These are the best items to only get at estate sale items in order to save a ton of money!
Estate sales are some of the best sales to be at if you want to be as frugal as possible. And while some people may think that this makes you a cheapstake, it is actually very far from it! Making sure you can attend some of your local estate sales means that not only are you helping a family that is trying to empty a home, but you are also repurposing and giving a second life to a lot of items that could end up in a landfill.
Believe it or not, these types of sales are even more worth it than some garage sales, as there are way more items you can find that could be perfect for your own home!
Not to mention, with some of these items, you may end up getting a bargain, as a lot of them are sold way under the market price, and then you can sell them for a profit on online markets like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and even Depop!
If you want to know how you can make the most of estate sales in your area, both to help you save some money on items you need and to hopefully also earn some extra income, make sure you keep on reading!
Have you ever been to an estate sale? Tell us all about your experience in the comments!
Vintage Jewelry
These are some of the hottest items you can find at estate sales, and not just because they can be some amazingly beautiful pieces. Not only will you be able to find some amazing pieces for a bargain for yourself if you love these types of jewelry, but you can also definitely resell them for a profit on your part.
The one thing you should invest in before you end up going to estate sales is a jeweler’s loupe and some time to learn and recognize the purity marks for the likes of gold and silver so that you know you got yourself real precious metals on your hand. Another tip would be to look for complete sets; the more items, the better. The likes of necklaces with a pair of earrings, a bracelet, and brooch sets of vintage jewelry pieces are sought after.
Another type of jewelry piece you should look for if you are all about sparkly pieces is costume jewelry! However, you need to make sure you are getting a reputable brand that is also appealing to collectors so that you can make a profit from your investment if you do not want to keep the pieces. The brands to keep an eye out for include the likes of Eisenberg, Schiparelli,, and Miriam Haskell.
Tools
We all know just how expensive power tools are, and as we have aged, we have also seen that it does ring true to have your own toolbox and essential repair items around the house. Not only is it cheaper to do some of the stuff around the house yourself, but it is also a great hobby, and you can always learn how to do some things yourself, not to mention that it is better to have these tools on hand than not!
However, the problem can be that if you want to have all the essential items around the house and not spend a fortune on them, you will be in trouble. As frugal people, we know it is better to spend a bit more money to get better quality and to use the item longer. So it makes sense that when you are at an estate sale, you should keep an eye out for their tools!
Be that you will find them in a garage or in a well-stocked basement at an estate sale, make sure you do not just walk past them. While some tools will need a bit of TLC or a good cleaning, they are going to be amazing and affordable. The brands you need to look for are going to be Skill, Craftsman, and Stanley.
While they may be old, they are excellently made and even bought second-hand; they will serve you well and for a longer time. Not to mention, they are going to be a fraction of the price at an estate sale, so you’re going to get your money’s worth.
If you need a toolbox soon and there is no chance that you will be attending an estate sale soon, then you should get one that will have all the essentials and last you well until you can expand your tool collection. This toolbox from Amazon is both affordable and of great quality!
Counter kitchen appliances
When you attend an estate sale, you may think that there is no need to look at the small kitchen appliances, especially if it is an older estate. However, if you look closely, you may find out that these older kitchen appliances are actually in great condition.
A lot of the time, being older means that it is better made. And when you look at small kitchen appliances, like toasters, you will find that it is actually true. You may end up spending about $30 on a new toaster and have to replace it in a matter of a year or two.
Or you could grab yourself a 1970s model of a toaster that has been working ever since then for $5, and it can very well serve you for a couple of years before it fully breaks down. Sure, the colors of these older kitchen appliances are sometimes less than desirable given the modern aesthetics, but in the end, you can accept a sage green pop of color if it comes with the perks of being great quality and extremely affordable.
This can be the case for you too; just make sure that you inspect the item you want to buy well before you commit to the purchase, even if it is just $5! And the same goes for other small kitchen appliances that you can find at estate sales, like blenders, slow cookers, and vintage coffee makers!
Furniture
This is probably the most obvious one of them all when it comes to attending estate sales: you can get furniture for a bargain, and some of the pieces you can find are in stellar concision. So you can not only furnish your home or replace certain pieces you may be sick of or they may be broken, but you can also always recondition some or just sell them as is online for higher prices.
The catch with buying furniture at estate sales is to make sure that you are choosy! You need to look for quality pieces, which are easy to pinpoint if you can see solid wood pieces, along with bookmatched veneers and even dovetail joints, just to name a few!
Hardwood furniture is durable, sturdy, and of great quality, but it is expensive to buy new, and getting it at an estate sale may just be what you need in order to fully furnish that guest bedroom with timely furniture.
Be careful of one thing! You should make sure that whatever type of furniture you are interested in if it is upholstered, you do a little scent test. It may sound weird, but a lot of estate sale proprietors do their best to mask cigarette, mold, or pet odors with a lot of strong aerosols and scented candles around the home.
So make sure you are not buying something that is unusable due to its rancid smell, no matter how much of a bargain it was!
When it comes to finding the best prices, we are all getting close to being experts since we are all frugal people here! However, some of us may fall down the slippery slope of holding on to too many items that we do not necessarily need. If you do not want to end up being “that” relative, make sure you read this article about the things you should be getting rid of ahead of retirement! Who knows? You may even make a pretty penny off of them!
