Ever wonder the best way to shop an estate sale? Are you curious about people who stroll away with Antique Roadshow-worthy finds when all you see is others’ shabby discards? There is method to the madness and knowledge to be had so we called up Michael Lloyd of Michael Lloyd Estates and Downsizing Sales (314-603-2312) and of the new Maplewood Galleries (7415 Manchester, 314-449-1525, maplewoodgalleries.com) and Maurice (Moe) Torrence of Accent Estate Sales (314-210-1195, accentestatesales.com) for advice.
• Find the estate sale companies that make you feel the most comfortable. “Go to some sales, compare how they are done, and pick and choose based on how they operate and how they price,” Torrence says. “You are going to find a wide variance on how they operate. Some won’t take checks. Some will take checks only from friends. Some won’t price anything and you have to go up and ask them the price.”
• Research the items before you go. “We all list our sales on estatesales.net,” Lloyd says. “With that website, you see the photographs and you can really take a virtual tour of that sale before you go in. That is really a helpful aid.”
• Know the value of antiques before you go. “I am always in and out of reference guides, design magazines, antique journals, current auction reports,” Lloyd says. “That is what I do instead of reading detectives. I was trained by some of the great old dealers and I learned all about design from having spent six years working alongside Susan Block.”
• Come prepared: Have a bottle of water and umbrella, in case you have to wait in line. Bring tote bags and packing materials.
• Look for the signs detailing the rules. Then, stick to them. For example, some companies prohibit sticking sold tags on large items and direct buyers to pull the tag and take it to one of the people working the sale.
• Be sure to pack your own set of sold tape with your name or initial printed on them. “Come with your own tags so you move quickly and secure your items that you’re sure you want,” Lloyd says. “I like to take a quick run through. My eye will catch the main things I will focus on and I tag them. I am not one who has to think for 20 minutes; if I like it, I pull it.”
• Act fast. “It’s a very competitive market and you have to think that behind you there are probably 10 more people who want that item,” Lloyd says.
• Inspect for damage. “We are not all perfect when we are pricing and you might miss a hairline or an old repair,” Lloyd says. “Just as long as you ask in a nice way, there is always a better price. And today, we are in a buyers’ market. There might be 25 or 35 sales in a weekend.”
• BE NICE! Be friendly, courteous, respect other shoppers,” Lloyd says. “There are always plenty of treasures in a home.”
• Be realistic about the depth of the bargain. “This is someone’s personal stuff that they are selling and they are entitled to a legitimate price within reason,” Torrence says. “And that is all in the eyes of the beholder. But you have to have reasonable expectations. Don’t come in with the grandiose notion that everything is going to be given away for nothing because you are so special. It is a lot of hard work and you have to respect that. People are looking for a good buy and most estate sales are a good buy. ”
• If you think the item is priced too high, put in a bid. Or come back the following day to see if prices have been marked down. But Torrence warns, don’t expect too much. “Estates sales are not half off the second day,” he says. “That is not the law of the land.”
