We know that I love the chase of the find, there is no denying that. But for whatever reason most of us have very different reasons for going and buying at estate sales, whether it be www.nymes.net or a more traditional route.
   One of my very favorite things is when a buyer comes back with the before and after pictures. This one today is so inspiring I had to post it! On November 1, 2013 we did a Barn Sale and #1058 purchased this chair
It was nice but no one was interested in it, so # 1058 bought it for $4.00. Twenty four hours later this is the picture I was sent. A fresh coat of paint and new seat cover and this chair was ready to start a new and purposeful life.

To Celebrate this new beginning, we at NYMES have started a once a month contest for our "Do It Yourself Folks", Send us a pictures of your before and after and you may win a lot of attention and twenty dollar credit towards your next sale purchase.

Have a picture send it to info@notyourmothersestatesale.com and we will post it on our facebook page for feedback. Contest will run from the first of the month through the end of each month. Just list the sale you made your purchase at, how much you paid for the item, and a little information such as did you keep it, give it away or sell it. If an interesting technique was used pass that on to, so we can share!

Again Congratulations # 1058!!

Thanks for seeing the wonderful bones of the chair.

Another one slipped through the hands of a second hand shop. More often then not I take the sale even when I am told there is nothing there. There usually always is. I know I say it over and over again. This time although I was getting worried, Cyndi and I had combed through this home with a fine tooth comb - nothing came to the surface except for a ghost but that's a tale for another October night. So although it was all very nice we still felt there had to be something. After two days we resigned ourselves to the fact that maybe there isn't always something there. Setting up the photos today to get the sale online I spent sometime enjoying the beauty of a water color we found that had fallen by the looks of things years ago behind a cabinet. It was a watercolor and it was agreeably signed Fred Cozzens 97.

Well what is Google for if not to look up artist during a coffee break...There he was, a in demand recognized artist from the late 1800's. I started calling galleries, I knew we were onto something when offered $4000.00 sight unseen after a five minute conversation. Next phone call was to the executor who had told me previously, "Just get rid of everything". Needless to say she was quite pleased and agreeable to a  new plan for its sale. "By the way do you know anything about this painting?" She was quiet and then proceeded to tell me her husband would frequent estate-sales and second hand shops, that one she was sure came from a shop in Massachusetts, "He never spent much more then a couple of dollars."

Am I sad to see it go and not be in a sale? - sure. But another find and that's what I look for, Cyndi and I are the Indiana Jones of the estate sale business, Always looking something that doesn't /shouldn't exist in your average home. Maybe we should by the Fedoras in the Huntsburg sale.

Working the barn sale. We are going to be having an actual Ohio country fall Barn sale in eleven days. I am so excited. Cyndi and Sue got to visit it first hand last week and had a great time. As you can see there is quite a bit of stuff in the background that will be for sale,
as well as what is on their heads! I think maybe they had to much fun! The ladies spent their day climbing rafters and digging in lower levels and have come up with some amazing finds.
 We will be offering up for auction everything from a RARE Fire Ball Bike light from the Cycle Danger Company c.1897, and James Bond "Thunderball" action figure in original box with all pieces, vintage designer hats such as Dior with their boxes, great furniture, crystal, lanterns and china. If you have a winning bid you get the address!! And can come and dig around. Its going to be cold as it is a hay barn but we will be offering  lots of fun and warm smiler the morning of November 2, 2013
Hope to see you there!  Not Your Mothers Estate Sale

What to keep and what to ditch

Dont Ditch anything! My bidders will agree! 

Books! - spend some time at abebooks.com you might be surprised at what you have. Recently in a dusty basement of a clients home I came across a book, the title looked like something my son would like so I bought it for a small price even though the owner wanted me to have it for free. On a lark I thought to look it up on Abe Books - it is a first edition, with dust jacket, which sadly is a little frayed so it wont bring full dollar value but it is estimated at $5600.00, my son can read it but carefully and I am sharing the bounty with the original owner(needlessly they were surprised)

China and Porcelain - Pull back that green felt that so many people put on their pieces to not mar their furniture! Recently a client said I could sell "that ugly vase for a $1.00". turned out to be a signed antique Gouda Vase from Holland from a noteworthy artist, the piece is now with the grand children in a prime display area.

