Our upcoming estate sale will be the first weekend in August, in the meantime, we couldn’t resist sharing a few of the most amazing tidbits that we found.
Early edition Alice In Wonderland
18th Century American Lap Desk
Fancy and feathery!
Modern Triangle Art.
These are just a few tidbits we found. There’s so much more. Keep your first weekend in August open!
AO shopper: Ashley Jo Green, wedding stylist and owner of To Have and To Hold
Here at Amber Ostrich Estate Sales, we have many shoppers who are business owners and come to our estate sales to buy for their businesses.
This shopper profile is the first in an installation of a new blog series about our shoppers who are also business owners.
To Have & To Hold: Wedding Stylist who buys antiques and vintage items
Even though she is not married, Ashley Jo Green’s creative space feels like the idyllic married haven upon walking in, you are greeted by lace, milk glass, silver and romantic charm.
Ashley Jo Green, a wedding stylist, and owner of To Have and Hold, in Buda, is one of our shoppers and first came to us looking for milk glass.
Her business is unusual in that she sells a look, a certain feel, for brides who wish to revisit a simpler time. Her term for this look is “whimsical” and “timeless.”
Upon entering her showroom, one gets the feeling that you’ve entered a simpler time. Lace hangs along old doors, collected and used to separate her work room from her sitting room. Old books, black and white photos, tin bird cages, and vintage suitcases are her stacked decor. Mirrors with fading paint give the room a country charm.
These things, and more, are all for rent to brides who are looking to give their weddings an old-fashioned appeal. Green says they usually don’t want to buy these things, so she rents them out.
How She Got Here
Green studied fashion at Baylor and at the time, fell in love with a blue, antique door owned by her roommate.
“I’d always see that darn, blue door. That got me hooked. Now, I can’t get enough,” she said.
The door was eventually given to her and it became her muse. After college, she opened a bridal boutique using this type of decor. Customers continuously asked if they could use her things at their weddings. At the time, she was making bridal dresses, but realized that this could also become a part of her business and also feed her desire to seek out new, old things.
“I love this; I love old things,” Green said.
She was inspired also by her mother, who died from breast cancer when Green was just 14. Her mother’s spirit inspires her to stay creative, she said. “Mom was always very creative. She could make something out of nothing.”
And so it seems, so can Ashley Jo Green.
Not only does she make bridal dresses and style weddings, but she has also started doing wedding photography for her clients, a passion added to her business.
Happily ever after.
When asked what she will do if this type of wedding becomes less popular she said that while she doesn’t think it will, given that Texans have long loved the romantic feeling of the old days, she is always open to exploring new avenues.
“I’m always doing something new,” she said. “I think you have to mold and shape your business with the way things are changing.”
If you are a small business owner and also an Amber Ostrich shopper, and you’d like to be profiled on our blog, please contact Deb Larsen, deb@amberostrich.com
Pro? Or dabbler? Hard to tell sometimes.
Over the years, we at Amber Ostrich Estate Sales, we’ve gotten to know many of our shoppers by name and we love them all. But we notice quickly the differences in the way people shop at estate sales.
There are at least three different types of shoppers. There are the pros, there are the dabblers, and then there are the pickers.
In order to get the most out of shopping an estate sale, you must figure out which type you are.
The Pro
The pro gets in line early and often. They come prepared to pile up items quickly and they don’t hesitate when making a purchase. These folks know what they want and they are fast.
Pros come prepared. They always have enough cash and they bring a good vehicle for hauling away their estate sale scores.
The Dabbler
Dabblers come later on the first day and sometimes they don’t show up until the second day of a sale. They are more lackadaisical about their shopping, preferring to think about what they will purchase.
The Picker
The pickers come early, middle, and late in the game. They like to see everything and they like to wait for the best deal.
Pickers are part “pro” in that on the final day of an estate sale, they still get there early and get in line before the doors open.
So, which kind of estate sale-r are you? A pro? A dabbler? Or a picker! We love them all!
Get ready, we are prepping for our next sale in a few weeks. Stay tuned!
Estate Sale sign!
Anyone who shops estate sales appreciates the early morning rush of heading out to a brand new estate sale.
Coffee in hand, cash wadded in pocket, you anticipate the possibilities as you follow the arrowed signs marked estate sale.
