Sundays Score, 4 little pieces of...

[capt-zero]

OldSowBreath,

I have to agree, it's the same way here. The estate dealers want retail or even more for some of the junk they sell. I realise their job is to realise as much as they can for their customers, but the mentality is "if it's a little rusty it must be a valuable antique". The truth is the real value of an item is whatever you can sell it for. I try to focus on yard/garage sales and estate sales run by the family. I do a lot of research in unusual items most people overlook. I keep my eye out for unusual silver (marked by countries that no longer exist), etchings, ivory, and watches.

capt-zero

 

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[diggummup]

OldSowBreath,

I have to agree, it's the same way here. The estate dealers want retail or even more for some of the junk they sell. I realise their job is to realise as much as they can for their customers, but the mentality is "if it's a little rusty it must be a valuable antique". The truth is the real value of an item is whatever you can sell it for. I try to focus on yard/garage sales and estate sales run by the family. I do a lot of research in unusual items most people overlook. I keep my eye out for unusual silver (marked by countries that no longer exist), etchings, ivory, and watches.

capt-zero

I hear you capt-zero, what annoys me the most is that these "estate dealers" should know the current market rends for most of the items they are trying to sell, instead of trying to sell it for some outrageous price they saw on some internet website (eBay no excluded).
With the exception of a very few collectors and "normal" mom an and pop types, the majority of buyers at estate sales are other dealers. Why would they think a dealer is going to pay full retail for something? Heck, for that matter why would anyone expect to pay retail at an estate sale?
As you. (and i've mentioned it several times before), I focus on state sales run by family members. For the most part that's where the deals are found.
Focus on the unobvious, that's where you make your money. The tiles I found above are a perfect example. It was late in the day and they had been sitting there for hours when I found them, overlooked the whole time.

 

[randazzo1]

I've weeded out the estate sale companies down here for the most part. There are 3 that sell for really good prices and one that almost gives stuff away. I'm trying to cut back on my buying at garage sales. I just can't resist though on the small easy to ship items. If I can pay a dollar or two and make $10-$20 on the small stuff, I will. It's the larger items that take time and packing materials that I have tried to stop looking at.

Diggumup - I have come to the same conclusion. It is much more efficient to spend $50.00 on an item and and sell it for $150.00 than to buy 10 items for a dollar each and and sell them for 10-20 dollars. It took me a long time to get to the point where I was willing to spend more than a few bucks on anything at a garage sale / flea market etc. Like you, I still can't resist small items that are easy to turn around (precious metals esp.) but the higher priced items seems to be where the most potential is.

 

[Catobra]

Interesting thread-lots to agree with here. Amzing how quickly the market can drop out. I keep straining my brain trying to find what will be the NEXT BIG THING before everyone else does. I can dream, can't I? : )

"I think the serious collectors of old glass and pottery are dying out and a new breed of kitschy crap collectors is evolving."

Yup, just think how much of that God-awful ugly stuff we've all passed over in thrift stores over the years because it was just hideous-I for one would be rich right now! I recently bought a "Gay Fad" (yup, Gay Fad) bar set for $16-priced higher on internet, but of course, not selling anywhere! I figured it was so ugly these new kids might fight over it : )