Am I the only one who tells people to put stuff back at estate sales?

I had this one interaction last weekend at a sale in Tacoma that really stuck with me. A woman was pulling old Pyrex out of a box marked $5 each and she just kept stacking pieces in her arms like she was gonna buy the whole lot. I walked over and said, 'You know some of these are worth way more than that, right?' She looked at me funny and said, 'I just like the patterns, not trying to flip them.' Then she put three pieces back because she didn't actually need them all. I felt bad for saying something but also kind of respected her for not being greedy. So here is the debate: Should we point out when someone is buying something way under value or just mind our own business? What do you guys do when you see someone grabbing up all the good vintage stuff at a bargain price?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancy2752d ago

Flippers treat estate sales like a race to the bottom, so good on her for buying what she actually likes. Next time just let people load up their arms, what they do with the stuff after they buy it is their own business. Keeping quiet saves you the awkwardness and keeps the peace.

margaret_bennett32d ago

Have you tried just going up to people who are clearly buying for themselves and chatting with them before they check out? I used to get all worked up watching flippers grab stuff I knew someone else would love, but then I started talking to the buyers. Turns out, most people are happy to tell you what they're planning to do with their finds. One time I saw a woman loading up on vintage kitchen stuff, and I was so sure she was a flipper. I asked her about it, and she was actually starting a cooking club for kids in her neighborhood. She even offered me a discount on a few pieces she thought I'd like. It changed my whole view on just assuming what people are up to with their purchases.