Tips for the Estate sale and Flea Market Addict

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How to survive and thrive while hunting for bargains

Okay, nothing in this lens is serious, so don't start taking notes yet! This is just my way of recording and sharing my years of experience as a bargain hunter. But chances are that maybe you can learn a few tricks of the trade and laugh a little too!
I've been a garage sale, estate sale, flea market addict since I first got my own home and Mom was not there to make me throw out the 'junk' I had accumulated. I can swerve across lanes of traffic to read a sign on a telephone pole without any major damage to my car. I know just how much coffee it's safe to drink before gettin in line at an estate sale. And I know where to snoop in an estate sale to find those little treasures the dealer didn't find and price.
So please enjoy-and don't assume I'm insane...I've never been arrested or thrown out of a flea market yet!
I have been a collector for most of my life, a dealer for nearly 15 years, 11 online. Please take time to check out my collectibles store at http://www.texastreasures.ecrater.com!

Preparation..plan ahead for successful hunts 

or: why didn't you go before we left?

Preparation is essential for a successful day of bargain hunting. It can make all the difference between an enjoyable and profitable day, and an irritated husband.
1. Dress for cold weather. It may be May, but when you're sitting on a porch before daylight, so you can be first in the estate sale, it gets cold. Choose a sweater or jacket that you can tie around your neck or waist, so you don't have to carry it when it warms up inside of a house with 50 people in it. While you're at it, choose one with roomy pockets you can use for extra carry capacity.
2. Do NOT carry a thermos of coffee with you! Nothing is sadder than the woman who has to leave to find a service station, 15 minutes before the doors open. NO one is going to volunteer to hold that spot in line for you. Taking a diuretic is not a good idea either..your ankles will be swollen by the end of the day anyway. There are those hard core shoppers who swear by Depends, but I'll just wait on the coffee until after the sale. My slacks are tight enough already.
3. Take a tape measure: Make sure that item will not only fit in your room, but through your door! I once bought a gorgeous, huge camelback sofa, perfect for our 100 year old home, only to discover that it wouldn't fit through a door or window in our home. (they didn't make doors very big back then-maybe to discourage Indians from coming through in groups-this IS Texas). It did make the garage look very dressy, though-and was great for the boys when they were thrown out of the house...
4. Take a penlight-this way you can snoop through the boxes under the tables out in that dark garage. You can also stay after the sellers start turning off lights to get rid of you in the evening.
5. Take something to carry your goodies in. Husbands are great for this(see that article), but they can sometimes get lost in the crowd. (or wander off by 'accident').
6. Approach estate sales and flea markets with an open mind. Take your wish list and measurements with you, but look at everything. You may find something that inspires you, calls to you, or will make a great gift for the office Christmas party, next time they say 'white elephant gift'. Or something cheap for that mandatory mother-in-law gift.
7. Do NOT take children with you. Things get broken, other folks get mad, and the kids get antsy or drag out all the expensive vintage toys to play with, leading to your ejection from the sale. And they always expect you to take them to MacDonalds instead of the next sale, or worse...need to go to the bathroom.
8. Take a bag or basket to hold your finds. If you have to stop the hunt to go set your items down, the person behind you will get everything. (see the Hannah Hog story)Being an green-earth minded person, I carry my reuseable grocery bags with me-they hold lots of stuff.
9. Take a magnet to check metals with, or to pick up the coins that guy next to you dropped out of his pocket.
If you go prepared, have a large bag, a patient husband, a large bladder, and no kids-you will have a better chance of finding what you want.

Dealing with the Recalcitrant husband 

It's not junk, it's an investment!

