In case you didn’t know, my husband and I have six booths at an Antique Mall. We do a lot of shopping at Antique Malls as well as Estate Sales. However, in the past couple of years I have found that Estate Sales are not what they used to be. Below, I am going to list the differences and similarities of each.
- I have that found prices have increased dramatically at estate sales. You used to be able to bargain on prices but I’m afraid those days are long gone. Usually estate sales last three days. The first day everything is priced sky high. The second day it’s 25% off and the last day it will be 50% off. BUT a lot of the time the furniture is not included. You can leave a bid but it must be at least 50% of the asking price.
- A perk of being in an Antique Mall is that if you are interested in a piece that is priced higher than you are willing to pay, most of the time they will call the booth owner and see if they can do better on the price. And most of the time they will. It never hurts to ask.
- Now this is not to say that I haven’t found bargains at estate sales, because I have. However, I don’t find them as much as I used to. Back in the day you could pick out several items and group them together and get a discounted price, that is rare these days.
- Let’s talk distance. Sometimes Estate Sales can be far away, and when you get there a lot of the pieces are sold or are being kept for family.
- Most large antique malls have a variety of items and a variety of prices. You can almost always find something. And it’s so nice everything is all in one place and there’s lots of room and parking is easy and people aren’t pushing and shoving to get by.
- Then there is the parking. I’ve been to estate sales where we had to park far away and wait in a line before we could even go in the house. I have to say I’ve never had that problem at an antique mall.
So in the end, there are positives and negatives for both but honestly, I really feel you get a better variety and price range at antique malls.
I would love to know your thoughts. Have you gone to estate sales? What have you found? Have you gotten a great deal? I have found great deals at both places, but it does take work. Happy Hunting!!
Kathy