An observation about estate sales...

[The Night Owl]

I've noticed that the amount of cool stuff at any given estate sale is often inversely proportional to the amount of Christian stuff there. I wonder why that is.

[Stinky The Clown]

1. Speakin' just for me, I'd chalk that up to being blinded by bias

I'd so turned off by seeing that stuff that I might either leave or fail to notice the good stuff.

[grasswire]

2. I thought it was inversely proportional to the number of....

....Tijuana Brass LPs.

[The Night Owl]

3. One can do far worse than Herb Alpert. {EOM}

[Vinca]

4. That's funny. I'm alway on the lookout for Christian stuff.

Some of it sells really well. My all time favorite find was a 3 foot tall, silver plated communion tray/stand that came from a defunct funeral parlor. I never miss the bazaar at the local Catholic church because they always throw in a few statues, rosaries, etc. Last fall I bought a priest's hat there.

[Kat45]

6. What kind of religious stuff sells well?

More 'professional' items from churches and stuff, or statuary type things that individuals would have at home? I've inherited a variety of items from my mother and I didn't realize there would be a market for the religious items; I wasn't sure what to do with them (with the exception of a few things my cousin wants). I have a few 'statues' (that one would place on a bureau): I think I have an Infant of Prague, a Mary, a St. George with his spear, a rosary (I think). Would there be a market for that kind of stuff?

[Vinca]

7. Yes, all the statues sell well. Prices vary on size, age, material and condition.

I also sell old religious prints, photographs (just sold a professional portrait of Pope John Paul) and whatever else I can find. Rosaries and medallions do well if they are old, made of precious metals or are just very pretty and of good quality. I did make a mistake on one item when I first started selling this sort of thing. I'm not a Catholic and didn't know anything about relics. I sold a rosary with a crucifix that had a screw-like bottom and it turns out it was a reliquary cross that supposedly held a bit of remains of a saint. Apparently I gave it away, so that's something to keep in mind. There's usually quite a bit of religious stuff on ebay to give you an idea of what sells and for how much. Early Mormon stuff also can be quite valuable, but I haven't had much luck finding any.

[yy4me]

5. In our neck of the woods, not much religious stuff at Estate sales,

I think the professionals pull most of it. In our shop, except for an occasional cross in the jewelry case, we never sold any. I have always though religious things were too personal to sell.
BTW, I no longer go to the professionally run sales around here. There is a lot of "who you know" stuff going on. There may be very good operators of these sales but they tend to price a $20.00 item for $20.00. Where is the motivation.

I'd rather hit the church fairs, flea markets, yard sales and private house sales. I know what I'm looking for and do not like to be told by the professional "Estate Sale" dealer that the XXX that I am holding is "very old, worth XXX dollars in a shop. Phooey on that. If I'm looking at an item, I know what it is, what it is worth to me. If I have that gut feeling, I might pay a little more.

Granny's old glass salad bowl is from Woolworth's, circa 1950, it is not Depression glass. The pine chest in the upstairs is not "an early New England piece", it is a cottage chest, painted about 10 times and has less value that it would cost to have it refinished. Do it yourself, worth it maybe.

I know you have all overheard some of the Lulu things that have been told to customers.
My best one: "you see, there is a paper label on the back, it is by Marshall Field of Chicago".
Yipes!

Spring is almost here, Attics will soon be cleaned out. Can't wait. All I have to do is have a sale of my own so I'll have money to buy more stuff. Isn't there a pill to cure this?