15 Items to Absolutely Buy at Estate Sales

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Last Updated on December 10, 2023 by lindseymahoney

Estate sale shopping is one of my favorite weekend activities! There are a handful of items that I ALWAYS look for and buy at estate sales and I am excited to share them with you today.

I love the thrill of the hunt for beautiful, unique home decor and furniture to fill my home. It’s also a great place to check out the great architecture and stunning properties around your city. I truly believe that estate sales are where you find the best deals on unique finds that typically cost a fortune to buy brand new.

What is an estate sale?

An estate sale (also known as a tag sale) is a way of liquidating all of the items in a home. This type of sale often occurs when the homeowner dies or downsizes their property significantly.

Estate sales are an incredible place to find and buy high-quality pieces at a discounted price, but you have to be quick to snag them before someone else does first!

How to find estate sales near me?

You can find a list of upcoming sales by typing in your zip code on estatesales.net. I include sales within 50 miles of my zip code and check the app a few times each week and make note of upcoming estate sales that I want to attend over the weekend.

The app allows you to see the types of items included in the sale and do a little research if you are on the hunt for valuable items.

If you don’t like using a phone app, keep an eye out for estate sales signs pointing you toward local sales in the area.

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15 Items to Look for and Buy When Shopping Estate Sales

1 | Vintage Furniture

Vintage furniture was built to last. Estate sales are a fantastic place to buy beautiful, solid wood, furniture pieces.

This bentwood chair is from a local estate sale and I added new fabric on the seat. I also refurbished the desk that was my mother-in-law’s growing up.

Another piece of furniture I fell in love with the moment I saw it was this gorgeous piano.

Unfortunately, once it was moved to our living room, the piano tuner told me that a piece was broken inside and it could not be fixed.

When investing in larger musical instruments, I highly recommend having someone check them out before purchasing. It still looks beautiful, though, and now it holds all of my thrifted artwork!

2 | Light Fixtures

There are a lot of thrifted items in this image, including the pretty lamp. The chair, yellow picture frame, blue book, and peg rail on the wall are all estate sale finds.

Quality lamps, like a brass, midcentury floor lamp, can always be found at estate sales for a fraction of their original price. I found this boullion lamp and bust at an estate sale whose owners loved Marie Antoinette.

The style and items in this home were very distinct. I love that each piece has a story and I can connect it with an experience.

Here is a lamp that I purchased at a second-hand store and applied plaster to the base for a fresh, new look.

3 | Books

I look for a few different categories of books to buy when I go to an estate sale. First, I keep an eye out for vintage, first edition books that may be valuable as well as beautiful to display. Old books with hardbound covers are easy and inexpensive items to incorporate into home decor.

Second, I look for educational books on topics that interest me. This includes gardening books, decor books, architectural books, etc.

Finally, I look for books in general that I have wanted to read or that my kids will like. I bought most of the Harry Potter hardcover books for my son at a deep discount. Estate sales are one of the best places to purchase books at a good price.

Brand new hardcover books can cost as much as $30 and you can usually purchase them at estate sales for $3-$5.

4 | Baskets

Estate sales are a great place to find different types of baskets. Living in Ohio, I often find the local basket maker, Longaberger Baskets at these sales.

5 | Picture Frames

If you find a beautiful picture frame but don’t love the artwork, remember that you can always switch out the art!

Thinking outside of the box will save you a small fortune! I reused a brass frame that I found at our local Goodwill and added my son’s original artwork.

This original painting was in the discount section of a local consignment shop. The frame was found at an estate sale and I replaced the print with the painting. The frame finish wasn’t exactly what I wanted, so I applied Rub N’ Buff to give it an aged finish.

6 | Mirrors

You can get a great deal on large or small mirrors at your local estate sales.

I purchased the vintage bow mirror below from a reseller who finds her items at estate sales. The mirror has so much character and a beautiful patina on the glass.

It looks perfect in my daughter’s vintage-inspired bedroom.

7 | Artwork

Original artwork is one of my favorite finds at estate sales and I have found some incredibly fun items that are great conversation starters when guests come to our home!

Peppering unique artwork from estate sales throughout our home gives it that one-of-a-kind look and creates a story.

I like to look for signed artwork, oil paintings, watercolor paintings, and drawings.

Let’s talk about my estate sale journey when I purchased my favorite piece of art to date! My journey began on the estatesale.net app where I saw many items that I liked in the photos. An image of a woman caught my eye and brought me to the first day of the sale. The large artwork was listed at $900, which I could not afford. At home, I researched the artist and got an idea of what the market value may be for the piece. I went back to the sale on the final day and my girl was still hanging on the wall! With an hour to spare before the sale ended, I knew the price was already discounted and I could potentially get the price down even further. I ended up walking away with this large, original painting for just $150!

If an art print has numbers on it, for example, 56/100, this means there are only 100 versions of the artwork and this piece is number 56. It shows scarcity and signals that not many people will have the same thing. Purchasing original artwork creates a unique opportunity to decorate your home in a way that you won’t find anywhere else.

8 | Holiday Decor

You can find so much holiday decor at estate sales!

I purchased a box of old green garlands for $10 and used it as the base to decorate our foyer staircase.

I filled the garland with faux flowers/stems, Christmas tree clippings, and red ribbon to complete the look.

