Bargain Shopping Archives

Estate Sale Tips (and my latest finds)

February 6, 2019

I haven’t always loved shopping estate sales. In fact I really didn’t get into it until about 8 or 9 years ago. Prior to that, I thought the only thing you found at an estate sale was furniture and tools. Little did I know that estate sales are a treasure trove for all kinds of items including decor, tabletop items and vintage jewelry.

Several years ago I subscribed to EstateSales.net and their website changed the way I shop estate sales forever. EstateSales.net is national listing service were companies list upcoming sales. In addition to providing the when and where details, companies also give you a preview of the items in the sale. As a subscriber you can choose when to be notified about upcoming sales near you. And the sale listings include both in home and online auction sales.

Launching in 2002, EstateSales.net now gets over 30 million page views per month and is the best way to keep informed about sales in your area.

Beside the fact that you can find some amazing pieces at great price, there are several other reasons why I like shopping estate sales.

WHY I SHOP ESTATE SALES

Estate sales are a great source for vintage furniture. Just about every estate sale I attend has a drop-leaf table or two, upholstered ottomans as well as antique chairs and lighting. In most cases the pieces are good quality and just need a face lift with fabric, paint or refinishing.
I love a good bargain. Like I mentioned early, you can find some real treasures at rock bottom prices. If you’re furnishing your home or looking for items to re-sell, these sales are a great place to shop for both vintage and new pieces.
I’m looking for a DIY project. Every now and then I’m looking for a specific item to DIY for my home. Often times I can find the perfect piece that makes an ideal DIY project.
I’m inspired by home design. I love walking through homes and being inspired by different design and architectural details. Estate sales give me an opportunity to look at both old and new homes for design inspiration. In some cases, the homes are being torn down and some architectural elements might even be for sale.

Now that you know why I like to shop estates sales, let me show you what I found on my last outing.

A couple of weekends ago Mr. Confetti and I stopped by an estate sale on the last day. Like most estate sales, the prices had been dropped and on this day everything was 75% off. All clothing and handbags were just $1.00.

The house was jammed packed, mostly decor, tabletop, apparel and jewelry. We arrived early and upon entering the house, I stayed on the main floor and Mr. Confetti headed to the basement. After about 30 minutes of shopping we met up in the living room to sort through out finds and decide what to keep.

*****

My Latest Estate Sale Finds…

I bought 8 of these gold-rimmed dinner plates for $1.00 each. There are no markings on the plates so I’ve been trying to find the style name and manufacturer. My gut tells me they are made by Noritake but I’m not sure. If you know anything about this plate design, let me know.

I’m always on the hunt for blue and white pottery and found a few pieces I love. The first was this double happiness ginger jar that was in perfect condition. I also found this shaped lidded dish which was just a few bucks.

This set of 7 brass napkin rings were wrapped up in a plastic bag and severely tarnished. A quick polish and their beauty was revealed.

One of the things I was most excited to find were these wood risers. I snagged each of them for just .75 cents each.

I couldn’t pass up these three small blue and white pieces. The blue and white flower frog will be a cute accent on a bathroom vanity or desk. And I imagine using the two small cups to hold jewelry or office supplies.

This brass tray was another amazing find. I immediately fell in love with the floral blossom design and bamboo style edging.

Mr. Confetti found this handled urn in the basement and it wasn’t until I got home that I noticed it was two-toned. I love the combination of silver and gold. The urn is a perfect for an orchid arrangement.

This brass container is a classic design and can be used for so many purposes.

I’m jazzed about the pieces I found at the sale. Some of these items are keepers and others will be going into my Etsy shop soon. If you’ve never been to an estate sale but are intrigued, I’ve listed a few shopping tips below that should help you.

*****

TIPS FOR SHOPPING ESTATE SALES

First day–to get the best stuff, plan to arrive early. Any trending or under-priced items will be the first pieces to go. The early bird definitely gets the worm at an estate sale.

Second/Third day–by the second day, the sale will be picked over and prices will most likely be slashed. The second or third day of the sale is typically the slowest which will give you a better opportunity to inspect items. You’ll also have a better chance at negotiating prices on these days.

Last day–this is when you’ll find your best bargains. Sellers are motivate to see everything go and will definitely be open to offers. You can even try to offer a bulk price for all the items you are interested in.

