c/estate-sales-wa

Warning: I used to line up at 5 AM for estate sales, but now I show up at noon.

For years, I'd be in the cold dark with my coffee, thinking the good stuff was gone by 7 AM. That changed last fall after a sale in Bellingham where I got a perfect 1970s turntable for $40 at 12:30 PM, just because the morning crowd overlooked it. I realized the early rush is mostly for the obvious furniture and art, leaving smaller treasures behind. Now I skip the crowd, get a full night's sleep, and still find what I want. Has anyone else switched to a late arrival strategy and been surprised?

2 comments

foster.wade•10h ago

Overheard a guy at the sale in Everett say he'd never buy a tool without a story

He was looking at a beat up old hand plane and told the seller he only wanted stuff with a history. I guess he thinks it makes the tool better. I saw him pass on a perfect condition Stanley block plane because it was 'too new'. Meanwhile, I got that plane for $15 and it works great. Spent the rest of the morning wondering if I'm missing something, or if that's just a weird way to talk yourself out of good deals. Does anyone actually care about a tool's 'story' when you just need it to work?

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james672•3d ago

My uncle told me to always check the garage at an estate sale in Spokane

He said the good tools and outdoor gear get tucked away out there. I thought he was just being old school, but at a sale on Maple Street last fall, I found a full set of vintage axes in the garage. They were in great shape and I got them for a fair price. Anyone else have a go-to spot they check first at a sale?

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kevinwilson•3d ago

Got a $20 vintage lamp at a sale in Bellingham, the wiring was toast.

One side says rewire it yourself, the other says just buy a new one. What would you guys do?

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nathan_patel•3d ago

Found a hidden gem at the estate sale on Maple Street in Everett

I stopped by the big sale at the old Johnson place yesterday. In the garage, tucked behind some boxes, was a complete set of vintage fishing lures from the 1950s, still in their original wooden box. The family running the sale had no idea they were there and let them go for just twenty dollars. Has anyone else had a lucky find like that at a sale recently?

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anthony127•4d ago

I finally understood why people line up at 5 AM for estate sales

Last Saturday in Everett, I got to a sale at 7 AM and the line was already around the block. I was about to leave when the guy behind me, who said his name was Dave, pointed out the garage door was open and we could see a whole wall of old woodworking tools. He told me the early birds are usually after one specific thing, like that vintage table saw, and the rest is just luck. I ended up getting a solid oak workbench for $40 because everyone else was focused on the small stuff. Has anyone else had a sale where waiting in line actually paid off for something you didn't expect?

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wrenstone•5d ago

Pro tip: Stop showing up right at opening time for estate sales in Spokane.

I used to get to every sale at 9 AM sharp, thinking I was beating the crowd. Last Saturday, I saw a guy I know leave a sale at 8:45 with a mint condition mid-century dresser for $75. He told me he got there at 7:30 and made a deal with the cashier before they even opened. That was my wake-up call. I've been playing by the rules while others are making the best finds an hour early. Now I aim to be there at least 45 minutes before the listed start. Has anyone else had luck with this pre-opening approach, or do the workers in your area shut it down?

2 comments

matthew_owens9•5d ago

Been showing up at 10 AM for estate sales thinking I was smart.

Found out the real buyers get there at 6:30 and wait in line. I missed a whole set of mid-century chairs in Kirkland because of it. How early do you guys actually arrive?

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gonzalez.anna•5d ago

I just figured out why my estate sale buys were always overpriced

For months, I kept going to sales in Spokane and coming home with stuff that cost too much. I thought I was getting good deals because the price tag was lower than a store. Then, last Saturday, I bought a set of four dining chairs for $80. They looked solid. When I got them home, my friend who fixes furniture pointed out the joints were loose and two legs had old repairs. He said, 'You paid for the look, not the build.' That was my lightbulb moment. I realized I never actually checked the items, just the price. I was so focused on beating the crowd that I forgot to inspect anything. Now I feel like I wasted a lot of cash on junk that needs more work. How do you guys quickly check if furniture is solid at a busy sale?

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anthony127•8d ago

Found a 1970s newspaper clipping about a local estate sale INSIDE a book I bought at an estate sale

I picked up an old hardcover about birds at a sale in Bellingham last month, and when I got home, a yellowed clipping from the Bellingham Herald fell out. It was a full page ad for a 1973 estate sale listing a player piano and a collection of glass fishing floats, and the house address was the SAME one I was just at. What's the WEIRDEST thing you've ever found tucked inside something you bought at a sale?

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hugo50•9d ago

Found a whole box of vintage fishing lures at a sale in Spokane last month, but the price was nuts

I was at that estate sale off Division Street, the one in the green house. They had this old wooden box in the garage, full of these amazing old lures, some still in the original paper packs. I got excited, thought maybe I'd found a score for my dad. Then I saw the sticker. They wanted $400 for the whole box, no splitting it up. The guy running the sale said 'they're collector's items' but half of them were rusted or the paint was chipped. I tried to talk him down, offered $150 cash right then, but he wouldn't budge. It just kills me when they look up one item on eBay and price the whole lot like it's all mint. Ended up walking away empty handed. Has anyone else run into crazy priced lots that are clearly not all in good shape?

3 comments

wells.morgan•10d ago

Has anyone worked with webuyhouseasis? (Bothell area)

I have a house in Bothell that I inherited. It's too much work for me to fix up. Considering webuyhouseasis . Anyone use them?

2 comments