estate sale - round two! An awesome rare Kohler monkey toy + Estate sale DRAMA

[Kevlardini]

So the last time I went to this sale, I found the 1921 portable Victrola. The house was packed last time, and they ended up having a second installment today, with more stuff that wasn't out last time. In the pictures online, I saw this vintage tin and plastic monkey on a wheel. That would be awesome I thought. However it always either turns out to be too expensive, or someone gets it before me. So, numbers were handed out, and right as I was abut to get my number, this woman comes running up, "Wait wait! Actually, I should get that number 'cuz I was here FIRST!"
"No you weren't" said another guy. "I was here first, since 4:30!" But she pushed her way through and got one number ahead of me. Ehhh, you know, not that big a deal. Little did I know there was more to come. It was almost 9:00, and another woman comes up and says "Oh, I was in the car and didn't know I had to get a number, but I'm with this guy." (Yeah right, your with the guy who got #4 and you have no idea how these sales work?) Believe it or not, she cuts right in! But then it's 9:00 and I go in, AND THERE IT IS!!!! The monkey. And it's only $35!!! Totally made my day! I make my way down to the basement and find a shelf of old mason jars with zinc lids. I'm looking through them and, Lo and behold, look who walks up. That same woman who "didn't know you had to get a number." "I'm buying all the jars she says" "Well I've been looking through these for a few minutes, so you really can't just-" "I"M BUYING these jars. I don't even know why we are having this conversation" LADY PUH-LEEEEASE! give me a break I thought. I ended up taking the good jars, including two zinc mason top jars and some blue jars. Just to make it clear, she hadn't put a hold or anything on these jars. She just walked in and assumed the whole shelf could be hers, regardless. But anyways, it was a good day, got some awesome stuff!

 

[Jayers]

If you like drama, and don't like paying a ticket for the movies or watching TV, estate sales are the place to be, especially early on the first day. I haven't seen as much as my wife (who will stakeout a sale at 530am to get what she wants), but I just had somebody literally take something off of my buy reserve pile. I had placed a latchhook rug Owl kit along with a couple of Costco stools, sat it right on top of one of the chairs. In this area, that's standard procedure, and the companies have spaces to put your piles while you continue shopping. So later I go to checkout, a lady in front is talking up the cashier, buying her stuff. I was ignoring her, looking back over other items at the jewelry table. She leaves and I look over and realize my rug kit is gone! She had bought it and the cashiers didn't notice she took it off my pile. It wasn't an item I was going to make much money on but still, that's amateur BS, for both the company and the customer.

Wife, on the other hand, has witnessed fist fights on the porch, with the cops called. Apparently it was like an Old West movie, where they went over the railing into the bushes below! The last time she went early she got there first and was the one handing out the numbers. Dude shows up a little later, slightly angry that he wasn't first. He was there in fact to get the very thing my wife was there for, which was a in-mint-condition Fantasia fiber optic lamp. He spends the next couple of hours til the sale opens trying to convince her that it's not really worth all that much. She got the lamp.

 

[Beans]

I used to be a Surveyor so I like the Surveyors tape. I ignore all the drama at the Estate sales. If there is a long line I will go back later. However if someone says something is thiers and they are just saying that because I spotted it first . I won't let them know I heard them I just pick it up and carry it. I may or may not buy it but it fun to watch them watch me to see if I will buy the item or put it back.

 

[Kevlardini]

Aww that's too bad. I find you have to guard your items like your life depends on it, or someone is surely to come along and take it. Usually they put blue tape over it too to show it's sold. That is one heck of a story though, over the deck into the bush! I have yet to see something that extreme. One company I used to frequently go to a lot became the breeding ground for overly competitive buyers. I mean, first off, you get to the sale maybe at 7:00 and you get #50 because there were guys who got there at the crack of dawn and started a list! Then this one in particular, they let everyone into the yard at the same time. It was a stampede, followed by "HEY THOSE BIKE PARTS ARE MINE!" The workers had to back away as the people flooded into the house. I mean, it sure is one great way for free entertainment!

 

[Kevlardini]

I used to be a Surveyor so I like the Surveyors tape. I ignore all the drama at the Estate sales. If there is a long line I will go back later. However if someone says something is thiers and they are just saying that because I spotted it first . I won't let them know I heard them I just pick it up and carry it. I may or may not buy it but it fun to watch them watch me to see if I will buy the item or put it back.

Thanks! I like it too, and for the price, I couldn't go wrong. And yes, I agree, it can be a bit fun to watch those people who think they're such hot stuff get pissed over losing an item.
Don't get me wrong though, I meet a lot of very nice and generous people at estate sales!

 

[billjustbill]

I used to be a Surveyor so I like the Surveyors tape. I ignore all the drama at the Estate sales. If there is a long line I will go back later. However if someone says something is thiers and they are just saying that because I spotted it first . I won't let them know I heard them I just pick it up and carry it. I may or may not buy it but it fun to watch them watch me to see if I will buy the item or put it back.

An owner of an Estate sale company was sitting at the cash box and card table. It was the second of two days and prices were half of the opening day. Since the checkout pace had slowed down the Sale company owner began to tell a story about two fellows. He said, "I've done a lot of these sales and I've seen a lot of people do some Damn weird things..."

One buyer got there early on the first day and got an item the second guy wanted. The good guy walked behind the first guy for the most part of an hour. Finally, he just gave up and went looking for other things. As the good guy checked out, he asked the sale owner what the item sold for. The owner said it never came through the checkout line even though he had seen the first guy carrying it...for awhile...but later wearing a T-shirt and blue jeans, he'd left out the door without buying anything. It struck him rather odd.

