[flowergurl]

Woo-hoo! Sometimes it pays to stay till the end of an auction.
I got this tote ( just a different color) like new , a laundry basket ( also like new) , and a small tote for...1 dollar! I'm keeping the laundry basket and the 2 totes are going in my yard sale in a couple weeks. I should make a nice profit off of the big tote. I've printed off the wal mart price and I will tape that to the big tote. Of course my price will be much lower than the wal mart price tho.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Newell-Ru...d-Storage-Box-Wheeled-Stackable-Each/21802893

 

[flowergurl]

I went to the auction with the purpose of buying things for my yard sale in a couple weeks. I bought a nice little coffee table for $6.00 . I left it on the front porch of the house because there were quite a few people standing up there and they were still selling other furniture and things on the porch.
I figured i'd go get it in a few minutes when the people up there cleared out. I was only a few feet away watching the other things being auctioned. I look at the porch and here comes this man off the porch with my table. I said excuse me that is my table. I paid $6.00 for it. He said no I bought it with a tv. I said no i bought 2 coffee tables on the porch, one was on each end. Your Tv and stand was in the middle of the porch. I suggested we go check our tickets. So we went to the lady who kept the tickets and yes there was mine for $6.00.
He insisted it was his and put the table in his car. I went and got one of the back up auctioneers and he told the man that table didn't go with his tv. He man argued and got mad then said fine and unloaded the things he had won ( probably 6 things total) and sat them on the curb and drove off.
I can't believe he acted like that! That was a first for me.

 

[light rain]

I've had a couple of different types of dishonesty at auctions. Since I don't go to many anymore I've had time to think of comebacks. Glad you got what you paid for!

 

[OnlyMe]

We almost always stay til the end of the auctions... you never know what kind of deal you might get. Great finds!

Sorry to hear about the table --- we make it a point claim items as soon as the gavel goes down - there can be a lot of chaos at the end. I'm glad the auctioneer was able to make it right - that guy didn't have any right to behave the way he did.

 

[Joshie]

As soon as you pay for your stuff, either load it in your vehicle or stay by its side. Things disappear. Dad once purchased a huge, beautiful antique bed. The whole thing wouldn't fit into his small pickup so he loaded up the foot board and the side boards. When he went back the headboard was gone. He should have taken that first because it was worth the most.

I cannot imagine sticking around at a sale for hours just to flip a couple totes. I wouldn't pay more than $1 or so for a garage sale laundry basket or more than $10 or $15 at most for a tote in perfect condition. I'd rather have a cheap new laundry basket. We got a similarly sized (not that quality) tote at Walmart for less than $30 a couple years ago. I expect garage sale stuff to be cheap, cheap, cheap. Heck, we couldn't get more than about $30 for a really nice washing machine at our last garage sale. At the time we lived in a really nice subdivision.

 

[flowergurl]

LOL, well I also got several canning jars very cheap too right before the end. I was buying stuff most of the time. It isn't like i sat there for 4 hours and bought those totes at the very end. My truck was packed full as I could get it. I'm just saying there are good buys to be had when everyone else is leaving. You have been there for 3 hours what is another 30 mins?
I usually sell over a thousand dollars worth at each of my sales.
I have been doing this for several years now and it sure helps the budget. I keep careful records of what I buy and what I need to get out of it. I paid 5 dollars for a box of kitchen appliances yesterday and a lady bought a blender later at the sale for $2.00. I will make more than $3.00 off the rest of the box.
Yes, I know things try to walk off at sales. That is why I stay near them, until I can take it to my truck. I just never saw anyone throw a fit like he did about being busted.
Yes, there are people that want everything for a quarter or less. Then there are people who realize a bargain too. Also we have several facebook yard sale groups and craigslist is very active in my area.
What doesn't sell at the yard sale, usually gets sold on one of those places.

