Die Cast toys are great collectibles.
It’s funny, as an estate sale owner, I see the ins and outs of how various people find collectibles.
Watch the Dealers
I have to admit, I’ve learned a lot from watching the dealers (someone who collects in order to sell) at my estate sales. If you are looking for collectibles, the people to watch are the dealers.
Be observant and you can tell easily who the dealers are. They are the ones who show up early; come to the good sales multiple times; and they are often seen checking items online. They look for markings on the back, book ISBNs, first edition markers; and clothing tags. With a little research on your part, you can find the right markings for things that you like to collect.
Get to the Estate Sale Early
Get to the estate sale early to get the best collectibles.
The key to finding all the best collectibles is to be one of the first few people in line. Generally speaking, get there an hour (or two) before the sale starts on the first day. My estate sales are almost always held Friday-Sunday. If you see a good sale coming, sometimes it might be worth taking the morning off from work to come on over and score the best deals. (promise we won’t tell your boss!)
Come Multiple Times To The Estate Sale
The average dealer will come to an estate sale two or three times. They are usually some of the first in line, but they know that they might have missed something the first time around and often come back for seconds and thirds, and on the last day to get the 50% on the final day of the estate sale.
Second and Third Days Are Like a Treasure Hunt
Here’s the thing. Sure, you might miss out on all the most obvious great stuff if you don’t come on the first day. BUT, there is always more good stuff to be had. Estate sales are like a treasure hunt. There are often things that people missed in their excitement of the first day. The second days are often the ca-ching! days, where people find something they missed the day before.
But dealers aren’t all we see at estate sales. We also see lots of collectors, people who collect certain items, certain eras, and certain genres. It’s interesting to watch.
So, how do you find collectibles at an estate sale?
There is no specific way to find collectibles, but generally speaking, it just takes a lot of searching. Most estate sale customers love the hunt, which is part of the appeal of an estate sale. It’s always a treasure hunt!
Look through silverware. You will often find one or two individual pieces within a mismatched set of silver. Look through jewelry boxes. Nice collectible pieces of jewelry will often be found mixed among every day jewelry. Look at all the artwork. Most people don’t have just one type of artwork. Many estate clients will have one or more really nice pieces. If you know artwork, you may end up finding a nice collectible piece amongst all the random average pieces. Look through the closets to find vintage clothing. You just never know what you’ll find.
Popular Items to Look For at Estate Sales
Vintage is huge these days, but just because it’s old, doesn’t mean everyone wants it. Right now big items are: Bakelite, Sterling silver, Crewel, Pyrex, Anchor Hocking, Fire King, vintage Tupperware, vintage linens like Vera, vintage designer clothing, vintage handbags, vintage tools, vintage bakeware and cocktail accessories, mid-century modern lamps and furniture, Die Cast toys, vintage cookbooks, and so much more!
What’s your favorite collectible?
