Lesson for the new guys: Get it secured!!!

[clovis97]

Here is a lesson for the new pickers that might be on our board:

If you are out picking and see an item that you might be interested in, go ahead and physically pick up the item, and put it in your cart, take it to the check out counter for holding...or whatever.

I can't tell you how many times I've looked at an item, especially at a train show, set it down, and within 5 minutes, someone has already bought that item. Recently, at an indoor flea market, I missed a hot selling model kit at a flea market for $10. That kit would have brought $60 to $85 on ebay, but I stupidly walked away from it for 10 minutes "until I come back to get it."

Today, listening to my own advice has paid off in spades:

We have booth space at a swanky antique mall in the big city. We never have time to walk the place when we go to restock, but I always check out one particular booth. The woman that has that booth has a style and flair that I just love. If I ever hit it big, I am going to hire her to decorate my house. We also joke to ourselves that "booth 487 is slowly redecorating our house, one piece at a time."

Well, today, I walked into her booth, and couldn't believe my eyes. She had an item that has been hot on ebay for years. You don't see them every day, and when you do see them, the sellers want $400+. These items aren't marked with a model number...you just got to know them when you see them.

I simply couldn't believe that this seller missed this item. She had it marked $47.50. It appeared to be too good to be true. Even as I type this, I can't believe that she didn't know the market value of this item.

My gut reaction was to let the item sit until we got done restocking. The place was dead, with very few shoppers, but that little voice in the back of my head said "pick it up now!!!", so I did.

As we got done restocking our own booth, a guy walks up to us, in a frantic state, sees the item on our cart and says "Hey, I want to buy that." He was followed by another guy, who looked pretty ticked. We chatted for a minute, and I told him that it was as good as sold. I prodded him for a bit, wanting him to confirm the model and the value, which he did. He claimed to collect items by that manufacturer, which I interpreted as "I collect that stuff, and sell it on ebay when I get home."

Anyway, I asked for a 10% discount at the front counter, since I was paying cash, which brought my total to 45.70, including tax.

I have to make sure that it works perfectly. If so, I'll list it for $450ish. I'm not into counting chickens before they hatch, but I am happy with this buy!!!

If you see an item that you like, get that sucker secured as quickly as you can. It doesn't matter if it is an old model kit, a kid's Carhartt coat for your nephew, or a post war Lionel engine...get that thing in your possession. You can always change your mind before you check out of the mall or indoor flea market.

 

[silverdollarbill]

What was the item?

 

[BosnMate]

What was the item?

Yeah!

 

[clovis97]

I was hoping you all wouldn't have asked. I should have known better, LOL.

There are at least two other people on this forum from my area.

I quit sharing my picks, at least for the most part, a few years ago, when someone who lives less than 12 miles from me started posting on the GS forum....about his awesome buys at my favorite honey hole.

He and I were at the same sale, at the very same time, buying different stuff. I just about fell out of my chair when I put two and two together. I still don't know exactly who he is in real life.

Dumb? Yeah, maybe. Maybe not. I still have a few picks up my sleeve that not everyone knows about. I don't think that guy even posts here any more, but it was an eye opener for me. At the same time, I am also a little afraid as being labeled the new "college", LOL. I am still happy to share the one-offs (stuff that is so rare that I doubt I'll ever find another) that does well.

At any rate, it is a sewing machine, of sorts.

 

[jerseyben]

I was hoping you all wouldn't have asked. I should have known better, LOL.

There are at least two other people on this forum from my area.

I quit sharing my picks, at least for the most part, a few years ago, when someone who lives less than 12 miles from me started posting on the GS forum....about his awesome buys at my favorite honey hole.

He and I were at the same sale, at the very same time, buying different stuff. I just about fell out of my chair when I put two and two together. I still don't know exactly who he is in real life.

Dumb? Yeah, maybe. Maybe not. I still have a few picks up my sleeve that not everyone knows about. I don't think that guy even posts here any more, but it was an eye opener for me. At the same time, I am also a little afraid as being labeled the new "college", LOL. I am still happy to share the one-offs (stuff that is so rare that I doubt I'll ever find another) that does well.

At any rate, it is a sewing machine, of sorts.

I LOL'ed.

