Memoires of an Estate Sale Rookie

<div style="text-align: center;">So, I think we can all agree that I did pretty well for myself at my first ever estate sale. If you saw my post yesterday, you know that I scored a <a href="http://tiffanyleighinteriordesign.blogspot.ca/2013/04/my-new-area-rug-obsession.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">fabulous new Elte area rug</span></a> at a ridiculously low price.<br />I actually had so much fun hitting up the sale on my own, but I learned a few important lessons for next time.<br /><br /><b>1) If you want to get the good stuff, get there early. </b><br />This is probably pretty obvious, but for me, I had no idea how many people show up to these things!<br />They started handing out tickets at 10am for the noon sale, and I showed up around 11:15.<br />Plenty early...or so I thought! Little did I know that people came at ten, got their ticket, and left to come back when doors opened. When they announced that they were starting entry at ticket 770, I was shocked to see I was way down at 856!<br />By the time I got in, most of the key pieces that had drawn me to the sale in the ad were already sold:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XHy6itJ7CQnaSWXzrqeqKhK5QnHUT-xeWf3zHqdrtWikNfWcDk7xy2ZsSQjA0SjF8w06_qLtMT64UeygCbUM0BtrsNqpZEzzHqXRGkpK2-l4LLqmhxNLHfd2opy1lhZ0rWk_WMhjKuM/s1600/Slide3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XHy6itJ7CQnaSWXzrqeqKhK5QnHUT-xeWf3zHqdrtWikNfWcDk7xy2ZsSQjA0SjF8w06_qLtMT64UeygCbUM0BtrsNqpZEzzHqXRGkpK2-l4LLqmhxNLHfd2opy1lhZ0rWk_WMhjKuM/s640/Slide3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>faux bamboo tables in brass - SOLD before I got to them<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1Nejdi_Asf520hO4bra1WIQdFtVki6OpvLci0scmR87wYHZlxIJptWDAl9XREOYQreBEDOicIHd8AhQ15FXOnUTN1Lk_P4FGArZOlxZEN081NnBmFddiNMYdg8PfrfS9bRs8toONmho/s1600/Slide2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU1Nejdi_Asf520hO4bra1WIQdFtVki6OpvLci0scmR87wYHZlxIJptWDAl9XREOYQreBEDOicIHd8AhQ15FXOnUTN1Lk_P4FGArZOlxZEN081NnBmFddiNMYdg8PfrfS9bRs8toONmho/s400/Slide2.JPG" width="211" /></a></div>pair of these fab bamboo chairs (wouldn't they have looked great as head chairs with <a href="http://tiffanyleighinteriordesign.blogspot.ca/2013/01/craigslist-purchase-chippendale-chairs.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">my four simpler bamboo chairs</span></a>?!) SOLD before I got to 'em.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68qAObJ5jir32Rn8Dp0-saYBTWc5gWDKRSV9VaZ4Evqb9Myk3z7nWshaNGc8vjxdjxv8xWwV0y5nlImLu9mRLed3WTKfDeElbbiyytWmCgwgaU8RidbidFcb88ah6yItuVcBdSmH8Ku4/s1600/Slide4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj68qAObJ5jir32Rn8Dp0-saYBTWc5gWDKRSV9VaZ4Evqb9Myk3z7nWshaNGc8vjxdjxv8xWwV0y5nlImLu9mRLed3WTKfDeElbbiyytWmCgwgaU8RidbidFcb88ah6yItuVcBdSmH8Ku4/s640/Slide4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Gorgeous pie crust table that reminds me of this one from one of my <a href="http://tiffanyleighinteriordesign.blogspot.ca/2013/01/yellow-and-grey-toile-plate.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">fave rooms ever</span></a>?:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsE-1_5NCRTQL06BhMiHRA8GqBUuYKV8PTho5k17TMvlmTwzh0u7jvLVrbcOeVs3Oa6dHZRRJqmbTs5houdUl4XrjFPUt2ruf-GNE5zeCvOpJA4sfBuLvWdmdxw3r53Tjg4sSZmYnzstM/s1600/Christine+Hanlon+living+room+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.styleathome.com/homes/interiors/interior-sunny-living-and-dining-room/a/35938">via Style at Home</a></td></tr></tbody></table>You guessed it...SOLD.<br /><br />The worst thing about all of these things being sold is I couldn't even see the price they were sold at! Maybe they were above my budget, which would have eased my mind, but now I will wonder forever!