posted on December 11, 2004 10:51:57 AM new
Hi, everybody. I just returned from an estate sale that blew me away. An old lady in town died, and her heirs wanted everything sold. Seeing her house with all the stuff made me think of Clean Sweep and some of those other cable shows that help people get control of their lives and their spending.
She bought multiples of everything--all from lower-end stores. Not just one set of dishes from Target--five sets. Not just one cheap glassware object, but 10. Not just one set of goblets--5 of them. The main rooms of her house were overflowing. Recent HB books, too, none of which are rare.
She didn't sell on Ebay or have a shop. She lived alone, no family to buy for. According to the manager of the sale, "she just liked to shop."
Most of the stuff was really not re-sellable on Ebay. I did get some redwood furniture (only one set of that!), a very nice thermos, and some English soaps.
posted on December 11, 2004 12:47:29 PM new
I went to an estate sale like that once, and I only caught the tale end of the store. The people who ran the sale said this person was obsessive compulsive, and it showed. I got some fantastic deals, there still was a lot of stuff and whatever didn't sale was going to Goodwill that afternoon. I picked up unopened video games from the early 1980's (Atari) - Brand New in original boxes. Multiples of each title too. I also picked up a movie collection in videodisc format (around 800 titles) that I made a fortune off of, plus about 8 players that sold well too. I can't even imagine what it must have been like for this person to live with all this stuff, some people are ill, and it shows.
posted on December 11, 2004 01:39:35 PM new
Must be the time of year, I went to one yesterday & there were 12 sets of china, 5 sets were Mikasa. I left bids on sveral as they wouldn't negoiate on price until tomorrew. With that many sets, they will have a heck of a time selling all of them at their prices. This is the third one of these in the past 3 months, One woman had multples of things still in the boxes from QVC!!
Life Is Too Short To Drink Bad Wine
[ edited by sanmar on Dec 11, 2004 01:41 PM ]
posted on December 11, 2004 09:20:02 PM new
My mother knew someone who sat in her chair and bought all sorts of stuff from that shopping channel. She bought hedge clippers when they didn't have hedges. When she passed away, the family had a real job disposing of it all. Her life was basically getting these deliveries that came every day - sometimes, several times a day.
posted on December 12, 2004 07:31:26 AM new
This phenomenon has been around for awhile. Years ago I was looking for an iron that did not have steam holes to use for transferring photographs to fabric. At a flea market I fond a 1930s iron, unused in the original box. The dealer said it came from an estate they had purchased from the heirs. From the 20s to the 50s the couple always bought household appliances and supplies 3 or 4 at a time. When the dealer cleared out the basement he found 2 or 3 of toasters, irons, fans, linens, etc. still in the original boxes. The dealer said he made a fortune on the vintage "new" appliances.
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“The illiterate of the future will be the person ignorant of the use of the camera as well as of the pen.”
Maholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion, 1947
posted on December 12, 2004 10:02:52 AM new
Some people who manage estate sales in our area move collectibles, dishes -- even furniture and oriental rugs etc. into the estates that they are handling.
posted on December 12, 2004 03:51:25 PM new
I think this happens everywhere. I know of at least three dealers who bring "leftovers" from the last sale to the next & even the next one after that.
