Estate sales can be excellent places to find truly unique items either for a loved one or your own home. Heritage Estate Settlement has been in the estate sale business for over 15 years. As estate sale planners, we also know a thing or two about estate sale shopping in Milwaukee. Whether you are a seasoned estate sale shopper or have never been to one before and have no idea where to start, this blog will provide you with some tips for getting the most out of an estate sale shopping experience.
Shop for Specific Categories of Items
While you might find an abundance of curiosities at any given estate sale, there are a few categories of items that are more commonly found at estate sales and tend to be most fruitful in terms of their likely value and utility. The top items to look for at an estate sale include furniture, tools, vintage toys, flatware, and original artwork. These are all items that, on average, are worth more than other commodities available at most estate sales.
Art is a particularly promising category to shop for at any given estate sale for a few reasons. Of course, you might stumble across a rare or beautiful piece for much below its market value. You may also find some high-quality prints of famous works. But, be sure to also pay attention to frames. As you may know, professional framing is costly, but at most estate sales you will find very reasonably-priced framed items. Whether you are looking for artwork or frames to recycle, you are sure to go home with something beautiful and useful.
Bring the Right Things Along
When heading to an estate sale, you might be tempted to focus solely on the things you could bring back home with you. But, it is helpful to properly plan your experience by choosing the right things to bring along to the estate sale. First, bring a few different types of money, including cash and credit cards, as you may not know in advance what forms of payment will be accepted. Being prepared will prevent you from scrambling around the neighborhood for an ATM! Secondly, plan what you wear so you will be able to browse the estate comfortably, even if it happens to be on the dusty side (so maybe don’t wear your Sunday finest!). Finally, do not forget to bring your own sturdy bags if you plan on possibly picking up smaller items and want to safely transport them.
Be Polite About Haggling
While negotiating a price might be welcome in some estate sale settings, it is important to approach the haggling process politely. The best approach is to simply ask if the price of an item is negotiable before saying anything like “I’ll give you 20 bucks for this.” Remember that estate sales are either run by people who have some sort of connection to the items for sale (either because they are their own or belonged to a loved one) or by professionals who have expertise in appropriately pricing a variety of items. In short, be mindful of your circumstances that often accompany an estate sale, as opposed to treating it like a garage sale.
Contact Heritage Estate Settlement With All Your Estate Sale Shopping Questions
To further inquire about all things related to estate sale shopping, contact Heritage Estate Settlement. And if you are looking to arrange an estate sale yourself, we offer full estate sale services to assist you.