There are a lot of things to love about estate sales, but my personal favorite is seeing how someone else once lived. It’s like walking through a museum exhibition of a person’s life…except everything on display is for sale.
If you have never shopped at an estate sale before, let me briefly explain why they’re the absolute gold standard of shopping. While thrift and consignment stores contain some treasures, the estate sale holds all the stuff that the owner held onto their entire life—and unlike the auction of an estate for famous figures like Joan Didion, you won’t be battling anyone else in a bidding war. As Tricia Benitez Beanum of Pop Up Home says, “The great thing about estate sales is that you are walking through someone’s private collection.”
Because estate sales almost always take place in a person’s actual home rather than outside in a random lot, you can really get a sense of how their things were originally curated and integrate some of those design elements into your own aesthetic too. And while shopping secondhand is the most sustainable option, thrift stores tend to have a certain…stench. It’s sort of like vinegar mixed with too many sweats. You won’t usually encounter this odor at an estate sale because you’re coming and going directly into someone’s most intimate space. (Don’t rule out the possibility of being exposed to a smoke smell if they were a smoker though!)
I spoke with six estate-sales specialists from the corners of TikTok, Instagram, and beyond to find out everything you should know before you go. Not only did they provide some solid advice, they also shared their best practices to follow for a most successful estate-sales shopping spree.
How do you find an estate sale?
Any time I go on a road trip, I check my route for any estate sales that I might have missed. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but some of my most special finds (and the best prices) have been outside of major cities. Every expert that I consulted with recommended EstateSales.net. According to Cristy Tongate, owner of Retro Betties Estate Sales, “Professional companies always post on EstateSales.net and have hundreds of pictures to view.”
Quinn Fiona Garvey of @vintageonq recommends checking the site (or app) midweek because sales typically take place over the weekend from Friday through Sunday. Another great tip from Macy Eleni, the thrift queen behind @blazedandglazed on TikTok, is to “pop in your zip code and scroll and roll, saving all the sales that tickle your personal fancy!” You can find other important details on there as well. “These listings will almost always have a full description of the sale with photos,” she explains. “This will tell you if it’s cash only, if there is an early bird sign-up sheet, if it’s packed with clothes or just home decor/furniture.” If you hit it off with the people running the estate sale, she also recommends signing up for their mailing list to stay in the loop for future sales.
Matt Ellison, director of marketing at EstateSales.net, recommends really scouring those hundreds of photos too. As he explains, “Don’t be afraid to zoom in! Look closely at the pictures—you never know what you might spy in the background, as oftentimes not everything available is advertised. It could be something really valuable or rare waiting for you to find.”
Remember, not everything for sale is pictured. If I’m looking for something specific, I’ll be sure to scroll looking for that thing—for example, the Oriental rug that still had the Iranian tag on it that I scored, on my birthday, for a song. If I’m looking for decor or just style in general, I’ll examine the overall vibe of the sale. If I like the house’s aesthetic, the chances that I’ll like something they have there are pretty high. Time to add to favorites!
When should I go to the estate sale?
You’ve marked down some favorites on the EstateSales.net, so now what? Most estate sales take place over only a couple of days, usually on the weekend. Since this typically only happens once, scarcity drives the buyers’ urgency. Cristy insists on getting a head start by showing up early. “Grab your coffee to go and be one of the first people in line! It’s always a fun time talking to all of the interesting people. Remember, if you want something, then there will be many others that want it too. Be the early bird!”
Macy agrees, to a degree. “If you have your eye on something specific from the listing, go early,” she says. “If the sale officially starts at 9 a.m. and there is a sign-up sheet, go at 7 a.m. and get your name on that list! However, if you just want [to] dig and [get] a good-ass deal, go on the last day when there are discounts!” Macy also recommends having cash on hand to improve your chances of bartering.
What can I find at an estate sale?
In most cases, an estate sale happens after an elder has died—one of the four “‘big D’s’ in the industry” according to Dwell: death, divorce, debt, or downsizing. This means that the family has likely commissioned the sale to liquidate the estate and clear it out. You can expect to find pretty much anything at an estate sale, including vintage clothes and accessories, furnishings, home decor, and power tools.