We know how much enjoyment our shoppers get from our sales. So we decided to put together a few tips for getting the most out of shopping at our estate sales.
Tip 1:
Decide first how much you want to get from the sale. If you want to see everything and have first choice, find out what time the sale starts on the first day and get in line early. Estate sales often start on Friday mornings, don’t miss out by waiting until Friday evening to check out the opening hours of the sale.
Tip 2:
Bring cash with you. You know you like to shop. Come prepared. Sure, we like to accommodate our shoppers and we will hold items for a limited time, with a cash deposit, but there are occasions when certain items have stiff competition and if you aren’t prepared, you might miss out to another buyer.
Tip 3:
Know what you’re looking for and don’t be afraid to ask for directions and assistance from our friendly staff. If you collect a certain item, come in and go straight to the area with those items.
Tip 4:
Check out online photos ahead of time to see if there is anything you like. We take the extra time and promote the sale with as much information on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. If you are looking for specific items check out our photo albums with detailed photos and descriptions before the sale starts.
Tip 5:
Come more than once to a sale. It never fails to amaze shoppers how much stuff gets moved around in the shuffle. If you come back on the last day, you might find something that got upturned from a box or a bin that you didn’t see the first day. And, the last day is often discount day, so you never know what kind of real score you will make! 
Thanks for reading and note, we’re on Pinterest now. And remember to sign up for email updates!
Over the years we’ve found a variety of inspired vintage items. These are some our favorite finds that remind me of times past, lives lived, and eras of long ago.
Vintage bicycles.
Can't you just imagine white tennis skirts and martinis by the pool?
Slimming down with vinyl!
Then powder your nose with *real* powder.
Dolls, back when they looked like real babies.
Well, it's cute, but I think I'll stick with today's travel bags.
Lifetime of button collecting.
With summer upon us, sales of used items abound. Garage sales, estate sales, they are similar, but definitely NOT the same.
While many of our regular shoppers may understand the difference, we find that estate sale shopping brings in many newcomers. A new hobby, a new collection, a new obsession and suddenly, estate sales are a new favorite activity.
So, what is the difference?
Sometimes you've just gotta go vintage.
There are three major differences between estate sales and garage sales.
The quality of items that you’ll find at an estate sale varies widely, but overall, you will find better quality items at an estate sale. Thus, the prices may be slightly higher, but rather then paying retail, you’ll notice that at an estate sale, the price is usually lower. Sure, the items are typically used. But the condition they are in is often better than at a garage sale. Our estate sales consist of a whole household full of items, filled with a range of items ready for many more years of use to the new owner.
When you shop at a garage sale, you may find some interesting treasures for negligible prices. But when you shop at an estate sale, you can often be guaranteed to find larger collections.
For instance, at our last estate sale in Onion Creek (one of two), one of our estate owners was a collector of sci fi and fantasy books. If this owner had sold off his collection at a garage sale, chances are, it would have only included a small portion of his original 1,000 book collection.
Sci fi book collection.
Finally, value, is what you’ll find at our estate sales.
There’s nothing at all wrong with shopping at a garage sale. We love them too, here at Amber Ostrich. But at an estate sale, the value of the items you’ll find is typically of higher value. You’ll find vintage and antique collectibles. You’ll find beloved treasures collected over a lifetime.
At most garage sales, you’ll find castaways. At our estate sales, you’ll find unique and interesting items, cleaned, staged, priced and ready for your perusal.
We hope to see you at our next sale!
For email updates sign up for our mailing list: http://amberostrich.com/i-like-to-shop-estate-sales/
Last fall a young UT student came out and did a short video behind the scenes of one of our estate sales. I just happened across the video and thought I’d share. What a great video from a talented and budding story teller!
Personal Effects from Abbey Adkison on Vimeo.
Personal Effects from Abbey Adkison on Vimeo.
Over 1000 sci fi and fantasy books.
No, you all are not seeing double. We have two sales this weekend. Two houses; two sets of lifetimes; two collections. Whatever you call it, we are going to have two sales, half a mile from each other in beautiful Onion Creek neighborhood. Come on down south, grab a coffee and shop to your heart’s content!
Our first sale is Mid-Century Modern, Sci Fi/Fantasy and Antique Sewist.
