Yard and estate sales.

[BarbCA]

The reasons I have for hating estate sales.
I hate bargaining, I hate the sneers from people who think you should be selling Chippendale chairs for a dollar apiece, and even worse the people that come in and steal stuff.
We had an estate sale a year after my dad passed away. Someone stole a rather large box of raw turquoise. I think it was the people that bought the rock cutting and polishing tools.

If I wanted to give it away I wouldn't be selling it.

[Snoodle]

That's terrible Barb. I would think that would have been worth quite a bit. If people want to buy chairs for a dollar then they need to go to yard sales, not estate sales. There is a big difference. I know if I go to an estate sale, I will more than likely have to pay more of a premium price than I would at a yard sale. On the other hand, most of those things would be well worth the asking price.

I don't mind the bargaining process too much, although I won't haggle too much. Sometimes at a yard sale, I will ask if they would come down on the price or name a price I would like to pay. If they say no, I just go on about my business. It's their stuff and they can sell it for what they want to. I have had a couple of people get angry at me for asking though. I don't know why, all they have to do is say no.

[Mayebarnes]

I think estate sales are sad.....

went to a close,farmer.friend of ours. who was giving up farming ...His equipment went for meager dollars... as did most of his household goods... there was a pretty little end table ..I bid on it... and run it up to decent price. young lady bidding against me thought it was an antique ... it wasn't... was just a standard table sold in a local store... but I liked it because it had belong to the Friend..

I like yard/garage sales.. and offering lower is standard... or picking up two or three items and offering a flat some for all of them. works for me..
the point of Yard sales is to get rid of the stuff you have laying around ... my theory,,SALE IT... and be glad its gone.