 

[soulsurvivor]

LOL, well I also got several canning jars very cheap too right before the end. I was buying stuff most of the time. It isn't like i sat there for 4 hours and bought those totes at the very end. My truck was packed full as I could get it. I'm just saying there are good buys to be had when everyone else is leaving. You have been there for 3 hours what is another 30 mins? I usually sell over a thousand dollars worth at each of my sales.
I have been doing this for several years now and it sure helps the budge. I keep careful records of what I buy and what I need to get out of it. I paid 5 dollars for a box of kitchen appliances yesterday and a lady bought a blender later at the sale for $2.00. I will make more than $3.00 off the rest of the box.
Yes, I know things try to walk off at sales. That is why I stay near them, until I can take it to my truck. I just never saw anyone throw a fit like he did about being busted.
Yes, are people that want everything for a quarter or less. Then there are people who realize a bargain too. Also we have several facebook yard sale groups and craigslist is very active in my area.
What doesn't sell at the yard sale, usually gets sold on one of those places.

I did a similar thing back in the 90s and sold my stuff through a booth in an antique mall and another in a flea market. Just myself and it was hard work but I enjoyed it. All this was pre-internet and very physically tough to keep up with and work a job full time.

The worst auction offenders were the ones who went to the previews of the big estate auctions. The day before a big sale we were allowed to look and handle the auction items and look in all the box lots. I've watched more than one person load up those boxes and mark them so they could bid when those came on the block. They'd hide the really valuable stuff down in the bottom of a junky looking box, things like that. Made me sick.

I bought box lots at the end of sales for same reason as you, to help with inventory and increase my profit share. After I got home and started emptying out the boxes if I came across items that clearly didn't belong I'd make every attempt to return them to the estate family. One such collection was a grouping of old cameos and when I returned them to the daughter she hugged me and cried big old tears of grateful. It all just finally got too hard for me both physically and emotionally to handle. Any who can deal with the general public in sales has my respect as you have to deal with both the best and worst that humanity has to offer.

 

[flowergurl]

Any who can deal with the general public in sales has my respect as you have to deal with both the best and worst that humanity has to offer.

SO true! It is a great amount of work to prepare the sale, but my daughter helps me and I pay her for her time at the sale. We both bring small crafting items to work on at the sale and we visit during the slow times. However, most of the time there are customers to help and cash to be taken.
The rude people I just brush off or those that want everything for nothing.
There are several nice people to visit with at the sales too. I make regular customers who come back each time.
People ask us about the crafts we are doing and we sell them in the sales too.
My daughter always makes baked goods to sell and people enjoy those too.
I can think of worse ways to spend a few days.

That was very kind of you to return the old cameos, good job!!

 

[clovis]

flowergurl,

Why don't you come visit us on the reseller's thread, here on homesteading, in the work at home forum?

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/country-living-forums/work-home-business/490293-anyone-have-booth-antique-mall.html

We all could learn a lot from you, and would love to have you join us!

 

[flowergurl]

Clovis I took a peek. I will read more later when I have time. I have to clean up my auction stuff today. I'm sure I will learn new things from you as well.
I work in the grocery store business as my real job and I have worked in other areas of retail as well.
Display means a BUNCH as far as sales go. Everything should be clean and organized.
The area you have your sale in should be fresh, clean, and smelling nice as well.
Nothing turns me off faster than to walk in a carport or garage that reeks of some offensive odor.

 

[clovis]

They'd hide the really valuable stuff down in the bottom of a junky looking box, things like that. Made me sick.

There have been quite a few people in our area do that too. These people are so well known for doing it, that many of the resellers know that when those people start bidding, there has to be something great in the box.

A few years ago, it was quite comical.

One guy, in particular, is really bad about loading boxes with valuable stuff. At auction after auction, we'd all be bidding on $2 box lots, and as soon as the this thief would bid, it was a cue for everyone to start bidding. So, after seeing 29 boxes sell for $2 each, there would be a box, that on the outside, appeared to be yellowed and stinky old Tupperware and used aluminum pie pans, sell for $70, LOL.

I've never understood why these thieves think it is okay to load boxes, or do anything to manipulate an estate to get a better deal. The Bible tells us not to have uneven scales with others. I my belief, these people are cheating the estates and families out of money, especially when pull items from tables (that the auctioneers set out to sell by itself) and jam it into a $2 box lot. I've seen people take parts off of items, like a drawer pull from a dresser, just so the price would be cheap when it sold.

Like you all said, you see the best and worst of people in the reselling business.