This living estate is a prominent surgeon, who had classic taste in furniture and art; loved to read sci fi, and the antique lace collection of his wife.
If you are into retro furniture with a taste of Mad Men, this sale is just right. Along with furniture, this sale has classic artwork; a collection of CIA photos, blown up for wall hanging; vintage decor; a huge set of classic recipes many arranged in vintage
Classic original art.
artsy recipe boxes; and more.
This sale also has a collection of over 1000 books, retro, classic sci fi, fantasy and other vintage paperbacks.
And if you’re a sewer, crafter, quilter, or just enjoy the feel of a good textile, this sale has fabulous antique lace, textiles, a vast antique button collection, ribbons, vintage patterns and more! This sewing enthusiast collected tidbits for her hobby all around the country and saved it up for a lifetime.
This sale also has a modest amount of vinyl, world doll collections, knick knacks, baubles, shiny holiday decorations, and more. You can see photos of this sale here. And also see photos of just the sewing collection here.
Next up, half a mile down the road, we’ve got our sale named, Around the World in 80 Years.
This is a couple of world travelers, retired U.S.A.F military pilot & wife. They picked up goodies from travels around the globe.
Bar Cart from somewhere around the world!
This sale has military mementos and gear; rifles; garden and much more! You can see more photos of this sale here.
Addresses:
Mid-Century Sale: 10908 River Plantation Drive
Around the World Sale: 10713 Scioto Court
Remember, these sales are only half a mile from each other. Start at one and end up at the other. This weekend is also the neighborhood garage sale in this community, so be prepared to navigate the yard sales too!
Hours:
May 25: Friday 10-3
May 26: Saturday 8-1
May 27: Sunday 10-2
And hey, if you’re new here, please sign up for email updates in your inbox.
This weekend we are hosting two sales at once! We are so excited and there is no way to show you everything we have at these two sales. But we are certainly going to try.
Here are some of our favorite photos from the upcoming sales:
The first one listed is the Mid-Century Modern, Sci Fi/Fantasy, and Antique Sewist Collection.
Antique Lace
We feel so please to share with you, this collection of antique lace, buttons, ribbons and textiles. There is a lot of this stuff folks. It’s one of those times when we are out-of-this-world excited for our shoppers who enjoy rare and unique collections. You can see more photos of this sewing collection here.
Mid-century modern furniture
We’ve got mid-century modern furniture and artwork. Picture yourself sipping martinis and playing bridge in this house. (Btw, we’ve got a bridge table too!) See more photos from this sale here.
Part of a decades long collection of sci fi and fantasy books.
We’ve got over 1000 books, a large majority of this collection is vintage sci fi. Among these authors are Hal Clement, Cyril Judd, and Robert Sheckley.
All of the above photos are from the sale, Mid-century Modern, Sci Fi/Fantasy and Antique Sewist.
At our next house, we are selling items from an estate of round the world collectors items, this sale is dubbed Around the World in 80 Years.
These folks actually had a need for this world clock. Pretty cool!
Military mementos.
At this sale, we’re selling USAF mementos, 3 rifles and military gear.
Our lady of the house liked to garden while hubby cleaned his guns.
Longhorns!
And besides all that, they are just funny folks.
Ummmm.
See more photos of this sale here.
We’ll be posting details, including sale times and address, tomorrow. Stay tuned.
Antique lace.
For the sewers and crafters, we have some exciting news!
At our next sale, coming up this very weekend, we have just unearthed a collection of antique lace, textiles, buttons and patterns!
Here at Amber Ostrich estate sales, our staff has been working tirelessly this weekend sorting through a mountain of this stuff. Don’t miss out! This is one of those rare one-of-a-lifetime moments for our shoppers.
To start with, we have Victorian Alencon, silk, ribbons, and lace. We found a lovely button collection including a Copper Colonial from the 18th century. Stashed away, we also found tons of trim, doll patterns and MORE!
Buckles 'n' beads.
This is not one to miss, this client has been collecting textiles and sewing materials across the country for close to 40 years. This is a lifelong collection.
You don’t want to miss this!
Check out more photos on our smug mug gallery.
This sale starts Friday, May 25. We will post updates along the way, with exact address later in the week. Keep up with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Antique buttons!
