How to Shop an Estate Sale

Plus, some of my favorite estate sale finds

“How do you know where estate sales are?” This is undoubtedly the question I receive the most on Instagram and TikTok. But shopping an estate sale is about more than just knowing where they are.

The world of estate sales is, in a word, wild. In my book, I describe estate sale people as akin to “Disney people.” You will see the same folks crop up sale after sale, and all have a different agenda. Some just want to peek inside the house, some are collectors (after very specific things —like vintage toys or jewelry). Some are designers, looking for high-end items for clients. And many are resellers. All of the above are nuts for estate sales and can get very cutthroat about them.

Knowing how to shop an estate sale (how to get in line, what days to go, what to know about pricing) is integral to the experience. Frankly, it can be incredibly intimidating otherwise. So I’ve rounded up all my thoughts below, and shared some of my biggest lessons learned from decades of shopping estate sales.

I’ve also included some real gems, including my number-one biggest hack for shopping an estate sale on the first day (plus, I’ve sprinkled a handful of my favorite estate-sale finds throughout).

---