Some people are born with the collector gene, others are not. There are both advantages and disadvantages to marrying someone with the same gene. The advantage is that they are always ready to go 'collecting', thus forcing you to share the disposable income with them. (not really an advantage, come to think of it) The disadvantage is that the spouse without does not understand the need to accumulate and will be extremely uncooperative and sometimes downright hostile about going to flea markets and estate sales to spend money that might have been better spent on a bass boat. This article is about how I tamed the beast and convinced him that buying junk is not only an interesting way to spend Saturday morning, but even a profitable pastime.
I was born to a collecting mother and started saving my allowance to buy glass animals at the antique store when I was a teenager. When we married, we didn't have a lot of money, but I always had a piece of furniture on layaway at some antique store and knew all the dealers by name. As our income increased, so did my shopping. When garage sales became popular, Saturday mornings at estate and garage sales became a way of life. My husband didn't understand this at all..this was junk I was buying! I kept reassuring him that my goodies would increase in value and make us rich one day, but he was dubious at best. I told him that someday I'd open an antique shop and give up teaching to become a rich woman...he laughed.
The day finally came when he said the house was full and I should either stop buying or open the shop. Fortunately, this was about the time Ebay appeared on the scene and saved my day. After a couple of years of making more money selling on Ebay than I was making as a teacher, he became convinced.
Now he goes to the sales with me-generally just waiting in the car with a cup of Starbuck's and a newspaper..but he goes willingly. He's more cooperative about estate sales as he understands the need for a 'carrier' and as a real estate agent, always wants to scope out the house and see if they have a broker yet. He even buys things on occasion, although they are usually things he intends to keep...everyone needs more fishing lures with Budweiser logos on the side. He actually seems to enjoy flea markets and even suggested a trip to Canton without any hints from me!
He no longer speeds up in order to 'miss' turnoffs at signs on telephone poles, or expects me to clean house on Saturday. He understands that if we go antiquing while on trips, we can write them off as business expenses.
It can be done-these non-collectors can be converted. It just takes effort and persistence!

Ten Reasons to take a husband bargain hunting 

or: 'Hold this for me, would you?'

Husbands can come in handy at flea markets and estate sales, if carefully and thoroughly trained.
1. They can be the wheelman, enabling you to simply jump out of the car at the front door, rather than having to drive down the block for a parking space. He needs the exercise more than you, anyway-let him walk. They do have to be trained to slow the car to a speed that enables you to leap from the car without rolling down the sidewalk.
2. They are handy for holding your spot when the coffee hits bottom. Make sure they do understand that NO ONE should be allowed to cut in front of them. Do make sure that they don't carry coffee, or they will be the one leaving your spot in line.
3. They can carry the heavy things back to the car..it may be parked in a pasture somewhere. If you have followed my advice on number 1, you won't know how far away, and won't care because he will pick you up afterwards, also.
4. They can hold items you find at estate sales. You will have to watch them though, or they will disappear and return with their hands full of used screwdrivers they found in the garage. This makes them useless to you as carriers for your own finds.
5. When you realize that it's a 'cash only' sale, you can send them to the nearest ATM. This make take a while, since the car is still out in the pasture, but that just gives you more time to shop.
6. They can climb the ladder, stepstool, or chair to get that finial you want off the top of the porch rail.
7. They can carry your purse or bag, so that your hands are free to pick up more stuff at a time. If they complain that they look like a sissy, point out the other purse carrying men around them.
8. They can carry in all your items when you arrive home too tired to do it yourself.
9. They can reassure you that you had every right to elbow that witch trying to reach across you and grab the Fostoria.
10. They can carry you in your house when you get home.

How to beat the Bargain Bully 

or: Leave your manners at home-this is war!

Even in as large a city as Austin, Texas, you tend to see the same people at estate sales. These are the few willing to get up on Saturday morning before daylight. These are the few willing to shiver on a dark porch for an hour in order to be first in line. You get to know each other pretty well after a while, and recognize the types.
This is my story about one of those types and how I finally dealt with her. It required forgetting everything I was raised to be and learning to get 'down and dirty' at tag sales.
I first met Hannah Hog when I went to an estate sale that had listed vintage costume jewelry in their ad. I arrived early, but there was already a line, and Hannah Hog was in front of me. She was about my age, large, and carrying an even larger basket.
When the doors opened, I headed for the table full of jewelry, but was already too late...Hannah had beat me to it. This insensitive, uncaring woman held her basket to the edge of the table and swept every single piece of jewelry into it..I mean every pin, earring, all of it. Disappointed, I took off to look for anything else to make the wait worthwhile.
When I returned to the living room, there sat Hannah on the hearth, picking through her basket of jewelry and discarding the pieces she didn't want! This just went all over me..what poor manners not to give the rest of us a chance! I was still furious when I told DH about this(this was one sale he refused to attend). And this was not the only time I saw Hannah do this. The next sale I attended, I got to see a repeat performance. I was beginning to develop an intense dislike of this woman.
But what goes around, does eventually come around. The day arrived when I was ahead of her at a sale that advertised 'lots of vintage jewelry'. And I was ready...the minute the door opened, I asked the man opening it where the jewelry was. He told me it was in a closet in the bedroom, and I ran-trying not to knock over any children or ladies with walkers.
Sure enough, there it all was..a tiny closet full of shelves, each shelf full of jewelry! Now-this was before I learned to take a bag with me, but no matter. I made a pouch out of my shirt tail and scooped every single bit of jewelry into it. She was right behind me, but no way could she fit into that closet with me. When I had all the jewelry loaded into my pouch, I just turned and smiled at her...and no, she didn't hit me although I could tell she wanted to!
I bought every single piece of that jewelry. It strained my budget and ruined my shirt (the front is permanently 6 inches longer than the back, now) but while eating beans and rice for the next month, I had the pleasure of remembering the look on her face.