 

[bdsawyer]

I have at times regretted posting my finds the few times I have done it. I really just want to be involved in the forum and be able to learn from others. It's such a different network of people that are involved in this business. Some truly amazing people and some that are so competitive they are upset when you find something they didn't.

I would love to share my finds and read about everyone's amazing finds. But being it is so competitive, I just keep it to myself for the most part. Others must feel the same way I'm sure.

Clovis, great advice on picking the item up right away. I have been burned a few times at estate sales. There are always those sales I reminisce about and only wish I could go back and buy everything. I had a sale like that last summer where I kick myself for not buying everything.

 

[jerseyben]

Once at an estate sale, I spied a high end Sansui receiver. I asked the sale rep how much. He left to go find out a price. I went into another room to view the remaining items. When I went back to the receiver, I witnessed a man paying for it and unhooking it. I asked what was going on and I was told that the dude just bought and paid for it. I asked what about me and explained that I was waiting for the other sales rep to give me a price. They basically said "oh well"...

 

[clovis97]

Once at an estate sale, I spied a high end Sansui receiver. I asked the sale rep how much. He left to go find out a price. I went into another room to view the remaining items. When I went back to the receiver, I witnessed a man paying for it and unhooking it. I asked what was going on and I was told that the dude just bought and paid for it. I asked what about me and explained that I was waiting for he other sales rep to give me a price. They basically said "oh well"...

The exact same thing happened to me with a large lot of Post-86 Fiesta, except that I had already made a deal with the owner of the estate company, and had shaken hands on it. One of the employees sold the lot minutes later to someone else, while I was in the garage. they had the same attitude of "oh well..."

 

[CMan1]

Pick the item up don't think about it just do it.
Sometimes we all snooze and wake up to late.
Then you go back and its gone.
I love it when they ask are you looking for anything.
I only ask when there is no other pickers around.

 

[srcdco]

This is an interesting thread. Our Church has a huge sale every August and I help out in the electronics section. For several years, there's been a guy that comes in, grabs all the computers, boxes of cables, sewing machines, and several other items. He tries to make a pile then wants to make a deal on the whole thing, not paying the asking prices. I don't really have a problem with that. A couple of times, he's pulled an item out, not put it in his "pile" right away and then got pissed because we sold it to someone else. He even goes to complain to the guy in charge and is always told "the first one that pays gets the item". Money talks.

He solved that problem by joining the Church last year and now helps out himself. That means that he does get early dibs on items, but has to pay full price (there's no dealing with price prior to the sale).

Scott

 

[mugsisme]

At any rate, it is a sewing machine, of sorts.

Oohh, now I have GOT to know!!! Send me a PM, please I do NOT live in your area, and I do NOT do anything really other than jewelry and watches. The funny thing is, in my sewing group, there was a link to a Craigslist ad ... the guy had a treadle machine up for dirt cheap. Get this, he said it was broken because it was missing the plug!!! ROFL!! Please pm, OK? I'm just so curious.

 

[silverdollarbill]

I was hoping you all wouldn't have asked. I should have known better, LOL.

There are at least two other people on this forum from my area.

I quit sharing my picks, at least for the most part, a few years ago, when someone who lives less than 12 miles from me started posting on the GS forum....about his awesome buys at my favorite honey hole.

He and I were at the same sale, at the very same time, buying different stuff. I just about fell out of my chair when I put two and two together. I still don't know exactly who he is in real life.

Dumb? Yeah, maybe. Maybe not. I still have a few picks up my sleeve that not everyone knows about. I don't think that guy even posts here any more, but it was an eye opener for me. At the same time, I am also a little afraid as being labeled the new "college", LOL. I am still happy to share the one-offs (stuff that is so rare that I doubt I'll ever find another) that does well.

At any rate, it is a sewing machine, of sorts.

I hear what you are saying and have thought twice about posting before. It is very competitive were I live with a double digit number of "regulars". However, without people posting their finds, we do not have a forum. As it is, there is a core group of people here that do the bulk of the commenting. Digg by far provides the most useful information for almost any item you can imagine. When it comes to "recent finds" posts, beachkid is probably the most prolific. If either of these two or other garage sale hunting regulars were to adopt this thinking, this forum would not be what it is today.

