9 Simple Tips and Tricks For Thrifting Estate Sales

Never miss out on another vintage find with these 9 simple tips and tricks for thrifting estate sales! Whether your style is granny chic, or vintage farmhouse, estate sales are where it is at. You will find high end vintage items at a fraction of the price. But in order to have success snagging such gems, you must prepare!

I feel like I should start this post with a serious disclaimer, so here it is: Unless you do not love a piece, do NOT buy it! Otherwise, it will break your bank and clutter your house! There it is, my disclaimer. Of course, I speak from sheer experience.  Once you feel the hunt in your bones: the excitement, the adrenaline, the savings! Oh my! It becomes very difficult to slow down and stop. I find this to be the case when I hit a great estate sale with the most success. The next thing I know, I’m planning my next attack by scouring Facebook, local estate sales, and craigslist. It almost becomes a disease! Once you get a taste of it, you have to have more–get a grip woman! 

Thrift Stores VS Estate Sales

There is a Goodwill that is within a ten minute drive from my house, but for us, the estate sales are where it’s at! Don’t get me wrong, you can find good things at a Goodwill or at a thrift shop but a lot of times that requires a lot of patience because more often than not they are pretty much picked over.

Goodwill is my go to when the boys need a new pair of pants. God knows how quickly they grow out of them and how quickly they destroy them! Thanks to a child’s rapid growth rate (and only for this reason!),  you can find jeans in excellent condition. Sometimes even with tags still on! However, the difference between an estate sale and a thrift store is pretty grand! Estate sales are where you will find that unique vintage item! Whereas a thrift store is a place that gets what is left over from an estate sale.

Estate Sales Are Where It’s At!

As far as for the beautiful high quality decorations and furnishings, and of course albums for my husband, Theron, estate sales are our go to. This is something that, oddly enough, excites our children too. With some scoping out and a little bit of planning the night before, we are all so excited to see what the next day brings. The early morning rise, the anticipation while waiting in line for the opening, and the trip to the french pastry shop after to brag about our finds, leaves us all giddy and bursting with fond family memories. I love the idea that we are teaching the children how you can buy high quality furnishings at a discounted rate and at the same time breathing new life into something old. Simply put, recycling.

Early Bird Gets The Worm

A couple of weeks ago we ventured out to an estate sale that promised to be a success, and that it was. Since there were multiple items we were interested in: vinyl for Theron, a Seth Thomas clock and a vintage wrought iron garden bench for me, vintage light up pumpkins for my oldest, Sean, and a Christmas train for the young boys, we knew we needed to get there early. An hour and a half should do the trick for being the first, or in our case the second in line. With a plan of who was going to grab what, and whereabout each item was, we all walked out beaming ear to ear. 

Usually, with a professional estate sale company, the items left during the last couple of hours of the sale will go to half price. With the items we went for, they are usually the first to go. And that they were–with us!

9 Estate Sale Tips And Tricks:

1. Usually companies will post sales on Thursdays with pictures. That’s a good time to research the sale and start devising a plan. They might also have a mailing list that you can sign up for.

2. Have an idea of where in the house the items you are looking for are located. You should be able to tell if the item is in the basement, kitchen, living room or bedroom.

3. Try to be the first one there! This might sound like a drag but with a cup of coffee (check out my french press recipe), your favorite person, crisp air and a sunrise, these will make it all the more worth it! Try to be there at least an hour and a half before opening–early bird gets the worm!

4. Only buy what you have really given some thought about and really want! If there’s something you are questioning, give it some time, you can always go back during the half price hour and if it’s there then it’s meant to be and if not, there’s always another estate sale. Which brings me to my next tip–

5. Ask when the items go to half price. Make sure you are there a few minutes before that time to snag it!

6. If you are on the quest for knickknacks, carry a shopping bag with you. My husband loves to hunt for vinyl and we’ve been to estate sales that carry hundreds. I bought him a record satchel that will make it easier to handle his pickings and he doesn’t have to worry about hovering over them for dear life!

7. Make sure to take cash! I’ve never been to an estate sale where they take anything else.

8. Do not talk about what you’re there to get in line. Otherwise, you might have a race to your item!

9. Make sure what you want is in your hands! If it’s on the wall and you are standing ten feet from it, it’s fair game!

Hopefully this list will help you plan your next estate sale. Happy hunting!