Since the first guy hadn't yet returned on the second day of the sale, the owner and the good buyer who came back began to just look around the house for the item. It became a Treasure Hunt, of sorts. After the two of them spent half an hour looking for it, the good buyer called out to the sale owner. "Here...Right Here is it!"

To get the item at half price, the first buyer had stuffed the item in a top cabinet above the cook stove. There, hidden in behind the vertical metal vent hood ducting was whatever the item was.

The sales owner said he told the good buyer, "It is the second day. You did find it. It's yours if you want it. I want to see that guy's face when he tries to find it!!! "

 

[kcm]

Um, maybe somebody can help me out with this. I've never heard of Estate sales where they hand out numbers. Auctions, yes! Bidding numbers. But what the heck does it matter the order that someone gets there? Why are numbers "needed" for such sales?

 

[Beachkid23]

The best estate sale I went to there was a guy and a lady fighting over three jewelry boxes. They are yelling and screaming at each other and she wanted one and he wanted all of them. so the guy told him to take it outside. He wasn't going to deal with it so they each took a jewelry box and left one sit on the counter. I looked around and there was no one else around so I picked up the third box went up to the cashier and ask her how much. She said you were a very nice polite you can have it for five dollars. Walked out the door and waved to the two that were fighting. Said have a good day! Absolutely stupid.

 

[trdhrdr007]

Um, maybe somebody can help me out with this. I've never heard of Estate sales where they hand out numbers. Auctions, yes! Bidding numbers. But what the heck does it matter the order that someone gets there? Why are numbers "needed" for such sales?

The order you arrive is the order you get in the door. That's important to anyone that buys for resale. Not so much for retail buyers. May not seem critical but the truth is the best deals are in someone's hand within 5 minutes of the doors opening. On top of that some sales they limit the number of people allowed in the house at one time. If you miss the cut off you might as well go home.

 

[bigcaddy64]

Um, maybe somebody can help me out with this. I've never heard of Estate sales where they hand out numbers. Auctions, yes! Bidding numbers. But what the heck does it matter the order that someone gets there? Why are numbers "needed" for such sales?

When 50+ people are waiting to get inside a sale, having an estate company issued "number" keeps people from arriving 5 minutes before the start and trying to walk in the door. I've seen it attempted many times by all types. When you arrive at the sale early, numbers are issued on the spot or off the list the company sets out. If you didn't get a number early, you are not getting in!

 

[kcm]

trdhrdr007 wrote, "The order you arrive is the order you get in the door. That's important to anyone that buys for resale. Not so much for retail buyers. May not seem critical but the truth is the best deals are in someone's hand within 5 minutes of the doors opening. On top of that some sales they limit the number of people allowed in the house at one time. If you miss the cut off you might as well go home."

bigcaddy64 wrote, "When 50+ people are waiting to get inside a sale, having an estate company issued "number" keeps people from arriving 5 minutes before the start and trying to walk in the door. I've seen it attempted many times by all types. When you arrive at the sale early, numbers are issued on the spot or off the list the company sets out. If you didn't get a number early, you are not getting in! "

Wow, had never heard of such a thing before! ...Then again, we live in one of the sparsest-populated areas in the lower 48!

Shops in this area put out new 'stuff' every time things slow down a bit. Not a lot of need for folks to be first in line - there's always more stuff to buy later on. At least now we know why there are sometimes such horribly rude people in these stores. Is getting somewhat that way in the grocery stores as well, even though there is plenty to go around. Guess the "Little House on the Prairie" days are gone for good!

 

[bigcaddy64]

I've been to sales in other states and can say i've seen both huge lines at some and a handful of people waiting at others. I mostly do sales in the Los Angeles area where competition is past fierce due to the population density/age of cities. There are people in line waiting to buy gold, costume jewelry, records, radio gear, vintage audio, mid century furniture, tools, artwork, movie memorabilia, cameras and much more. Its all here and usually in large quantities but the best stuff goes fast.

The only upside to there being so many sales to choose from with vast quantities of stuff is that people can really specialize. I don't need to worry if they are going to buy an item i want, as long as we don't want the same thing. The record buying guy isn't going to run into the garage and buy what i want and pass up the records.

 

[GibH]

Wow, had never heard of such a thing before! ...Then again, we live in one of the sparsest-populated areas in the lower 48!

Shops in this area put out new 'stuff' every time things slow down a bit. Not a lot of need for folks to be first in line - there's always more stuff to buy later on. At least now we know why there are sometimes such horribly rude people in these stores. Is getting somewhat that way in the grocery stores as well, even though there is plenty to go around. Guess the "Little House on the Prairie" days are gone for good!

They are talking about estate sales, not thrift stores.

 

[kcm]

They are talking about estate sales, not thrift stores.

I was referring to both. Here, they're both the same - just like going to the grocery store or Wal-Mart.

 

[MRBeyer]

This last weekend when I ran my Uncle's estate I had one guy show up early and just start going through the stuff while I am walking up to take the tarps off. I called him to me, walked him back to the side and told him to wait until everything was uncovered. The kid of the family at the next stall was keeping an eye on things while his parents went for another load. She goes ballistic on the poor kid about prices and then she storms off. An hour later what she was complaining about was sold and the customers were happy. I pointed her out to the other venders and we kinda let it be known we weren't tolerating that behavior at our booths so she left.