Grab and go–do a quick walk-thru of every room when you get to a sale and grab anything of interest. Once you have a pile, go through the items more throughly to determine what you’ll buy. When you find a furniture piece you like, pull the price ticket off and take it to the check out area so it will be held for you.

Look everywhere–check inside any open and accessible areas like closets, the garage and basements. Like items aren’t always grouped together so cover every inch of the house for treasures.

Ask about unmarked items–appliances, draperies and rugs may not be marked but are often available for sale if you ask.

Cash or Check–estate sale companies like when buyers have cash or write a check to avoid the added credit card processing fee. Make sure you have your checkbook and cash on hand when you go to a sale.

Know you measurements–if you’re shopping for furniture, have the key measurements of your home with you. You’ll want to make sure items will fit through doorways and in the spaces you have planned.

You buy it, you load it–most estate sales will not load furniture into your car. Make sure you have additional hands at the ready to help you load your purchases. You might be able to come back at a later time to pick your items up but there’s always the risk that an item getting damaged or mistakenly sold to someone else while you gone.

All sales are final–check the condition of everything before you buy it.

I hope you enjoyed today’s blog post. I’m headed to Scott Antique Market tomorrow to do some shopping for a client so follow along on Instagram. If you’re not familiar with the market, you can read about my previous shopping trips here.

For more tips on bargain shopping, read my post on 10 Tips For Shopping Flea Markets Like A Pro!

Thrifting Finds–All About The Brass

February 17, 2016

On Valentine’s Day the hubs took me out for a day of thrifting. Lately when we’ve gone thrifting we’ve shopped at my favorite antique stores and flea markets so this time around we decided to stop by several of our local Goodwill stores.

Shopping Goodwill is definitely hit or miss experience. Sometimes you can score some great pieces but more often than not, the shelves are filled with undesirable pieces. I’ve also noticed that over the last year or two, Goodwill seems to be increasing their prices so the deals you once could find are harder to come across now.

The stars and planets must have aligned for Valentine’s Day because I found several awesome brass pieces and a few blue and white gems.

♦♦♦

This tulip shaped brass planter was in perfect condition and I’m thinking I’ll put a maiden hair fern or orchid in it.

I also found these brass containers and will most likely sell these in my Etsy shop.

Here’s some vintage brass inspiration for you…

via

These blue and white tea cups were too cute to pass up especially for less than $3.00.

I love this Chinoiserie blue and white flower frog/brick and can image it filled with tulips. After doing some research I discovered this piece was made in Portugal and was designed for the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

And I scored these petite brass pots for .50 cents and think they’d be great for succulents.

a little something like this…

via

While I was thrifting, I also picked up a few pieces that I’m sending off to a fellow blogger as part of the Ciburbanity #SwapItLikeItsHot blog swap. I super excited to be participating along with a slew of other bloggers and can’t wait to share it all with you in April.

If you haven’t honed your thrifting skills yet, you can read my thrifting tips here and my flea market shopping tips here.

Happy hunting!

5 Decorative Items To Buy at Walmart!

October 5, 2015

I think a lot of people shop Walmart just for kitchen and beauty staples and have never recognized that they also carry some great decorative pieces too. If you take a look around the store you’ll not only notice stylish containers and dinnerware but there are some nice accent furniture and storage pieces as well.

Whenever I’m at Walmart I browse the aisles looking for what’s new and thought today would be a great day to share FIVE decor pieces I think are worth buying at Walmart.

Happy Shopping!

♦♦♦

The Heritage Jar has been one of my favorite jars for several years now. When I first spotted it at Walmart I think the price was $10 and even though the price has increased a bit to $16.29 it’s still a good value. The glass is thick and at a one gallon size the jar is one of the most functional and stylish way to store dry goods in the kitchen.

via

Deal alert: I just spotted a 2 gallon version of the Heritage Jar at Target for $13.99 which is an even better deal

♦♦♦

I love finding a good deal on lampshades and Walmart has a classic drum shades at a great price. This Better Homes and Garden Black Drum Shade is only $12.97 but has the look and details and higher priced shade. You can’t go wrong with this!

via

And if you want even more style in your lampshade, I absolutely love this Black and White Cow Lampshade for only $25.00

♦♦♦

If you’re looking for an inexpensive storage ottoman, Walmart has a nice selection to choose from. This Kent Storage Ottoman is a great piece that pack a lot of style for just $168.17.

via

And another super chic storage ottoman is the Liverpool Linen Storage Ottoman–$240.18

♦♦♦

Finding a nice looking bookcase can be challenging. This BHG Crossmill Bookcase is a great piece and I love the weathered finish and the $199.88 price tag. It also comes in a version with lower cabinet doors for $109.00

via

♦♦♦

When it comes to organizing, baskets and bins are an essential design element and I especially love bins that have some character and charm to them. Walmart sells lots of different basket and bin styles but at the top of my list is this Galvanized Bin. There are two sizes available ($7.47 and $12.44) which means you have a size to fit all your decorating and organizing needs.

via

If you have a favorite decor piece from Walmart, leave me a comment and let me know what it is!