“You can get a lot of insight from the listing photos alone,” explains Quinn. “Are the photos high quality? Are the items organized? Did they stage the house? Do they have any designer furniture pieces or an art collection? This will tell you what kind of pricing tier it will be, if the home will be well merchandised. If they have designer furniture, they will most likely have designer clothing as well, and vice versa.”
Tricia recommends an even more in-depth expert move: “Google the address to see how the house is set up,” she says. “Start matching the photos to the layout so you know where you want to go first. If you only want one thing, take a photo of it, and show the first person who works there. That way you don’t have to search for it while people are running around.” That’s a real pro tip right there!
Jessica Li, cofounder of Renewfinds, adds that it’s always a good idea to “gather everything that you want and make a pile next to someone who works there. People are quick, so you can't take your time and browse around. Have a budget in mind, and negotiate with the estate sale manager on a bundle price for everything that you’re interested in.”
I recently learned about the “treasure tracker” on EstateSales.net, which Matt says “allows you to save specific search terms in your account and be notified by email when those items are available.” This is an especially great resource when you’re looking for specific designers like Herman Miller or Knoll for example. Jessica also says that it pays to “do your due diligence and make sure you know how to authenticate certain pieces,” just in case.
How do I get a good price?
We’ve already established that estate sales are chock-full of treasures. As someone with Champagne taste and a beer-bottle pocket (translation: cheap with expensive taste), I can testify that you won’t always get a steal. There are a few ways you can shoot your shot. Going on the last day, as Macy advised, is one consistent way to get a good price. Same with bundling, like Jessica suggested.
It’s also important to remember who you’re talking to: A lot of times, the family of the homeowner will be present. Put yourself in their position: Would you be willing to give the rudest person in the room a good deal? (I wouldn’t!) Although a lot of people have “uncomfortable feelings that arise when you enter a dead stranger’s home and start rifling through their nightgown collection,” as Alana Hope Levinson points out in her Dwell column, I actually like knowing the history behind the items I purchase, like how a wedding hat was custom-made for the bride in 1959, or that a ceremonial sword was bought on a vacation to India. Plus, it gives the sellers a chance to reminisce over the item or explain its value. Personally speaking, I would rather make less money if it meant knowing that a loved one’s belongings were going to a home where they (and their stories) will be cherished rather than flipped.
Macy sums it up best: “Be kind! I’m a firm believer in secondhand-shopping karma, and going into the sale with good, positive energy is crucial. If you’re kind to the people running the sale, they’re much more likely to give you a good deal and remember you at future estates. I’ve seen way too many people treat an estate sale with so much entitlement, when at the end of day, there is plenty to go around, and having that attitude only makes it less enjoyable for everyone there.”
Madison Brill, the sourcing specialist behind @ilovecraigslist, has another pro tip: negotiate. “There may be an estimated price or market value, but those things shouldn’t deter you from making an offer,” she explains. “Typically, if I’m buying more than one item, I’ll ask for a bundle deal or find price comps to make sure the price is fair.” As she often reiterates, “Always be gracious and polite, but it never hurts to ask.”
What else should I know before I go?
There’s nothing worse than getting your heart set on an item and suddenly realizing that you have no way of getting it out of there. Cristy can’t stress that point enough—be prepared! “Don’t miss out on a great piece because you can’t get it home! Have a plan in place. Rent a truck, hire a mover, or enlist a friend! Take your measuring tape so you don’t end up with a piece too big for your spot.”
For the true treasure hunters, Macy advises “carefully inspecting every single corner, drawer, and closet of the house.” She adds, “One of my favorite finds of all time was a pair of vintage Dior sleep shorts. They weren’t in the ‘designer’ area of the house the estate-sale company had set up, so someone must have missed them because I dug them out of a drawer in one of the bathrooms, and they gave them to me for two dollars!”
Quinn’s bonus tip rings the most true: “Follow the old people. They have the best taste. If you see a sale with a line of old antiquers, you know you’re in for something special.”
