Estate Sale Woes

One of my all-time favorite things to do is get up early on Fridays and head out to the local estate sales. We love them even more when they are unorganized and messy! That type of sale usually has an abundance of hidden treasures that require some digging which makes the prize even more valuable! Lately though, estate sales have become somewhat like going to battle. There are 5 times as many people at the sales now than a few years ago. Some people are unkind, pushy and rude. Last Friday I got to an estate sale 20 minutes early only to find out that we were taking numbers and I was number 56! The house was small and only 20 people or so could be in at a time.

I find it interesting to see what people are purchasing. Some, like me, are looking for vintage items, some are looking for books and videos only. Some of the men are looking for tools and some women are looking for jewlery. And then there are the people who I am sure I am going to see on the next episode of Hoarders. They are buying ugly knick-knacks, dirty pillows, blankets with holes in them and unopened packages of spaghetti. Now I do realize that we are in a down economy and some shoppers are looking for bargains but I see these, "hoarders" at most estate sales and their cars are jammed full. My husband says I am one to talk....I should let people into my barn and spare bedroom and let them judge for themselves.

I am not a hoarder. I am a repurposer (I think I made that word up). These vintage earrings willl become magnets...the thermos matches a larger one I have and both will be used as vases. The clear containers that once held face powder will hold scrapbook supplies as will the little tin molds. The vintage fabric will become accent flowers for pillows and other projects. The globe...hmmm....this globe is a 1948 large beautiful globe that I found at a second hand store and I don't know if it will go in a show or if it will stay with us. I think the surge in the amount of people attending estate sales is because of several things. The economy, ebay and Craig's List and the Go Green movement. People are wanting to recycle and re-use more and more which is a good thing....people are looking for things that they can sell on ebay and Craigs List and make a bit of extra cash. Some are making their living doing this. And some are finding great bargains on items that, in this economy, are difficult to budget for. Whatever the reason, it's making Friday mornings a lot more work these days.