Garage/Estate Sale protocol???

[Clisby Clark]

I went to a local estate sale last week where they announced the sale started at 9AM with NO EARLY SALES. Respecting the sellers wishes, I pull up around 8:50 figuring I would go in if others are there or else wait in the car until 9. I immediately notice a guy walking out with two workmates and it looks like the sale has been going on awhile. What do you do in a situation like this. I want to abide by the sellers rules but I don't want to get leftovers either.

[Joe Mioux]

Looks like the seller changed the rules...don't know what to say beyond that.

[Bruce Page]

I don’t think there is much you can do except express your displeasure.

[george wilson]

I drove about an hour where this woman was supposed to be saving a box full of old files I wanted to get for Jon. Jon,my work partner couldn't make it. he forges flint strikers from them to sell in Wmsbg. The files were gone. I got there pretty early. I was really upset, and she was a real you-know-what about the whole thing. Jon and I had just bought some large drill bits that some guy was selling for her,so it wasn't like we were strangers,having spent a good deal on the drills already.

Protocol???? THERE AIN'T NONE,especially when dealing with inbred bar types.

[Jim Koepke]

I have learned enough about one of the local estate sale promoters in the area to not bother with going to anything they are involved with.

They are a bit over promoting and over priced. Besides that, they will cherry pick what they want to sell through their own store.

jtk

[Pam Niedermayer]

My protocol is to not have them and not attend them. :)

Pam

[John Powers]

You drive up, people are coming out with stuff you go in and buy stuff. Rocket science.

[john brenton]

I had the exact same experience a few weeks ago. Same thing...no early sales. pulled up five minutes beforehand and its almost all gone. Worst part about it is that he had a rock maple cabinetmakers bench that he was going to sell me. He seemed iffy about selling it so I asked him to let me know if he wasn't going to sell it so I wouldn't have to drive forty miles.

I walk in and say "hey, we talked about the bench" and his answer was "I aint sellin it". No sorry, nothing. Just "I aint selling it". Oooooo....I just had to get in the truck and speed away cursing.

So there's a jerk...but I would get there early despite what they say. They might have had their wheaties and be up to selling before the time they specified.

[Maurice Ungaro]

The rules are that there are no rules. Sorry for your experience, but chalk it up as hard learned experience.

[Gary Hodgin]

I've given up on all garage and most "estate" sales. There is a local woman (Bernice Denton) who sells estates at a commission. Her sales have a definite beginning time, are well-organized and well-advertised. The down side is you're not going to find many great deals. She has an antique shop where she sells the good stuff that's left over.

The other sales are hit and miss. A few years ago I went to a sale that had advertised a complete Stanley 45. At that time I didn't know about ebay or anything like that. I got there about 30-45 minutes early (not advertised as no early birds and I knew from experience that I needed to be an early bird if I wanted a shot at some thing specific). I was told that the sale would start promptly at 7:00. I left and come back a few minutes before 7:00 and all the hand tools, including the 45 were sold. I had seen a couple of hand planes and saws on my earlier visit. I said something to the seller but he didn't seem concerned at all. My experience has been that some enforce the no early birds announcement and others don't.

http://www.berenicedenton.com/

[Ruhi Arslan]

I've never seen anything on any estate sale that it's even worth carrying regardless of the price.

When Force Machinery advertised their "going out of business" sale recently, I went there the first day and early. They already had their "good stuff" sold the day before when the store was "closed". So rule of no rules applies to all I guess.

[Bob Stroupe]

I haven't had much luck with estate sales. I've had even less luck with the ones I've found listed on Craig’s list.
I don't actively seek out garage sales to show up early... If I see one along my way and I've got the time I'll stop. Unless you’re looking for run down hand held power tools, or randomly assorted sockets it is usually a waste of time. Every once in a while I will find somebody selling their grandpa’s old tools; I know this because they never fail to inform me. So far nobody’s grandpa has had anything to gloat about though.

[john brenton]

Funny. When it rains it pours though. The last few lots I've gone to look at have been absolutely worthless, but every once and a while you hit the mother load. One of the last few lots I picked up was based on a picture that didn't show even an 1/8 of what the guy really had to offer. I tried to put my poker face on when I saw the lot, but I know I was cracking a grin.


So far nobody’s grandpa has had anything to gloat about though.

[Randy Briggs]

I've never seen anything on any estate sale that it's even worth carrying regardless of the price.

Picked up a Preston infill smoother last year and a machinist chest pretty well stocked with Starrett dividers, calipers etc. (stealth gloat).

As to the OP, that does suck but as others have experienced, there's no rules with some people when $ is involved.

[David Castor]

It's pretty normal around here to see some people show up at least an hour early to any garage sale. They will often go to the front door and see if they can get in ahead of everyone else, or sit in their car until they see the first signs of life. Most people holding garage sales are pretty unorganized and they get taken advantage of. I would think a "professionally" run estate sale or auction would be a little better, but I hate them, and never go so I don't know.

[Mel Miller]

I go to a fair number of sales, and have found some good things. There are no real rules - it's all up to the seller as to when and how they open and sell. There are always a few pushy, agressive, and sticky fingered types around that you have to watch. Some of the regulars will help each other out a little, and I've bought stuff at the end of the driveway from people that had just bought it inside. Last year, 2 different guys I know found Stanley #1s in nearby towns for $2. and $25. I ended up with both of them, but not at those prices. Probably will never find another one in my area, but, I still enjoy the sales.

Mel

[Mark Wyatt]

I went to a local estate sale last week where they announced the sale started at 9AM with NO EARLY SALES. Respecting the sellers wishes, I pull up around 8:50 figuring I would go in if others are there or else wait in the car until 9. I immediately notice a guy walking out with two workmates and it looks like the sale has been going on awhile. What do you do in a situation like this. I want to abide by the sellers rules but I don't want to get leftovers either.

One of the common tricks around here is for dealers/resellers to contact those holding garage sales before the sale even occurs. They will call or stop by days in advance and offer to pay "top dollar" for antiques and other collectables. Most of the time people will accept this offer as they had simply planned to set everything out with a low price. Anything above the low price they had planned to ask is just a bonus.

So, even if you are the first one at the sale, there is really nothing of value to find.