Summer is the season of yard sales, and you’d be surprised what kinds of treasures you may discover. While most of what people are selling on their front lawn isn’t actually worth particularly much, if you’re a savvy buyer, you may be able to score some valuable finds at yard sales this summer. Here are some tips to help you make the most of your yard sale shopping.
1. Get There Early
Generally, antique dealers are the first ones to get to yard and estate sales, and they’ll likely scoop up any antiques worth having. If you want to get in there and claim some antiques for yourself, you’ll have to be one of the first shoppers at the sale.
2. Shop in Older Neighborhoods
Is there a town nearby that has families who have lived there generation after generation? Members of these older neighborhoods are more likely to have antiques that were passed down to them from previous generations and that may end up on their yard sale tables.
3. Don’t Pass Up Less Obvious Antiques
When you hear antique, you probably think of furniture or jewelry. But antiques come in a variety of categories and you may stumble upon some pretty valuable finds unexpectedly at your next yard sale. Examples include antique ornaments, sports memorabilia, fishing equipment, art frames, and books.
4. Judge the Weight
Heavier items tend to be authentically older, as materials commonly used long ago were bulkier and more weighty than ones used today. Anything that feels light in your hand probably isn’t an authentic antique.
5. Look for Identifying Marks
Antiques will often have markings on them put there by their manufacturers. These marks help identify the maker and the time period. Certain language on backstamps was also used by specific countries in different eras, so study those backstamps if you see them and do some research to help you decipher these clues.
Confirm Your Potentially Valuable Yard Sale Finds
Remember that once you bring home your potentially valuable finds from yard sales, get your items appraised. The experienced buyers at Old and New Shop will give you a fair and accurate price for your antique pieces. Then you can make an informed decision on what to do next – do you want to sell and make some money? Or hold on to it and potentially pass it down in your own family?