Let's play a game. Almost Every estate sale I've ever been to has....

framed pictures of Pinky, Blue Boy and Jenny Lind.
It's odd....even ones where everything else is unusual, cool, high dollar, there will be a garage or back room with these three framed and ready for a new home. I realize they were ubiquitous, but man, THAT ubiquitous? They could burn half of these things in the whole country and I swear there would still be a few million of them and they would somehow multiply. They're like the fruitcake of estate sale items.
Can anyone think of anything else that you will most always find at an estate sale? Wanna play?

 

Baskets.....lots of ugly baskets.

 

Gift boxes of various sizes in either plain white or in seasonal colors/patterns but which have been smooshed and/or are missing lids or bottoms and/or have a filled-in-name gift tag taped to the box.

 

That same old tired story about how the couple were collectors who traveled extensively many years ago and came home with treasures from around the world !
Specially the Chinese vase from the Wing Wang Wong dynasty !

 

......or, this item is VERY old since it belonged to my Grandmother.

 

or the repro weapons......brought back by uncle Fred from one war or another...

 

TUPPERWARE.
greg

 

Almost Every estate sale I've ever been to has....

...been a social event more than a collecting adventure.

 

A cupboard full of unrelated mugs.

 

Cat's Meow village stuff around here. Surely there can't have been sooooo many collectors of the stuff can there?

 

Estate sales are useless dead people want too much money for their stuff.
greg

 

... a cluster of "regulars" at the front of the line and a gaggle of neighbors on the sidewalk.

 

And when I was still able to go, I would be the one right behind you Don.

 

The most memorable "regular" is quite a strange duck - older guy who gets around on an older bicycle, wears a backpack fitted with bungie cords for his purchases. He obviously doesn't buy furniture.

 

Around here, alot of Pyrex or Corningware blue flowers (forgot the pattern name), especially the teapot that eBay won't allow selling. If I had a dime for each of those teapots!

 

"cornflower"