When shopping at an estate sale, it’s easy to get excited by the potential treasures, antiques, and unique items that might be up for grabs. However, not everything at an estate sale is a good investment or even worth bringing home. Whether it’s due to poor condition, safety concerns, or simply being outdated or impractical, there are certain things you should avoid buying.
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Things You Should Never Buy at an Estate Sales
Upholstery
It can be challenging to get rid of stains and smells from upholstery, in addition to detritus from previous lives and even some creepy crawlers. Lev suggests that the excitement of a nice purchase and low lighting in the house can be deceiving, even if you believe an upholstered piece is a blank canvas. She has previously taken upholstered items from estate sales outside and been shocked by their state.
Electronic devices
The homeowners may have kept items like dial phones, old radios, televisions, and typewriters for sentimental reasons, but they may no longer function. At an estate auction, stay away from older gadgets unless you’re willing to perform some rewiring.
Games
Like electronics, home games, and puzzles could be missing a few components to work properly, a game set or puzzle is more difficult to sort through in the middle of an estate sale, but you may try plugging in and turning on a piece of technology to see if it’s still functional.
Items for Babies
In principle, many infant products, such as vintage strollers, prams, cribs, and high chairs, are ideal, but many of them may have been recalled or do not meet current laws. When shopping for babies, be careful because they will put everything in their mouths. At the estate auction, infant accessories that were discovered in the previous owner’s storage may still have lead paint or choking risks. Be especially cautious of any sleeping equipment, as these are when babies are most at risk. Before buying, you should also carefully inspect other products that are susceptible to wear and tear, including as strollers and cribs, since they might have been used excessively or retired from use by the former owner due to a potentially harmful flaw. Although we often support all things old, baby accessories are a notable exception.
Unclear or Unverified Art
While estate sales sometimes feature paintings and sculptures, it can be difficult to verify authenticity or value on the spot. Unless you have expertise, buying art without proper provenance can be risky.
Open Food Containers
Even if the estate sale offers unopened canned goods or dry food, it’s not advisable to purchase these items. Food products may have expired or become compromised over time.
Anything You’re Not Certain Of
There will undoubtedly be undervalued gems at an estate auction in addition to expensive stuff. The organizers can overlook a valuable antique and set its price far below its market value. However, even if you discover gold that is underpriced, you should wait before making a claim.
It is very simple to become engrossed in the excitement of an estate sale. “Am I buying this piece because I love it, or am I buying this piece just because it’s a good deal?” is a crucial question for consumers to avoid regretting their purchase. And I believe you will have a far better result if you ask yourself that question.
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