Finding Thrift Store Collectibles for Resale or Upscale Home Decor

Locating Collectibles To Resell

Selling old collectible memorabilia is not the only way to make good money. In fact, many times the item does not even need to be old to be collectible or worth a lot of money.

People just need those items to finish up their own collection. Do a little research ahead of time by visiting online auction sites to see what is selling and then go hunt those items down and put them back in front of an eager audience.

Flea market treasure, collectibles to sell

Where to Find the Best Resale Items

So where do you start finding items that might be worth a few dollars, or better yet, a lot of money? There are several different places to start, but the best method is to hit as many rummage sales as you can during the peak summer sales months.

Rummage Sales

Be aware that a rummage sale or auction attendee should be wise enough to stay on top of the values of collectibles. Most yard sales or estate sales have tons of items that the sellers just don't want and could care less if they have value or not.

Estate sales are loaded with tables full of items worth far more then the price tag. Very few know the value of their parent's cupboard knick-knacks. Their only desire is to get the estate liquidated and get on with their li

Free Items at Garage and Yard Sales

Once again, the favored source for finding items worth their weight in gold is at rummage sales. Look for a box marked free and dig through it. The free boxes at garage and yard sales are often filled to the brim with toss outs that literally can be worth hundreds of dollars if you know what you are looking at.

One such instance was a perceptive shopper who picked through a box labeled rags and came out with an old dress. The seller volunteered the information that the dress was purchased at the thrift store for a Halloween costume. The shopper nonchalantly commented it was kind of neat and draped it over her arm, said thank you, purchased a couple items, and left.

This particular dress contained five antique buttons that were each worth nearly seventy dollars at auction. She knew they were old and she knew that free dress would make her money.

Remaking New From Old

It did not stop at the buttons. She made doll clothing from the fabric of the dress and sold that as a time period doll dress, earning another twenty-four dollars. All toll the price of a free dress earned the shopper nearly four hundred dollars.

Auctions

Auctions are another source for finding valuable items to resell, but seldom with the same resale value as rummage sale items. Present day auctioneers are far more antique savvy and let the public know the value of what they are presenting by starting the bid very high.

Thrift stores are also becoming more aware of what things are worth and will often place the more valued items in a separate section and put high price tags on them. The best place to look in a thrift store is in the pattern sections and toy sections.

Vintage Household Goods, Forgotten Collectibles

Vintage patterns, old pattern books, military clothing and collectible toys are often disregarded as collectibles. Another item to watch for is golf clubs. You would be amazed at how many golfers pay good money for a single golf club if it is the right brand. You will find a lot of them in the southern states thrift stores.

The last source for finding items of value is at a church rummage sale. Tables are loaded with all kinds of cupboard clutter and old clothing. Sad as it may sound, our old timers are getting to the point where they must relocate to smaller apartments or nursing homes, and cannot take all their possessions with them.

They will donate their stash to their church rummage sale simply because they have no room for them. Most cannot handle the work involved to hold their own rummage sale, so their church is their next choice. An auction is normally out of the question as they still need a large amount of their belonging to furnish their new home, and many auctioneers prefer an entire estate.

The final choice for finding good buys is at an online auction. A very surprising amount of sellers do not bother to compare similar item starting prices. They just want to get their items listed and are happy to make a few dollars if it sells.

The strategies for finding collectibles to sell are simple. Visit the library or auction sites and learn what is selling. Next, go out and dig through rummage sales, flea markets, estate sales, and even an auction or two. Clean the item up, if it will not take away the items value, write an informative catchy descriptive and put it up for auction.

Join the author By Rebecca Froebell at http://www.oldfolkstreasuretrove.com as more antiques and collectibles are revealed as profitable investments.

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