Tricks-of-the Trade Retail Shopping Tips

March 20, 2014

Where’s the first place you head when you walk into a big box store like HomeGoods, World Market or Target? If you’re not shopping for something specific do you start at the front of the store and make your way around the store or do you head to your favorite department first?

I have a system when I walk into one of these stores, a system that comes from having worked in the retail industry for over 20 years. My years working in a department store, as a buyer and retail executive have given me an insider view of the tricks-of-the-trade that most retailers use when it comes to merchandising products.

Today I’m going to share a few of those tips with you so you can find the best deals and avoid the retail traps.

Let’s start with Target. When they receive a new collection of product, one of the places they display that product is on the front end of an aisle also known as a End Cap. This product placement allows shoppers to see what’s new at a glance before they head down the aisle to take in the full offering of merchandise.

via

While seeing what’s new at the front of the aisle is always good, it’s the back of the aisle, the back end cap that will usually yield you the best bargain shopping. The back of an end cap is typically where stores place their sale items and once items are part of a markdown cycle this is where you’ll find your best deals. Target is currently in the midst of taking markdowns on lots of home décor items and some good clearance deals are landing on the end cap. Here are few bargains I spotted earlier this week.

This black and white duvet cover was a great deal at $21.98 for the full/queen

I loved this mustard yellow quilt. It was on clearance for $19.48 for the full/queen

Fun wall plaques for under $5.00

Geometric pattern embossed lamp shade for $ 9.48

This was a great looking wood and metal tray for $17.48. Great for a men’s gift.

This gorgeous peacock blue glass jar was marked down to $31.48

I shared these rattan tables on Instagram. They were clearance priced at $34.98 and were are stuury with a nice tight weave. (The Northpoint Target had about 10 of them in stock)

And there were lot of picture frames marked down and all under $10.00.

Another tip for shopping big box stores is to look in multiple places for trend product and new collections. Many stores like HomeGoods and Target will double expose products that are a seasonal trend statement in a group with related pieces and also in the specific department where those items are housed.

Lampshades may be merchandised with a collection of items and also in the lamp department/aisle.

A third tip to remember is that not all stores are created equal. When major department stores take a markdown on an item that markdown typically happens at all stores across the country. Most product that come into a big box store are coded with a barcode that includes the receipt date. This receipt date is usually the trigger for when a markdown is taken.

If one store received an item weeks earlier than another, one store may have the item marked down while the other still has it at regular price. I’ve seen this happen a lot at Target and typically if you bring it to managements attention the store with the full price item will look it up and honor the sale price.

This point is also good to keep in mind because with different receipt dates triggering markdowns, you may find the same item on sale and also in the regular price section. The sale item will be towards the back of the store or on a back end cap because the store hopes you’ll pick up the regular price piece first without ever making it to the sale area.

It’s been proven that the majority of people turn right when they enter a store (because most people are right handed) so retailers often place new item displays or even more expensive items to the right, inside the door.

Did you know that in many stores, especially clothing stores that sale racks are kept messy on purpose. Stores don’t want to make it easy for you to shop the sale area hoping you’ll get frustrated and shop the regular priced, well-organized and well stocked racks. This trick works on me more times than not.

The trill of the deal can only last so long before I need to move on to calm and clutter free!

And the final shopping tip I want to share with you has to do with the cash register area. The impulse items placed near the cash wrap are there because they are proven to be items that people will pick up without much thought. Sometimes you can find some bargains in this area but most of the time this area is planned as an easy add-on sale for the stores. TJMaxx, HomeGoods and Marshalls are the master of cash register sabotage and I’ve fallen into the trap by picking up a roll of gift-wrap, stationery, paper products and even a treat or two (just yesterday as a matter of fact) 🙂