What I learned from estate sales

16 years ago

I've learned some helpful things about de-cluttering and purging from estate sales.

(I know--I shouldn't even be there!)

One thing--it's not just the amount of stuff--though, a visit to an estate sale can stimulate a general, omigosh, my ___ looks like this and I want to clear it out RIGHT NOW). Because reasons for having a sale (death or whatever) might have occurred for folks who had been living full lives with lots of hobbies, visiting grandchildren, fashion sense, and everything--not all are nursing home-bound. All that can take a lot of stuff. Plus, if you empty every cabinet, drawer, closet, etc to diplay, there will be a lot of stuff in an active household. So Stuff per se is not the problem.

What gets your attention more is the unused or unloved-appearing stuff. Stuff that you're pretty sure was never much wanted or used. Stuff still in box. Stuff that can't be used at all in its current condition. Stuff where you can tell they've moved on to another style, color or whatever, but saved the old stuff. Pretty sure a lot was given as gifts--the ever-present need to give something that has no use or value. PLUS the way too much stuff.

"Old" is not necessarily a good way to judge, since everything looks "old" to young people, and also, cool vintage stuff is in. Things that right now I really like from some decades ago, my daughters would just pick up and go "huh?"--so I don't expect them to like or value my "stuff".

So this has helped me develop more of a method to my de-cluttering.

I went through linens and eliminated 12 tablecloths--colors, patterns, fabric no longer "right." I had kind of changed color schemes some time back. Now was able to "see" that these were no longer useful.

Christmas decorations--out with those not well-loved and used.

That's a subject--I know some people have a real Christmas decorating thing going, but at most estate sales, entire rooms are full of Christmas decor & junk. This does not feel like "me" and our family, but I can see how easy it is to go there, so it has helped me narrow down to fewer things that are traditions in our family, and not collecting more stuff just because of store hype.

I was recently cleaning out a closet. We had 2 tennis rackets and 2 racketball rackets. Neither of us really play tennis at all. We used to play raquetball. Right now, I could no more enjoy that than fly--too speedy for me. My husband hasn't played in years, though he still could. "His" racket is a good aluminum one; mine was wood. Both tennis rackets wood, and one had a busted string. We have stored these for 6 years and not used for longer than that (maybe one day a random child would want to hit a tennis ball in the street...).

So it became easy. We kept his racket, for now. Mine went out. Tennis rackets out--easy.If I ever would decide to try to play either of those sports, I would want a new racket.

I may be too unsentimental. I really don't feel compelled to keep things JUST because someone gave it to me (except fear/guilt of discovery). I do develop sentimental attachments to some things, but am doing better about limiting that. So an estate sale visit can help to shake your senses up and say, for whom am I keeping this? For another person is not a really good reason for me to be cluttered or burdened, usually.

Still, I have maybe 15 tablecloths (I like them!). I use them for and with my family, different seasons, holidays, but they're "mine." They wouldn't really care. So I can't worry that if I dropped dead today, my family would go, look at all these tablecloths--what a hoarder! But I can try to keep just the ones I really love and use. And, every couple of years I can look to see that I'm not really using or having fun with some of those, I'll try to let them go. Plus, now that I cleared some of them out, I can see my assortment better and see that I don't need any more (for now!).

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Comments (3)

claire_de_luna
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Frankie, as a former antique dealer who has done her share of sales, your timing on this coincides well with the basement we are cleaning out to have our ''Sale'' with! Your observations are right on. You know those things that were saved in boxes were probably family gifts the owner felt they couldn't give away. Broken or dirty stuff that's been neglected is just sad. Knowing how much work there is to selling off old stuff always makes me want to make it easier on myself.

I helped my parents with their estate sale. Mom thought it was too overwhelming and she never dealt with the contents of her house until that point in time. She was a depression kid, and her stuff represented her life to her. Most of it wasn't particularly valuable, yet she had far more difficulty letting it go than she should have. She didn't have any practice at culling, and though she knew most of that old stuff wasn't worth much, it was physically painful for her to let it go.

When we cleaned out our garage, to have a staging area for the basement stuff to sell, my DH wanted to save two windows that ''we might need if'' something happened to the others. I put my foot down. I'm allowing him to keep the bicycle he refuses to get rid of that has been hanging (out of the way) in the garage that he hasn't ridden since we've lived here. (It's a symbol of his youth, long before we met. Since we'll have been married 27 years soon, it's old and not particularly valuable...Only in his mind!) I figure it resides there as my bargaining chip, which I've used many, many times as a point of reference. Since it isn't taking space away from anything else, it's useful to me for that!

I have an assortment of tablecloths too; you can bet I'm culling them for my sale. I have parts to pieces I've been looking for since we moved here 11 years ago. I hope to find them in the basement when we clean it out. If I don't, they're GOING. I'm trying to have a good attitude about this, knowing I'll find some treasures that were lost and found. It's going to be great to reclaim the basement real estate for a re-purpose, other than storage. The only problem I can see with this is that it may involve another remodel, but I'm not going there for a good, long while! In the meantime, there will be room to figure it out.