Crystal and Glass - We all have depressionware we know what it looks like, but do we realize those frosted kitschy glasses with "Fred and Wilma" or even  just flowers can draw big dollars. Cake plates on Pedestals, if it has a cover will bring even more money.

Toys and Games - Sharp edges are in! Metal toys bring the dollars and if the are complete and working you can be looking at close to four figures in some cases. Games sadly unless they are cult classics; in most cases have only kept their original $10.00 value.



 Dolls:Signed composition dolls from the turn of the 19th Century can bring mid range $200-500 based on condition and accessories. We recently came across a Patsy Ann doll with original brass bracelet and clothes, although that is a great find the addition of a "Patsy Ann" Doll book, made the set complete and gave a higher price realization. but dont ignore the dresser doll with the porcelain doll top a full skirt base filled with old crunchy straw looking dusty and forgotten. She is probably French or German turn of the century hat pin keeper, they can fetch significant money for what you might pay for them at a general estate sale.

 Jewelry - Costume -All jewelry is not the same, sometimes costume jewelry can bring a higher price then real jewelry. Take into consideration a Cigner brooch recently brought to us, Although nicely faceted with Swarovski crystals and enamel painted accents the owner was surprised to see it sold for $500.00 to an overseas client. So dont overlook the gaudy brooch in the pile.
 Jewelry - Fine: Always look hard at piece, if it looks well made and it probably is there are a number of tell tale signs so you dont always need a loop and you dont want to bring a loop out. We had a piece that the customer swore had no value and no one wanted. No visual markings were on the piece but the stone was remarkable almost artificial in color so brilliant and true. It was. The piece 18K the stone .90 Ceylon Blue untreated Sapphire, perfect, value approx 2500.0 just for the stone.
 
Furniture - Dont overlook the obvious even the most experienced forager can miss something while looking for something else. Called into a client recently we were taken again to a dusty damp basement with some furniture of limited cleanliness. Encouragingly we told the client we would work to bring them the best we could. In the back corner sat six chrome and orange leatherette chairs covered in dust and webs. At first blush we agreed we would be grateful for someone to carry them out let alone buy them. The other furniture as well. After some research the chairs were signed value $4600.00, The teak chair signed although missing strapping valued $600.00, Teak inlaid wood,signed coffee table valued $550.00 They were happily carried out by winning bidders.

Post Cards from the edge...I thought they were form the edge. But disappointingly they were no where near it. About two months ago I was working this absolutely fabulous auction with a good friend. Unfortunately as in most cases, the people handling the estate usually do not want to have anything to do with what was left behind., Sometimes this is a mix of feelings and complicated by their own geographical location. So as an estate dealer I am often left to sort through ribbon tied love letter written by sweethearts sent to war or just notes from family trips that occurred long before texting and free long distance phone calls. 

The history of postcards are not as complicated. Post Cards are the third largest collectible only surpassed by stamp and coin collecting. Because postcards cross different subject matters they have what is called more "Crossover" value.

Post cards are also fairly easy to grade, the most  common scale for grading is below.

Grade 1 – Nearly perfect Postcard, unused. The corners of this postcard are perfect or very close to perfect. There is no writing or postal markings on front or back of postcard.

Grade 2 – Nearly perfect corners and is postal used. This postcard could have writing and be Postal used on front or back. A postcard in this condition is based on having perfect or nearly perfect corners.

Grade 3 – Has minor faults such as minimal corner wear and; or minimal edge wear. Some yellowing may exist from age or from being in album. This Postcard may or may not be Postal used. There are no creases so this card is generally in nice condition.

Grade 4 – Has more faults than Grade III. This postcard shows more corner wear and; or has minor creases. This card could be lightly soiled and could be or may not be Postal used.

Grade 5 – Is a lower grade postcard and has more faults than Grade IV. This postcard is damaged with a bad crease and wear. A postcard in this condition would be chosen for its image view only to later be upgraded. 

Finally some great web pages with information on collecting post cards as well selling;