/94

by Guest 2/15/2018, 8:05 pm

If anyone is interested in old MSU yearbooks there are at least 6 in this sale ranging from 1939-1960.

http://www.1bid.us/cgi-bin/mmdetails.cgi?onebid19

Oh....and also lots of silver if you want to buy some precious metal.

And a copy of the 11/27/78 SI with Magic on the cover in a tux "Super Sophs"

by Guest 7/24/2018, 1:43 pm

Hey Greeny still looking for signs?

This estate auction ending tomorrow night must have 300-500 signs and vintage oil cans.

Check the very end for OLD paper kites that were given away when you were young.

Also 10-15 random lots including Michigan State collectibles.

Robert "Bob Steel" Leets Estate Online Auction - July 25

by **tGreenWay** 7/24/2018, 1:55 pm

Thanks, Goose! I’ll give it a good looksy. Been a few months since I purchased a porcelain sign, but only because prices were getting out of control. I’d noticed a few places in India asking ridiculous prices for obvious fakes and getting what they asked for. I’ve also noticed a lot of those sellers aren’t on eBay anymore—for whatever reason(s).

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