What Treasures Can You Find at Garage Sales for Under $30?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the treasures and bargains that can be found at garage sales, yard sales, and estate sales, with participants sharing their personal experiences and finds. The scope includes anecdotal accounts of items purchased, the value of second-hand goods, and the excitement of searching for hidden gems.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant shares a detailed account of their recent garage sale finds, including sheets, shirts, and a coffee grinder, totaling $26.40.
  • Another participant mentions a local business that buys items from insurance claims, highlighting valuable finds like an electric guitar and a tripod.
  • Some participants express skepticism about the quality of items typically found at garage sales, with one noting that valuable items often appear as "old lady junk."
  • There are discussions about the nature of estate sales, with participants explaining the process and the potential for valuable items being sold.
  • Several participants express interest in finding specific items, such as guitars, and share their past experiences with successful purchases.
  • One participant describes a silver book page holder they bought for 50 cents, which turned out to be silver after cleaning.
  • Another participant recounts a valuable vase they purchased for $3, which was later appraised at a much higher value.
  • There is a mention of the excitement and anticipation surrounding upcoming yard sales, with participants looking forward to both selling and buying items.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share a common interest in finding valuable items at garage and estate sales, but there is disagreement regarding the perceived value and quality of items typically available. Some express enthusiasm for the hunt, while others remain skeptical about the potential finds.

Contextual Notes

Participants' experiences and valuations of items vary widely, and there are differing opinions on what constitutes a valuable find. The discussion reflects a range of personal anecdotes and subjective assessments of worth.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in thrift shopping, garage sales, and estate sales, as well as those looking to share or learn about valuable finds in second-hand markets.

rewebster
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Garage/yard sale finds!

Do you go garage sailing? Rummage at rummage sales? yard sales?


I just got five new sets of (full) sheets (three flannel sets) all with the pillow cases, six flannel shirts (five with the tags)---(I like flannel), a new coffee grinder in the box, and about twenty five assorted towels-some sets- (but I bought them and use them for cleaning, etc.) and a large vintage table cloth and matching napkins for ---drum roll, please-----







$26.40
 
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Congrats on the bargain... I guess you'll only have to do laundry four times a year now!
 
There is a business locally that specializes in buying stuff from insurance claims. I have bought a really wonderful electric guitar (worth over $400 at least) for $100, a Gitzo tripod that sells for $400-500 for $75, and a wonderful front -surface silvered mirror from an otpometrist's office for $5.
 
Second hand sheets :eek: *faints*
 
That's awesome, and for such a good deal...amaizing

We are getting ready for yard sales, like next week. So excited, I get to get rid of all my junk and people think they are getting treasures, lol :smile: I have a few things I'm looking for too
 
Kurdt said:
Second hand sheets :eek: *faints*

brand new--


a really really old couple (about 50 to 55 y.o.)----they went from full to queen
 
rewebster said:
brand new--


a really really old couple (about 50 to 55 y.o.)

:smile: really, really old :smile:
 
turbo-1 said:
There is a business locally that specializes in buying stuff from insurance claims. I have bought a really wonderful electric guitar (worth over $400 at least) for $100, a Gitzo tripod that sells for $400-500 for $75, and a wonderful front -surface silvered mirror from an otpometrist's office for $5.

boy, that sounds great----I thought they did that only for telescopes---It must have a totally different look NOT having to be reflected through the glass twice ('It' -I mean the reflection)--I bet that puppy was expensive new.
 
I don't go to yard sales but occasionally I find interesting things left by the dumpsters at the apartment complexs I work at. My co-worker got in trouble for taking some chairs once though. Fortunately I just look at the novels and textbooks that people are throwing out.
 
  • #10


rewebster said:
boy, that sounds great----I thought they did that only for telescopes---It must have a totally different look NOT having to be reflected through the glass twice ('It' -I mean the reflection)--I bet that puppy was expensive new.
The build them that way for optometrists and ophthalmologists so that when you're looking at the mirror seeing a reflection of a chart, distortion is minimized. I used mine to build a nice accessory for my binoculars - a mount above (and slightly to the rear) of the mirror holds my binoculars so that I can sit comfortably at a picnic table and star-gaze while looking downward, like through a microscope. No more kinked neck when looking at objects high in the sky.
 
  • #11


I don't do garage sales. None that I stop at ever have anything that nice. It's usually pretty much the old junk you'd expect at a garage sale. I probably would completely overlook something valuable because most of that really valuable old stuff just looks like old lady junk to me.
 
  • #12


rewebster said:
I was thinking, --you've never stayed in a motel or hotel?

Why would I have ever done that? :confused:
 
  • #13


Moonbear said:
I don't do garage sales. None that I stop at ever have anything that nice. It's usually pretty much the old junk you'd expect at a garage sale. I probably would completely overlook something valuable because most of that really valuable old stuff just looks like old lady junk to me.
Some of the old glass (especially from Mount Washington and Sandwich glass works) is very valuable. Mount Washington's pieces are generally quite decorative and are more complex in implementation than Sandwich, which tends to be molded in colors (transparent red, blue, yellow, green, etc). Much of the Sandwich glass is clunky-looking with mold-marks etc, and you'd walk right by it - missing perhaps thousands of dollars in the process. My wife and I went to an antiques group-shop quite a few years back and I saw a tiny vase priced at $3. I picked it up and she asked why I wanted it - I said I'd tell her later. It was a hand-blown vase with an acid-etched surface. The color (top to bottom) went from clear to peach and back to peach, and the pontil (bottom surface) was un-polished. I showed it to a glass expert a few weeks later and he appraised it at $250-300. It is a high-quality piece and the modest price reflects the fact that the vase is unsigned.
 