Additional holiday decor that I frequently see at estate sales are vintage ribbons, wreaths, ornaments, and faux Christmas trees.

9 | Vintage China

If you want fine china for the occasional formal dinner, but don’t want to spend $1,000+ on a brand-new set, estate sales are the place for you!

I have seen dozens of gorgeous formal china and plenty of vintage silverware sets that sell for a fraction of the original price. I always keep an eye out for holiday place settings, but they usually sell fast at an estate sale.

Here are a few brands/patterns that I look for at estate sales:

• • Spode

• • Holiday by Lenox

• • Wedgwood

• • Delft

• • Johnson Brothers

10 | Garden Decor / Outdoor Furniture

Garden planters and clay pots are frequent items available at estate sales. You can also find unique items to use as outdoor planters, like copper bins.

A few years ago we planted an English garden and we added an iron arbor that we found on the side of the road and a decorative blue sphere from a friend decluttering her garage.

11 | Vases & Plant Containers

Containers that can be used for flower arrangements or candles are always available at estate sales. I purchased these copper urns and used them as the centerpiece of our Thanksgiving tablescape.

Small bowls like this Delft pot are great for small plants.

12 | Table Linens and Cloth Napkins

I am always a fan of simple eco-friendly changes, like switching to cloth napkins.

Cloth napkin sets and table linens are easy finds at local estate sales. I have bought many casual cloth napkins since you really can’t have too many if you use napkins at every meal!

13 | Clothing & Jewelry

I have a friend who almost exclusively wears vintage and secondhand clothing and jewelry. I

love attending estate sales with her and learning what she looks for in vintage clothing and costume jewelry, but I still struggle with how I will style certain items. It is an incredible skill to search through racks of old clothing and find stunning cocktail dresses and evening gowns that can be styled and worn today!

My goal is to get to a point where I can easily spot great vintage clothing at estate sales, but I am not there yet!

Until then, I will support small businesses, like The Weekender Vintage, who do the hard work for me by finding, cleaning, and styling beautiful vintage clothing and jewelry!

14 | Rugs

Well-made rugs are always a great item to look for at estate sales.

I generally look for wool rugs to buy at estate sales because I know they will hold up over time. A quick trip to the carpet cleaners and a once old rug will look and smell as good as new.

15 | Vinyl Records

Growing your vinyl record collection is very easy when you shop at estate sales.

You can always find a box of old records for sale in a basement or office at a sale.

Speaking of records, you can also find vintage radios and record players at estate sales too! We found a midcentury record player on Facebook marketplace and it looks beautiful in our living room.

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Where Else Can I Find Unique Vintage Home Decor?

• • Facebook marketplace

• • Garage sales

• • Thrift stores like Goodwill & ReStore

• • Antique stores – search for “antique stores nearby” on your phone

• • Flea markets

• • Local consignment stores

• • Roadside Items – Big trash day or items left for garbage pickup

• • Etsy – type “vintage [item you want]” in the search bar and you will get a list of items sold from small shops

• • Craigslist

• • Ebay

• • Chairish

• • Auction Houses

• • Resellers online – I follow many resellers on Instagram (ex: @thebrasslamp)who do live sales in their stories

There are so many benefits to shopping at estate sales. You can find high-quality items that are in good condition at deep discount prices and save a ton of money.

Purchasing secondhand items is also eco-friendly by keeping perfectly good items out of a landfill.

You are also preserving a piece of history and creating a unique style in your home that has a story.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What to expect if it is your first time attending an estate sale?

If the estate sale includes many vintage home furnishings and unique items, you can expect a lot of people to attend the first day of the sale.

When it comes to shopping estate sales, the early bird gets the worm! The estate sale company running the sale will set out a sign-up sheet a few hours before doors open. When the sale begins (usually at 9 am), they will go down the list and call 20-25 buyers to come inside.

If it is a good sale, resellers will be first in line to purchase the items they want. There is a good chance that the resellers have already researched resale value of many items and know exactly what they want. 

What kinds of things are sold at an estate sale?

EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING!

Estate sales are filled with every item you can imagine. This includes furniture, architectural pieces, clothing, household items like vintage pyrex, fine china, artwork, a lawn mower, and even cars. Estate sales are often where antique dealers buy items that are then sold at their booths.

What are the best-selling items at estate sales?

Antique furniture in popular styles like art deco or midcentury modern tends to sell quickly at estate sales.

Vintage decor and small items that are collectible also quick to sell on the first day of an estate sale. The better the deal, the faster the items sell. In my experience, whenever I want a high-quality piece of furniture or a nice set of china, I have to be one of the first buyers in the door to have a chance at getting the item I want.

How do you get what you want at an estate sale?

If there is an item you really want at an estate sale, I recommend getting your name on the sign-in sheet as early as possible on the first day of the sale.

When there is a lot of interest in a particular sale, they will limit the number of people inside the home – usually around 20-25 people at a time. You want to be in the first batch of buyers if possible.

If the price of an item is too high, don’t be afraid to ask for a lower price.

People haggle at estate sales all the time. On the first day of the sale, the company is pretty firm on the list price, however, they become more flexible on the second and third days. To get the best price on an item, estate sale companies lower prices on the last day of the sale and are more open to negotiating.