There was a period of time that I thought my number one nemesis for jewelry hunting was someone on here. I saw him one day and asked him. He had no idea what I was talking about. He's an older guy and I suspect he is probably not on the interweb too much. No offense to the 'elders' on here....lol.

Anyway, I guess my point is: I think people posting here, sharing information, and making friends is worth the risk that someone on here may learn from you, be in your area, and pick something you were about to get.

 

[clovis97]

I hear what you are saying and have thought twice about posting before. It is very competitive were I live with a double digit number of "regulars". However, without people posting their finds, we do not have a forum. As it is, there is a core group of people here that do the bulk of the commenting. Digg by far provides the most useful information for almost any item you can imagine. When it comes to "recent finds" posts, beachkid is probably the most prolific. If either of these two or other garage sale hunting regulars were to adopt this thinking, this forum would not be what it is today.

There was a period of time that I thought my number one nemesis for jewelry hunting was someone on here. I saw him one day and asked him. He had no idea what I was talking about. He's an older guy and I suspect he is probably not on the interweb too much. No offense to the 'elders' on here....lol.

Anyway, I guess my point is: I think people posting here, sharing information, and making friends is worth the risk that someone on here may learn from you, be in your area, and pick something you were about to get.

You make some great points, and generally speaking, I agree with you.

Another side of the coin is that some stuff that is posted here is so rare that it is quite possible that another one of those won't show up for the next 20 years. Two examples that come to mind are the ultra-rare glass vase that inspectorgadget recently scored, and the WWII era Michelin guide that someone here sold for $2,500. The odds of any of us finding either of those two items is so low that you might as well play the lottery, or go to Vegas.

Honestly, even though I ebay and sell at indoor antique malls and flea markets as 100% of our income, I don't post my finds because it is so mundane. Is there anyone here that wants me to tell about the pile of long handled tools that I bought for $20 and sold for $80? (One time, I got crazy lucky a few years ago, and found a WPA shovel from the 1930's for $3, and popped it for $139, IIRC.)

I find that most people on this forum want to be dazzled about the big finds...not the little stuff. KWIM?

So, on that thought...I don't bother posting much, even though I have lots I would share. I just don't think the interest is out there about my boring finds. For instance, my wife found a HUGE stack of quilting patterns for $2 each. I think we spent about $130 on those, and if I were guessing, I'd say that we've netted about $800 on the lot, so far. We listed them at the top of the market, and listed each one individually. I bought a lot of 15 similar patterns for $1, and those have sold so quick that it would make your head spin. I'd say that we netted about $250 on those.

At the end of the day, we actually made some pretty good money. Invested about $130. Netted, after fees and costs, about $1050. But if I started a thread about those, it would drop to the bottom of the page in just a few days, with nary a read, nor a single 'like', whatsoever.

 

[silverdollarbill]

You make some great points, and generally speaking, I agree with you.

Another side of the coin is that some stuff that is posted here is so rare that it is quite possible that another one of those won't show up for the next 20 years. Two examples that come to mind are the ultra-rare glass vase that inspectorgadget recently scored, and the WWII era Michelin guide that someone here sold for $2,500. The odds of any of us finding either of those two items is so low that you might as well play the lottery, or go to Vegas.

Honestly, even though I ebay and sell at indoor antique malls and flea markets as 100% of our income, I don't post my finds because it is so mundane. Is there anyone here that wants me to tell about the pile of long handled tools that I bought for $20 and sold for $80? (One time, I got crazy lucky a few years ago, and found a WPA shovel from the 1930's for $3, and popped it for $139, IIRC.)

I find that most people on this forum want to be dazzled about the big finds...not the little stuff. KWIM?

Darn, my ploy to get you to tell us what you bought did not work!

All jokes aside...I hear you. I read all these posts and find almost anything interesting, but I definitely do not list my average finds.

Keep the tips and stories coming. I learned this lesson the hard way. A local historian was moving and wanted $60 for a very large (about 4ft long) and what appeared to be old cast iron mermaid. She wanted $60, I offered $50, and before I knew what happened the guy behind me had bought it. At the same time, another person working the sale was on the phone and 'sold' it to someone who saw it in the CL pic and called. Guy behind me wound up getting it. It was pretty chaotic for a bit...lol