  • #14


That vase reminds me of a triffid.
 
  • #15


I'm on the look out for guitars. I have guitars, ranging from ok to very good (my baby is a Gibson SG Faded), but there's always the chance that someone will sell a good one cheap because they don't know the value. For example, I know a guy who bought a very good bass guitar for cheap because one of the strings was broken and the people selling it didn't know you can replace them.
 
  • #16


turbo-1 said:
There is a business locally that specializes in buying stuff from insurance claims. I have bought a really wonderful electric guitar (worth over $400 at least) for $100, a Gitzo tripod that sells for $400-500 for $75, and a wonderful front -surface silvered mirror from an otpometrist's office for $5.

How could I find such a business in my area? Have any of you gone to an estate sale?
 
  • #17


GCT said:
How could I find such a business in my area? Have any of you gone to an estate sale?
You could do a search on the words "surplus" and/or "salvage" or perhaps contact a commercial insurer to see who they deal with when a store is damaged by flood or fire and they have to liquidate inventory after paying the claim.
 
  • #18


GCT said:
How could I find such a business in my area? Have any of you gone to an estate sale?

it depends on 'what' you're 'looking for' on where you should go---

House auctions, estate sales, garage sales, state surplus auctions, etc.


What are you looking for? (do you have a specialized area of interest?)
 
  • #19


I don't even know what an estate sale is. I think it is when the people of the residence die and their stuff is carted off, by others for a fee of course.

I bought a book page holder for 50 cents. It was tarnished but after rubbing it with a cloth, I found that it was silver. It is quite weighty for it's size. I'll post a pic if I get the chance.

edit: I think I lost it/ it's somewhere around.
 
  • #20


It used to be 'just' that---(when a person died)---'estate' sales are sometimes called 'tag' sales. An estate (the property of someone) was 'tagged' (price tagged) in the person's home by an estate liquidator (usually an antique dealer), and the selling of the items would be on a first come first serve basis starting at a given time and day.

People would (will) line up (early, sometimes the day before if the sale has a lot of 'good' items) to be first in line to be able to have first choice as usually only a certain number of people would be allowed in (depending on how many people could fit comfortably in the house---they are also called 'house sales').

As people leave, then other people could be let in. A lot of times, on the last day of the sale (usually for the last hours of the sale), items would be marked down, or offers taken for the remaining stuff.
 
  • #21


I WISH I could find a nice guitar at a garage sale...

My garage/yard sale, thrift store (yeah, I'll include it, bite me) finds:
1986 Yamaha Razz that we were able to score for $10.
45 LBS Bear recurve bow, for $7 which would be easily $200+ new
Hmm, surely other stuff, just can't think of any now.
 
  • #22


My best guitar find was a sunburst Epiphone Les Paul for $100. It was covered in smoky residue with dead strings, and when I plucked the strings, I could feel the body resonating. That was a killer. Best guitar for Duane Allman slide. Second-best was a Fender Esprit that I bought for $300 - look up the Robben Ford custom model and see if you would pay that. His original guitar was an esprit with aftermarket pickups - easy upgrade. My best amp buy was from an old fellow who was moving to Florida with his wife. It was a cherry, almost mint black-face '65 Fender Champ for $100. What a little screamer.

BTW, I'm not just pushing some of the cheaper instruments I have found in the belief that the quality could be consistently good. I earned my way through college playing frat parties and horse-trading guitars and amps. One time, before the vintage guitar craze took off, I traded a '59 Strat for a new '70 Gibson Les Paul Custom and $300. I thought I got a pretty good deal until I tried playing the LP at a frat party and my fingers got sweaty. The LPC "fretless wonder" was crap if you were trying to play deep bluesy bends with sweaty fingers and kept missing the bends. Ditched that and started playing a Tele.
 
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  • #23


rewebster said:
It used to be 'just' that---(when a person died)---'estate' sales are sometimes called 'tag' sales. An estate (the property of someone) was 'tagged' (price tagged) in the person's home by an estate liquidator (usually an antique dealer), and the selling of the items would be on a first come first serve basis starting at a given time and day.

People would (will) line up (early, sometimes the day before if the sale has a lot of 'good' items) to be first in line to be able to have first choice as usually only a certain number of people would be allowed in (depending on how many people could fit comfortably in the house---they are also called 'house sales').

As people leave, then other people could be let in. A lot of times, on the last day of the sale (usually for the last hours of the sale), items would be marked down, or offers taken for the remaining stuff.

I'm confused. Why would the things be marked for a monetary value when a person dies?
Is it because the person has no will?
 
  • #24


~christina~ said:
I'm confused. Why would the things be marked for a monetary value when a person dies?
Is it because the person has no will?
Instead of making detailed wills, when some people reached old age, they engaged in estate planning. In essence, their homes, property, belongings (aside from things that they wanted to specifically give to others) were auctioned off and the proceeds could be divided among the family, or perhaps be donated to a school to provide seed money for a scholarship. It's quite common.
 
  • #25


rewebster said:
it depends on 'what' you're 'looking for' on where you should go---

House auctions, estate sales, garage sales, state surplus auctions, etc.


What are you looking for? (do you have a specialized area of interest?)

Nothing specifc , just seeking great deals ; especially with respect to the more expensive items such as cars furniture technological items e.g. HDTVs etc...
 
  • #26


GCT said:
Nothing specific , just seeking great deals ; especially with respect to the more expensive items such as cars furniture technological items e.g. HDTVs etc...

If its the 'new' stuff, you may have a harder time---Everyone wants that stuff (and everyone generally knows more about the 'new' stuff)---Absolute auctions, bankruptcy sales, some one you know about that 'has to get rid of it', by chance (because, no one else is there)--those type of circumstances for getting those types of items