<br /><br /><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I did see the price of this campaign desk as they were switching it for the 'sold' sign. It was a good price but out of my budget, so see, I feel better about it not being mine:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IDQemTmyBisu0el9NLO33X8x2PGOFWXjcdEpkQHjU-8yZudUDZLvIuj35BbxkaAHqqdYV3Xveq8g7b1cOR40Xud7QccxiG-zOoB0pDHRxrEFPeZDn0wjADJDGbeVe5xAtDPeXTRXmcg/s1600/Slide1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6IDQemTmyBisu0el9NLO33X8x2PGOFWXjcdEpkQHjU-8yZudUDZLvIuj35BbxkaAHqqdYV3Xveq8g7b1cOR40Xud7QccxiG-zOoB0pDHRxrEFPeZDn0wjADJDGbeVe5xAtDPeXTRXmcg/s640/Slide1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Except when I see a very similar desk in <a href="http://horchata-jessieleigh.blogspot.ca/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Jessie</span></a>'s bedroom looking fab, then I feel bad all over again:<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMF4JhcQJOrfSd7EAZXRPxHzESxADMZo5llKHadtyd3bfBAP-hgcL8JmHQpqN7hZ7k34hhJUd1Fo8qGDJiMNNNiYRUIH_YQC1u1tS7qDjMCcfWlIwD4Pbbah4mwqIlFEB_0DFy9mYaHY/s1600/the+long+and+shot.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZMF4JhcQJOrfSd7EAZXRPxHzESxADMZo5llKHadtyd3bfBAP-hgcL8JmHQpqN7hZ7k34hhJUd1Fo8qGDJiMNNNiYRUIH_YQC1u1tS7qDjMCcfWlIwD4Pbbah4mwqIlFEB_0DFy9mYaHY/s1600/the+long+and+shot.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://6thstreetdesignschool.blogspot.ca/2013/03/feature-friday-long-and-short-of-it.html">via 6th Street Design School</a></td></tr></tbody></table>I think the only reason my rug didn't get scooped up yet is because there were so many beautiful furniture pieces, people were forgot to look down! I almost did too!<br /><br /><b>2) Expect Some Competition</b><br />I seriously felt a little bit like I was on Storage Wars when I first arrived. While there is no bidding, competition is fierce and there are definitely some pros. People were running through the house, there was some jostling, and I overheard some debates over who saw what first! Also, everyone seemed to know each other! I got called "the new girl" and "fresh competition" and overheard more than one person saying "I haven't seen <i>her</i> before". For the most part though, people were very friendly. A big thanks to the man who guarded my rug while I pulled up my car and then helped me load it!<br /><br /><b>3) Have a Budget</b><br />The sale I went to was professionally organized, meaning that most of the items were photographed in the ad. I wrote down on a piece of paper the things I was interested in and what I was willing to spend on them. I had pre-budgeted $250 for my rug, so $95 was a no-brainer! Bring only as much cash as you want to spend!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-wFywoIUgzfwaSXBlbBX1XCrx53QtsfQHv6KBWph4lvgpM7OYCqapcibWZL7aIl6R17TIOBfUhTo98z9u8-6T5b7xVJ1XDTItWqKHwdw4rZdGuZmxqC7jgxUDnYw_ps5xuoOZNzoVEo/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-wFywoIUgzfwaSXBlbBX1XCrx53QtsfQHv6KBWph4lvgpM7OYCqapcibWZL7aIl6R17TIOBfUhTo98z9u8-6T5b7xVJ1XDTItWqKHwdw4rZdGuZmxqC7jgxUDnYw_ps5xuoOZNzoVEo/s640/029.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> For more great advice, consult this <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/all-about-estat-126947"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Apartment Therapy Article</span></a>. <br />I will definitely be hitting up more sales in the future. Have you ever been to an estate sale?!<br /><a href="http://s1254.photobucket.com/albums/hh609/tiffanyleighinteriordesign/?action=view&current=Tiffany-27.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i1254.photobucket.com/albums/hh609/tiffanyleighinteriordesign/Tiffany-27.jpg" /></a></div>

Memoires of an Estate Sale Rookie

So, I think we can all agree that I did pretty well for myself at my first ever estate sale. If you saw my post yesterday, you know that I s...

Read more »