10 Best Things to Buy at Estate Sales

Seek out deals on these sought-after items

David Weissberg

John Waggoner,

AARP

En español

Published August 23, 2021

/ Updated October 15, 2024

Estate sales are an expanded version of yard sales — except that virtually everything in the house is for sale. If you’re looking for a good secondhand bicycle, lawn mower or toaster, an estate sale is for you.

Of course, some items are hotter than others. China sets? Not so much. These days, “we’re more casual in the way we entertain and enjoy friends,” says Jacquie Denny, founder of Everything But the House, an online company that runs estate sales.

“My mom would set up china and polish silver and never enjoy any of it because she was so worried about presentation and cleaning up,” she says. “When my friends come over, we’re going to sit on the deck, probably have a few beers, and use paper plates.”

Whether you plan to resell the stuff you buy or just pick up good things on the cheap, an estate sale is the place to go. And many times, the things you can buy secondhand are sturdier and better built than the things you can get new at the store.

Here are 10 items you should look for when you shop at an estate sale.

Art

If you have bare walls, estate sales can be a great place to pick up some nicely framed art. “I tend to find a lot of abstract paintings, which I’m interested in just because mid-century modern is an aesthetic that I like in my own home,” says Kentin Waits, a writer for MoneyTalksNews.com who specializes in secondhand shopping . “Vintage pieces that I find at estate sales are usually signed originals or really nice, low-numbered prints.”

Everyone’s taste in art varies, but if you find a painting you like, you’ll probably also find that the owners put it in a nice frame. You might even dislike the art but like the frame — and repurposing the frame for your own art can save you considerable money in framing costs.

Books

Sadly, books are not in demand — unless they’re first editions. Is it worth checking? Absolutely, especially if the book is written by a renowned author.

It’s not easy to spot first editions, but if the date on the copyright page matches the date on the title page, you’ve probably found one. Sometimes the words “first edition” are on the copyright page, though you’ll generally need to get that verified by an expert. Even so, taking a flier on a book for a few bucks is probably a better bet than the lottery, and you can still read it — even if it’s a later edition.

CorningWare

You may remember CorningWare as the preferred delivery vehicle for your mom's tuna noodle casserole. And you can still buy CorningWare today, including the popular Pyrex brand. But keep an eye out for vintage Pyrex from the 1950s through the 1970s, some of which can sell for thousands of dollars. A rare “Spice of Life” seven-piece set was listed on eBay in October for $55,500.

Fashion

Vintage women’s clothing is highly sought-after at estate sales. It’s often well made and trendy. What’s more, many younger shoppers are mindful of the huge amount of waste in the clothing industry, says Denny: “People now want to buy sustainably and try to contribute to a better cycle in the fashion world.”

Women's fashion from the 1950s to 1970s is particularly popular at estate sales, Denny says. Look for luxury labels on dresses and purses.

Estate sales are also a good place to get children’s clothing, vintage or not. “Kids outgrow stuff so fast that parents don’t want to go out and spend an arm and a leg on it,” Denny says.

Fire-King glassware

Another hot seller is Fire-King glassware, created by Anchor Hocking. “Fire-King was one of the first heat-resistant glasses made for consumer use,” Waits says. “They were used in advertising a lot, so if you went to your favorite restaurant in the ’60s and were a frequent customer, they might give you a Fire-King coffee cup.”

Fire-King also made Jadeite glass, an opaque green glass that was manufactured from the 1940s to the 1960s. It’s a popular collectible today: A Jadeite butter dish was listed on eBay in October for $225. Sapphire Blue ovenware, also from Fire-King, is in demand as well.

Furniture

Excellent craftsmanship is often a hallmark of older furniture. “Typically, the quality of vintage furniture is so much higher than even the mid- to high-end stuff that you can buy today,” Waits says. “Even the stains and finishes are more durable,” he says.

Look for solid wood, not particleboard, as well as good joinery technique.

One brand to keep an eye out for is Ethan Allen, which has produced high-quality furniture since the 1930s.Waits warns to be wary of upholstered furniture, which can reek of tobacco smoke or have pet hair under the cushions. “I avoid anything upholstered unless I’m really impressed by the cleanliness of the household,” he says.

5 tips for successful estate sale shopping

Knowing the rules will help you get good deals — and keep you out of trouble with sellers.

Go early. “Usually, in every city there's a crowd of regular people who are very serious about getting there early,” says Kentin Waits, a writer for MoneyTalksNews.com. Don't let early-bird shoppers beat you to the best items.
Bring cash.Sellers may not have change, so go with a variety of bills.
Haggle. Most estate sellers expect to bargain, and if you offer $75 for a $100 item, you could get it.
Shop online. Many estate sale companies now let you bid online. Keep in mind, you'll probably pay for shipping, and a teak desk you buy in Ohio is going to cost a lot to ship to Oregon.
Bide your time. Yes, everything will be picked over towards the end of an estate sale, but leftover items will often be marked down, as many sellers make a last-ditch effort to unload their wares.

Kitchen appliances

If you’re looking for a slow cooker or a blender, you can save money by shopping at an estate sale — sometimes. “We sell blenders at almost the same retail price they sold at originally,” Denny says. Mixers that cost $299 at Walmart can often sell for $275 at an estate sale, she says. Why buy used to save just a little bit of money? Because older products might be higher quality, especially if they're from reputable brands and appear to be well cared for. Tip: Plug in electric appliances to make sure they work before purchasing them.

Tools

Tools attract two types of buyers. “There’s the guy who's looking for the vintage Stanley hand wood planer, and there’s the young guy who’s got three kids and is looking for a power tool but doesn’t want to go spend $100 at Home Depot,” Denny says. Vintage planers go for several hundred dollars on eBay, and vintage levels can fetch nearly $1,000.

Estate sales are also great places to buy lawn tools, such as rakes, fertilizer spreaders and lawn mowers. Unless your idea of a good time is taking apart a lawn mower on a Saturday afternoon, make sure any power tools work when you turn them on.

Toys

Collectible toys tend to appeal to people who played with them when they were little. Star Wars and X-Men figurines are fetching top dollar, as are Pokemon cards. (To get those top dollars, they have to be in pristine, in-the-box condition.)

Toys also appeal to parents and grandparents who want to save a buck. Lego sets are always popular with kids, for example, and are much cheaper at an estate sale than at the toy store.

Vinyl records

Vinyl is in again. Some collectors feel that records have a warmth of sound that CDs and other digital music don’t have. For $1 or less, you can get vinyl albums not only for listening but for cover art as well. Be sure to check for scratches and other imperfections before you buy, and if you’re looking for rare albums, remember that the highest prices are for records in excellent condition — or, best of all, still in their plastic wrapper.

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John Waggoner is a contributing writer of all things financial for AARP, from budgeting and taxes to retirement planning and Social Security. Previously, he was a reporter for Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and USA Today and has written books on investing and the 2008 financial crisis. Waggoner’s USA Today investing column ran in dozens of newspapers for 25 years.