Time to Become a Dealer 

The kids have to go, we're out of room.

There comes a time in every collector's life that it is time to weed out a few things. There are certain indications of this that everyone should look for on a regular basis.
1. Guests slide off your sofa because all of the pillows force them to sit on the edge.
2. Your child's closet is full of boxed Dept 56 buildings and her clothes are in a laundry basket under her crib.
3. The car no longer fits in the garage because that's where you unload your 'finds' until you can make room for them in the house.
4. Your groceries no longer fit in the trunk of your car because it's full of finds you haven't transferred to the garage yet.
5. You never have to paint the living room walls because no one can see them for the Victorian prints hung there, anyway.

So, you have two choices: you can have a garage sale and alienate your family forever. Or, you can sell at a flea market and bring home more booty. We will discuss in depth, both options. But first, let's talk about what to sell.

Choosing the Best Items for a Profitable Sale:

1. Anything in your husband's tackle box, tool box, or golf bag. However, if he volunteers to help you, it's probably not a wise idea. If he leaves for the coffee shop instead, these are great choices for a number of reasons, the coffee shop being the main one.
2. Anything the kids leave laying on the floor...unless it fits you and does not have holes in the butt. I would also refrain from trying to sell their school books for obvious reasons.
3. Anything your mother in law gave you.
4. Anything that needs ironing.
5. Anything that makes your butt look wider.
6. You will notice that your valuable collectibles are not included in this list...once you get rid of all the aforementioned junk, you will have more room for them.

Garage sale or flea market?

There are advantages and disadvantages to both. The advantages of having a garage sale? You don't have to pack the stuff up and carry it somewhere else. This is particularly important if you know that DH will be going to the coffee shop instead of helping. You have your own nice clean bathroom handy, as well as your own coffeepot. Disadvantages: you will have to clean out the garage to make room for the sale. And your kids may expect you to prepare meals for them during the sale.

The advantages of flea markets vastly outnumber the disadvantages. The first advantage is that you don't have people all over your yard or blocking your neighbor's drivewary. You don't have people snooping through the many things in your garage that are not for sale. But the biggest advantage? There are other sellers there with things for you to buy! If you are able to convince your husband to help you at the flea market, you can leave him with the sales, and shop all morning! The only disadvantages to flea market booths are 1) you have to pack it up and move it down there. 2) no bathroom 3) no bathroom (worth repeating)

With any luck, and good weather, you can get rid of a lot of stuff, and make a little money to spend on a lot of stuff. Happy Sales!

Ecrater Stores 

Stores worth checking out!

Texas Treasures
Vintage unique collectibles-advertising, ephemera, glass and pottery, costume jewelry, toys and games, shotglasses, postcards, photos, books and more.
Texas Crafters Treasures
Unique new and vintage supplies for crafters. Stamps, stickers, embellishments, patterns, beads, charms, dollhouse miniatures, tools, idea books, as well as vintage found treasures for crafters to add a distinctive look to their art.

New Guestbook 

Lensmaster

RebeccaJF wrote...

Terrific lens, Texas! A lot of great information!

ReplyPosted June 17, 2008

Lensmaster

Rokusan wrote...

I really enjoyed your lens! I'm building a new lens right now (not published yet) and am adding this one as a link to mine. Yours is funny, and about shopping, and that's what I'm looking for. Great job!!

ReplyPosted May 17, 2008

Lensmaster

SmilinEyesTreasures wrote...

Great lens-good work Texas!

ReplyPosted May 13, 2008

Lensmaster

blonndie1965 wrote...

Super information - and with a sense of humor! Thanks so much!

ReplyPosted May 12, 2008

Lensmaster

EvieJewelry wrote...

This is Funny - I not only drag my husband but if he's not available i drag my poor brother - in - law, but they both have gotten into now and like going, looking for fishing/hunting stuff

ReplyPosted May 08, 2008

Lensmaster

chisumtrailmercantile wrote...

Ahhhh, yes been there and done that - "gotta have it" - mine all mine - muhahahaha

ReplyPosted May 07, 2008

 
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by TexasTreasures

Hi! I am a native Texan, Texas Tech graduate, and school teacher. I have been collecting antiques since childhood and selling for 15 years.

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