I've had so much stuff come and go in my life I don't attach a lot of importance to it anymore. If it's useful or you love it, sure. Most doesn't fit in that category. Otherwise, you just have to deal with it at some point. When it's all said and done, it's only stuff. It's so refreshing to lighten the load!
bud_wi
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I shop at Goodwill and other thrift type stores. I am always dumbstruck at sheer the junk that is manufactured and purchased. These stores all have hundreds of coffee mugs - holiday designs, favorite teacher, best boss, advertising, cute kittens, ect. all probably received as gifts. Then there is stuff that is just crap; leather covered liquer decanters, wall plaques with poems, little decorative boxes that are too small to hold anything, collector wall plates, sets of two matching champagne glasses, itty bitty figurines. Just junk. Aisles and aisles of junk junk junk. I always wonder "Who bought this stuff in the first place?" So much of it looks like something that was bought because someone needed to give a gift for an "occasion" and had to come up with something that could be put into a box and wrapped with a bow.
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Carolyn is right. They will be selling anything you can see and that can be moved and is not attached to the property. Other than that there should be no restrictions as to what you can purchase. Everything will be left in the home if the sale is conducted on the property. A lot of times these 'estate' sales are conducted off the property at an auction place. Most times the sale is conducted as an auction whether on or off the property. 99% of the time the house is one where people are no linger living there - either they've passed away or there is a foreclosure. Yard sales and such are when folks just drag out what they no longer use and get rid of it.
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Kathleen, here's the "story" the original poster wrote regarding this estate sale. Karen From: JeannieTX good morning folks... i'm headed to Schulenburg, TX to help set up a fabulous estate sale... i've already spent one day working on it and it is a mind-boggling estate... the occupant died 25 years ago and her son locked the doors and returned to his out of state home. there was a caretaker, electricity was on, ALL the phones were still connected... it is clean... amazingly it looks like someone just lived there yesterday. anyhow... 7000+ square feet of treasures!!! plus a full basement... completely jam-packed with stuff... plus several out-buildings... i'm having SOOOOOOOO much fun! the house is a mansion with stained glass windows everywhere... bevel glass pocket doors inside... pocket doors everywhere... transoms (with stained glass) on almost every interior door... a FORMAL nursery and playroom for the children... just way too much to mention... if anyone wants to take a peek here's a link to the website (of the estate sale company...>) www.margiebeeglesales.com after opening the site, select "upcoming sales" which will open the pages with photos...
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sally2 - I stumbled across the Scandinavian version of the Pizelle Iron in another cupboard. It's called the Krumkake Iron (kruum - ca-ca) I think we can all agree that it does not sound as appetizing as "pizelle". The one I have is in rough shape....another garage sale rescue. I'm pretty sure that's the reason I have never used it....that and the fact that I am not fond of sweets. Nordic Ware is another local Scandinavian company. The style has not changed over the years. The link is to the one you can buy today. Mine was made in the 40's and looks identical. I think the big difference between pizelles and krumkake is that most often the krumkake is rolled into a cone while it is still hot and soft. Just one more appliance you probably don't want! :-) Teresa Here is a link that might be useful: Nordic Ware Krumkake Iron
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Redsox, at the risk of sounding harsh...articles from newspapers about items that are 'an exact match' are quite meaningless as far as what the ACTUAL value of your items may be. If you had written appraisals from experts that your mother had hired, and if those were in your hands, then you would indeed be able to have some confidence that your furniture was very valuable. Hope you do find out good news, but I wouldn't get my hopes up about becoming fabulously wealthy based on some outdated clippings. Especially if a reputable place doesn't seem too interested; Sothebys and other high end dealers are highly trained in spotting the jewels in the junk so to speak. If you sent them a photo of a half million dollar chest, I'm sure someone would have responded to you VERY fast.
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talley_sue_nyc
16 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Oh, Bud, me too!

In fact, me three, me four, me five, me six.....

And I think of all the economic power that was squandered by the people who purchased that stuff.

I will say that I have decided there is *some* use to all the junk--it's like the mosquito. It's a way to move economic power from one person's wallet into someone else's, because there are people who have jobs making, purchasing, marketing, and distributing that stuff. that is the only purpose they serve.

I don't even think they really serve the purpose of "conveying someone's love." They just carry "obligation" back and forth: "I ought to get them a present"; "I ought to be grateful"; "I ought to display it."

So much of it looks like something that was bought because someone needed to give a gift for an "occasion" and had to come up with something

I hate this sort of thing--it occurs, I think you're absolutely right. I just want to outlaw those sorts of stupid gifts.

I grew up in a family that tended to buy *useful* gifts; we spent months eavesdropping so we could buy someone something that was exactly right. If that meant we bought them jumper cables because on Dec. 7 they realized theirs were frayed, then we were proud of our gift.

My ILs can't do that. If they give a gift, it *has* to come from the "gift" aisle. And I'm sure they're not alone, at all!

I just wish we'd stop defining so many occasions as "gift-giving."

In my ILs family, they give gifts at Easter, and Thanksgiving, and stuff.

What I learned from estate sales

Comments (3)

claire_de_luna

bud_wi

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talley_sue_nyc

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