Fred and I hope you enjoyed our fun article about garage sales. While you can find cool things driving around the neighborhood, garage sales are not where shoppers go to find quality furnishings and collectibles. Too many frogs to kiss before that Prince appears.
Estate sales can, but rarely do turn out to be frogs. Fred and I always find something – an inexpensive book or CD; perhaps a tool with the Made In America stamp. Other times we pull out our debit card to pay for an arm load of vintage Christmas or a vintage bicycle hanging from the ceiling of the garage. Shopping estate sales has become as much a social event as a shopping adventure with family and friends.
What are “some” of the differences between an estate sale and a garage sale. Estate Sales are …
- Conducted inside a residence with a little or a lot of spillage onto the patio … the garage … and any outdoor buildings.
- Most last at least 2 or possibly 3 to 4 days. Really large sales may run 2 consecutive weekends.
- The first day of an estate sale is FULL price. Whatever appears on the tag is the price charged. Discounts usually begin on day 2, but not always. Ask the Seller for a schedule of discounts if you don’t see one posted around the checkout area.
- Certain restrictions pertain to most estate sales – No Children; No Large Bags or Purses; Bring Help to Load.
- Each Estate Seller dictates the form of payment accepted. Some do Cash Only; some Cash & Checks (with proper ID); others Cash & Credit Cards – No Checks. It’s good to know before you shop.
- Sales tax is normally charged at estate sales. Those few Sellers who do not collect tax run the risk of being fined by the State of Texas. It’s not a small slap on the wrist, but may run in the thousands of dollars.
These are just a few of our thoughts that make estate sales different from garage sales. There’s so much more, but you get the idea. Estate Sales are serious business. They happen as the result of a major life event – a death, a divorce, or a move. In future articles Fred and I will tell you more about how we view the “The Business.”