Posted by I finally, finally, finally got to an estate sale after 18 long months of deprivation. I was sooooo ready to go to one. This particular sale (a 3-day one) opened at 10:00 a.m., but I waited till 11:00 to go. I didn’t want to be in the first crush of people or have to wait in a line. I’m done with all that!!
My timing was perfect. I was able to walk in and start perusing. Most of the rooms were not super full of items, still there was enough to make it worthwhile.
Here are some of the photos from estate sale listing…
There were a lot of Asian knick-knacks but I know so little about that category that I didn’t feel confident buying any of them. And there were a lot of purses which I love to buy and sell, but most were 1980s/90s mom purses. I didn’t see any I wanted to buy, though to be honest the room was so dark it was really hard to see the quality and condition. And most of the jewelry were newer costume pieces, but I did find one in the case that I ended up buying. In retrospect I should have lingered longer over the jewelry as it’s possible there were a few more good pieces amidst the dross!
Here’s my mini, mini $40 haul…
This is my most expensive buy today and my favorite. It’s a beautiful Art Deco-era choker of carnelian and chrysoprase stones in a brass or pot metal setting. The necklace is simple and classic and it’s not uncommon for similar necklaces to sell for $80-$300+.
I grabbed this antique brass/metal match holder without even needing to think about it. I love this kind of thing and nowadays it would be perfect to tuck a special piece of jewelry.
And bonus, there was an empty vintage box of Swan Vestas matches inside. These are “By appointment to H.M. The Queen Match Manufacturers” and are sellable on their own!
Here’s the brass match safe after a quick swipe with a metal wipe to clean it up a bit, but I won’t polish it to a high shine.
Here’s another tobacciana piece–a vintage Lucky Strike cigarette tin. It’s fairly common, but this is in better condition than most. Plus it’s just darn cool. For $4 I couldn’t say no! Current listings range from $10 to $40 with some tins being pretty beat up.
They had a small collection of rocks/minerals and I loved the look of these jutting quartz crystals. It looked like something out of “Journey to the Center of the Earth” movie, the 1959 version! I don’t think it’s worth much, but I got it for my own collection which I intersperse in my garden.
And this “Etiquette Problems in Pictures” book is a first edition published in 1924. It was too quirky to pass up. I tend pick up older, odd ball illustrated books–medical books, atlases, song books, children’s books, etc. They don’t sell quickly but there is a market for them.
So not a lot, but I’m happy with everything I bought…and I should make a reasonable profit when all is said and done. And it was sooooo fun to go rummaging around someone’s house looking for treasures again…though a bit sad too. I’m guessing the owner of the house has either passed or moved to a nursing home.
Hoping to go to more estate sales this summer. Now if only the local flea markets would open up!
Wishing you happy hunting.
Karen
Hunting for Vintage 