The Top 5 Things to Look for at Yard Sales This Year

When Melissa of Melissa's Antiques asked me to take part in a multi-blog-post involving several other vintage guru's I thought "HOW FUN!" It should really be interesting to see how different we will be in our answers. It is also really difficult to narrow it down to 5 THINGS. I kind of grouped them into topics.

My perspective has changed a little due to the opening of my new store, Vintage & Co. (The website isn't finished yet...we've started, but not quite there yet.)

In the past, I was usually on the hunt for smaller, yet beautiful antiques. This theme fit perfectly into my "Bella Rosa Antiques" shop that I still have online here.

1. Here is the #1 item on my mental list:

Now that I have an actual brick and mortar shop, I am now being drawn to furniture. Anything from a chair to a dresser to something broken... it is all open season because we are repairing, transforming, and creating something beautiful and new out of it. Dressers and vanities are popular pieces and sell well.

Other than furniture I look for is age. When we stop at a yard sale at the crack of dawn (Okay, 7 am) we have to be super alert because there are always other dealers showing up and you have to be quick. Your eyes have to quickly scan the area and eliminate anything new. We have missed so many wonderful items because it takes us so long to get out of the house... the three of us! But, there is plenty to go around. I was reminded by a friend that the next ten years there is going to be a HUGE flooding of things into the market due to the baby boomers downsizing and / or moving into assisted living areas, etc.

I have two Etsy shops to maintain besides the store. One is more "antiquey" while the other is retro. So I have to have dual themes/mindsets going on which makes it tough to narrow down 5 things.

2. That being said the 2nd thing I am looking for is:

 

 Jewelry!

 

Let's face it, it is easy to ship and photograph.

Anything small and sell-able is okay in my book.

 

3.The third thing I like to find is: 

 

 

Christmas Stuff!

 4.

If I can narrow down the sale quickly enough, I am looking for Retro era pieces like Fire King or Pyrex. You can't go wrong with Pyrex. Well, color is a big factor. Aqua and pink are hot while maybe the brown is not. 

These Fire King mugs were a huge hit and I bought them at a yard sale just to have something retro for my Etsy shop. I soon discovered that they were LOVED by the collectors.

 

 
5. The fifth thing I look for is:

Antique Books! I love them and love to sell them. My collection grows each year but I'm slowing down a bit on the keeping part. Now I sell more books because I have discovered they sell very well!

Even books from the 70's & 80's can be lucrative.

It was tough selecting just five things because I have three shops so jere are my Runner's Up:

1st Runner Up-

Lamps.

Everyone needs a lamp and we try to breathe

new life into abandoned and forgotten lamps.

 

Mid-Century lamps have done well for me in the past.

A new shade, a new harp, finial or even re-wiring. That being said, I will pick up shades, harps and anything to help us the re-do process. Once I found a pair of Lenox lamps that sold for about $150.00 a piece on eBay. I had no idea they would do so well. You can be sure I am always looking for another!

 

2nd Runner Up-

 

 

Teacups and other antique china.

The market has slowed down a bit

in this arena but I do well with nice,

higher end teacups.

 

3rd Runner Up-

 

Industrial and Rustic stuff

I'm paying more attention to these

items especially now that I

have the brick and mortar shop.

 

They never go out of style!

 

*****************************

Hope you enjoyed my perspective on yard sales. We also have to think like this at an estate sale as well. There you have to have the same mindset, but you are racing going from room to room looking to find any one of the above items before another dealer does. Ain't it fun?

Of course it is or else we wouldn't be doing it!

A big thanks to Melissa and all of the other bloggers who took part in this fun blog hop event:

Amy @ Brocante Treasures

Cecilia @ My Thrift Store Addiction

Diana @ Adirondack Girl at Heart

Donna @ Distressed Donna Down Home

Eddie @ Eddie-torial Comments

Jillian @ Bella Rosa Antiques

Kim @ Snug Harbor Bay

Linda @ Itsy Bits and Pieces 

Melissa @ Melissa's Antiques 

Pam @ House of Hawthornes 

Rita @ Panoply 

Shara @ Monkeybox

Sharon @ Blue Willow House

Tuula @ Thrifty Rebel Vintage

Be sure to check out and visit the other bloggers to see what they are on the hunt for.

Good luck yard sale-ing this year...

It is your mission if you choose to accept it!

Joining in with: Vintage Charm