Anyone having luck with estate sales in there area?

[convertible18]

wondering if anybody has been finding some good stuff in there area from estate sales, mine hasnt been to bad here in upstate ny, utica area. there was a sale a few towns over that had some interesting finds (picture attached below), but i didnt get any. im having trouble with finding good sales now days but i usally looks at pictures or if i see mid century modern stuff i will go. downtown utica area is a goldmine because there are a lot of old timers down there. attach some pictures of what you have been seeing for sales in your area lately, i would love to see them and i think other members of the forum would like to see them too!

 

[justjunque]

That's something I've never done, personally. I always hear about people getting good deals at them, but I've never been to one. I don't even know how it works. Do you just show up and buy stuff, like a garage sale?
By the way, I like the Electrikbrooms in your avatar. I just added two of them to my hoard recently.

 

[hygiene903]

Estate Sales

On May 13 I found a Frankenkirby and 2 Filter Queens, model 33 and 31X, at an estate sale in my area with a sign over them that read, "Vacuums-$5 each." Needless to say I snatched them up real quick! The Frankenkirby started its life as a D-80, but has a Classic III handle, cord, and wheels, 500 series bumpers, bojack replacement bag, and a generic belt lifter. Runs OK except for a little bearing noise. Both Filter Queens run great! The 33 has a cordwinder but the cord will need replacement, and the only attachments that were with it were a dust brush, massager, and upholstery nozzle with slider brush, but I do happen to have a hose and rug nozzle on hand for it. The 31X is pretty much complete and the power nozzle does a great job on our carpets. Interesting too, that since I already have a 350, I now have Filter Queens from the 50's, 60's, and 70's.
Jeff

 

[panasonicvac]

I would've easily snatched up on that Kenmore, one of my favorites ever!

 

[texaskirbyguy]

In my area, estate sales had sucked, to say it gently.
If run by the family of the estate owner, then bargains could be had.
However I had not been to one of these for decades.

If run by a estate sale company (like most are now here), don't even bother.
I remember where canned goods in a kitchen cost more than new.
1.00 for a can of corn that I could get new for 0.69.
Opened Suave shampoo bottle for $2.00.
2000 era couch for 400, nothing special, a bit ugly.
1990's Onkyo stereo components - cheapest ebay prices (400-1000 each).

Everything else was unreasonable. Needless to say I did not stay long and I did not get anything.
I think at one place I would have had to pay sales tax.

 

[ohiovacuums]

We attend Estate sales regularly and do see vacs but they are usually overpriced
as are the other items at the sale. I did find 2 late 1800/early 1900 hand pump
vacs that were marked as $ 75 each. I started a conversation with the gut running the sale and ended up getting both for $ 40.
He said I was the only one that expressed any interest at all (No surprise).
Facebook and Craigs List occasionally have a deal.

 

[convertible18]

justjunque

how they work is the same as a garage sale, but your in a house. i just search a house looking in every area and nook and cranny, you never know what you could miss. just pickup whatever you want, go to the runner of the sale and pay them, or negotiate a lower price

 

[convertible18]

panasonicvac

i actually didnt go to the sale, my friend went to it and took the kirby, he said the rest of the machines were horribly beat, driest bearing and maybe even locked up motors. the vac weres reasonable.

 

[convertible18]

hygiene903

nice finds! you are in a bigger area so i bet you can find lots of local sales with great treasure to be found. i would had picked up the kirby, i dont know nor have a lot of interest in filter queens.

 

[convertible18]

texaskirbyguy and OhioVacuums

i agree with the overpriced stuff and getting better deals with marketplace and craiglist, i found more stuff if the sale is ran by the family/owner of estate. all of the businesses who do the sale overprice stuff way to much, its really sad

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I like to go and search the whole place, too.

Sometimes, you'll find several vacs in the house.


 


Also, on the last day, everything left is usually half off.


I got a beautiful French chair at one that way. Cost a lot to reupholster it, but, it's a gorgeous French chair!

 

[convertible18]

john

im sure you may know Chris Szwejk, me and him are great buddys. he went to a sale once and found 5 or 6 50s-60s hoovers, i think thats the most ive ever heard that has been found in only one household.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Decent luck here and there

I usually don’t find much in the way of vintage vacs, but I do frequently go to the estate sales, and have had some good finds over many sales the last few years. I go to pretty much every estate sale held in my county, and will even go into neighboring ones if I see stuff I want in the ads. I usually check estatesale.com, estatesales.net and my local online newspaper classifieds for sales later each week, as well as Facebook Marketplace.

Last year I got an orange Hoover Dial A Matic with attachments for $35.

At another sale a gray Kenmore 2 speed canister for $15 (needs some bearing work though).

A few years ago got a Kenmore Powerspray for $5. There was also a Kenmore twin fan Heavy Duty upright (wish I’d have got it too).

Also saw a couple carrying a black Eureka Ironsides out of a sale once.

That’s pretty much it. I have typically seen most estate sales have tend to have newer bagless vacuums, or very overpriced newer Kirby’s or Rainbows. I have sometimes had better luck with thrift stores, but they too tend to not have anything much older lately than the 90s or 2000s.

 

[convertible18]

Good deals

Never heard of estatesales.com, but nice finds. Are you in a big area or a smaller one?

 

[jo]

Been to many…rare luck though

Been to many estate sales. Only found an Electrolux model LX at one one time that I did buy. It had a plastic replacement hose and nothing else…no attachments sadly. I ended up giving it away to someone I shouldn’t have but that’s ok. I enjoyed it for a bit to experience one. I did see a model XXX at another sale one time with attachments but I did not get it as I already have my Grandmother’s that is in pristine condition and nothing lost or missing. Only other great thing I got at an estate sale was a Newton built Maytag washer dryer set from 1995. The old Maytags were built to last and still have the set thought he dryer only works correctly on the timed cycle now..the automatic sensor has gone bad but the washer still works fine only replaced belts when I first got it. It was reasonable at $200 and that was back in February of 2009!

Jon

 

[fan-of-fans]

@ Declan

Not a major metro area but not a tiny town either.

@ Declan

 

[huskyvacs]

I've been having bad luck at finding any vacuum at all. Both online and in real life. They just....vanished. All I managed to get in the last 3 months was a nicely kept Hoover Quik Broom from the 80s. I feel like I'm being punished by a higher power for having too many. lol

 

[justjunque]

LOL.
I hate when that happens. I've gotten so frustrated sometimes when nothing shows up anywhere.
Then, there's times where too many show up, and you have to walk away from some. And, if you're like me, then you keep beating yourself up for passing on them!

 

[eureka1998]

huskyvacs

Happened with me this past year and it made me kind of lose interest. Had all sorts of luck in previous years but atleast I managed to get a rare mega boss at the very end. So id hope 2024 it picks up again tbh.