 

[Classof66]

Many years ago, in our neighborhood and elderly woman passed away and there was an estate sale. There was an electric mantel clock that sold. It was probably from the 40's and was a coach with, I believe, horses, and maybe a coachman. There was a whip that moved up and down as the clock ticked. It was pretty cool. Another couple, who where friends of the family, bought it. Later on he died, and she moved in with family and there was an auction at their house. I remembered the clock and went to the sale. I figured it would go high, but wanted to see anyway. Sometime during the auction, the whip disappeared. The auctioneer was very angry over this. The clock probably should have been put in a case or something, but wasn't. So, why would anyone buy the clock with the missing whip, except for sentimental reasons? and if someone did buy it, he would probably be the suspect too. The whip was the unique part.

 

[flowergurl]

This grinder is what I am cleaning up now out of the appliance box I bought for $5.00.
I plugged it in and it works and it has 3 blades with it. Anyone had one of these before? I was wondering how good they work.
I see them on e-bay for $30-40 range.

 

[light rain]

Looks like a good buy to grind meat for sausage or patties. My Mom bought an Oster grinder at a yard sale and used it for years. After she passed away we used it for at least ten years. If we were able to get that tough silver skin off of the venison before grinding it would probably still be grinding today.

The machines made years ago were built to last. I am looking for a wheat grinder that also grinds corn. I can't afford a good new one, so I'm looking for a good old one. I have my request in at a local resale shop.

 

[Jan in CO]

Great finds! I would have snapped up the totes, too. A few years ago, I stayed til the end of an auction and got severak sets of nice, clean insulated drapes. Just what I needed for our north windows. They cost me $2 for the whole large box and have more than paid for themselves. Also got two new wall murals for $2 for the box and sold each of them for 25.00 on ebay. You never know!

 

[gracielagata]

You guys have gotten some awesome finds!!
How do you find auctions?
We yardsale, and have noticed many people around here seem to be doing estate sales; just selling nearly the whole house. But so frequently it is all furniture we have no need for. Old appliances like the grinder would be great. Or the totes. I am an aficionado of totes lol. My DH being a retired Marine, those come in handy for all the stuff that you keep but don't open much; in all those moves, a box would never hold up!

Then we have run into quite a few fake yard sales. They seem to be people who buy up all sorts of stuff, only to sell it out of their garages, but in permanent fixtures, like a thrift store. I mean the one guy had nearly 100+ different pieces of cast iron, huge bins of tools, separated by types... and he advertised as an estate/yard sale... We definitely did not buy at prices for either of those! (But it was things we had a hard time find, and still a decent deal, but still.. lol)
Anyhoo...

 

[flowergurl]

But it was things we had a hard time find, and still a decent deal, but still.. lol

I'm confused..are you saying it was things you couldn't normally find and at a decent price, but you wouldn't buy it because of the name of the sale he was holding?

Google auctioneers in the largest city next to find auctions.

 

[gracielagata]

I'm confused..are you saying it was things you couldn't normally find and at a decent price, but you wouldn't buy it because of the name of the sale he was holding?

Google auctioneers in the largest city next to find auctions.

I meant it was things we had a hard time finding. My husband has been wanting a certain type of western hat, but didn't want to buy new/didn't like styles in stores (plus being small enough was an issue too, I think). So the guy with all the cast iron pans, he had 3 or so advertised in his CL ad that would fit, so we went to his sale.
I felt like $27ish for a large cast iron pan was a bit much, but I paid for it, so no one to 'blame' but myself, lol.

I didn't love the misleading sale name, but again, I could have gotten back in my car right?! Heck, his math was bad and he forgot to charge us for the hat. I was in the car when I realized. I got back out to tell him. He even thought he was in his own favor. I couldn't have left knowing that he didn't get what the agreed price was.


When I google that way, will there be a way to separate out, (or do they describe) the contents in the auctions? I.E. one for farm equipment i would love to go to, as opposed to one mostly with grandma's antiques, as we don't have the desire to go the resale route, and we don't want to own most of it.

Thanks for the help

 

[clovis]

auctionzip.com is the best place to find auctions, and yes, they will have a sale bill detailing what they have.

Of course, they won't list the smalls, so look for terms like "entire household" and "household items."

 

[Classof66]

Look in your phone book for auctioneers and auction houses. Just give them a call.