Best Bargain Ever

[RenoZag]

There's a small estate auction house in the Reno area that I've patronized off and on over the years. I've gotten a few good deals on small items, e.g., $10 for a wood headboard for my guest room bed, $15 for a Titleist "Den Caddy" bag. . .

Today, I picked up a pair of small table lamps for the guest bedroom. $30 bucks. Turns out they are Kate Spade Elsie Lamps.

What garage sale, thrift store, estate sale bargains have Foo scored over the years ??

[kitzbuel]

There's a small estate auction house in the Reno area that I've patronized off and on over the years. I've gotten a few good deals on small items, e.g., $10 for a wood headboard for my guest room bed, $15 for a Titleist "Den Caddy" bag. . .

Today, I picked up a pair of small table lamps for the guest bedroom. $30 bucks. Turns out they are Kate Spade Elsie Lamps.

What garage sale, thrift store, estate sale bargains have Foo scored over the years ??

Wow. Those are like 500 bucks a pop.

[gu03alum]

I used to go to a police seizure auction. I got a lot of tools and power tools out there for really cheap. I can't remember exact prices, but I don't think I ever paid more than $25 for anything. If something didn't sell they would add it to the next item for sale though so you might end up with 10 things to go with the one thing you wanted. I think that actually devalued that one thing because people would be like I don't want all that other crap. It wasn't very hard to drop it off at a donation place though. For example, my father-in-law ended up with 10 bicycles to buy the one bicycle he wanted.

[gu03alum]

I bought a low mileage Jeep Cherokee (the boxy one, not the grand) at a GSA auction for around $2,000 one time. A lot of that government stuff has very basic interior, vinyl seats, no carpet, holes drilled in places for lights. This one had a normal interior in great shape. Only negative was that it had black steel wheels. I bought nicer looking wheels for around $400. I had it sold for $4000 a week later.

[gu03alum]

There's a small estate auction house in the Reno area that I've patronized off and on over the years. I've gotten a few good deals on small items, e.g., $10 for a wood headboard for my guest room bed, $15 for a Titleist "Den Caddy" bag. . .

Today, I picked up a pair of small table lamps for the guest bedroom. $30 bucks. Turns out they are Kate Spade Elsie Lamps.

What garage sale, thrift store, estate sale bargains have Foo scored over the years ??

I haven't been to many estate sales, but it seems like people way overprice stuff at the few I have been to. I assume the estate auction house is a 3rd party people contract with to get rid of their loved ones things? I might have to see if there is something like that around here. I think the ones I have been to have been done by the relatives thinking mom's old plates are priceless.

[Jazzgirl_127]

We actually got a piano someone was giving away the day before Thanksgiving (paid to have it moved and we'll need to pay to have it tuned and one key sticks) but I still am beyond excited that the boys get to practice on an actual piano now. It's fun to hear them playing Christmas songs and trying to learn things by ear.
I'm a bargain hunter in general, not crazy stockpile extreme couponing but I do get a rush when something costs pennies. I need to think about thrift finds though...

[RenoZag]

I scored a full size Cuisinart with 8 of the various blades for 50 bucks when I moved to Sparks in 1994. That sucker is still going strong. Had to replace the bowl about 5 years ago.

Picked up a BeCu Ping Eye 2 Lob Wedge for $15 at a yard sale once. . .probably the best "score" I've had.

I haven't been to many estate sales, but it seems like people way overprice stuff at the few I have been to. I assume the estate auction house is a 3rd party people contract with to get rid of their loved ones things? I might have to see if there is something like that around here. I think the ones I have been to have been done by the relatives thinking mom's old plates are priceless.

Yes, third party. They are doing 3 auctions a month, have a waiting list for consignors. . .their staff tell me they have never been busier. Combination of folks down sizing and loved ones dealing with possessions of the departed. The "Mom & Pop" estate sales are hit and miss. Many think "estate sale" will garner better prices than "garage" or "tag" sales.

[Rangerzag]

We actually got a piano someone was giving away the day before Thanksgiving (paid to have it moved and we'll need to pay to have it tuned and one key sticks) but I still am beyond excited that the boys get to practice on an actual piano now. It's fun to hear them playing Christmas songs and trying to learn things by ear.
I'm a bargain hunter in general, not crazy stockpile extreme couponing but I do get a rush when something costs pennies. I need to think about thrift finds though...

Pianos are dirt cheap around here these days. A family friend was clearing out her folks house and had to dismantle a piano to get anyone to take it. Glad you are happy with yours.

[willandi]

We had a moving sale Labor Day weekend. Many things we gave away and the things that have value, I looked up on eBay and priced at about half of the prices there.
Many things didn't sell. I understand and am ok with that. I was willing to bargain but not to give things of real value away.
We have a,"pot belly". parlor stove that needs some work. My granddad bought it used in 1910. We started out asking $500 for it, but after showing the house six times, we changed the price to .$180,000 and we would throw in the house.
We then had to hire Junk and Dump to haul 6 loads away. The things of value I packed and will take my time to sell after the move back East.

[gu03alum]

We had a moving sale Labor Day weekend. Many things we gave away and the things that have value, I looked up on eBay and priced at about half of the prices there.
Many things didn't sell. I understand and am ok with that. I was willing to bargain but not to give things of real value away.
We have a,"pot belly". parlor stove that needs some work. My granddad bought it used in 1910. We started out asking $500 for it, but after showing the house six times, we changed the price to .$180,000 and we would throw in the house.
We then had to hire Junk and Dump to haul 6 loads away. The things of value I packed and will take my time to sell after the move back East.

So is the jewelry store done now too? did you sell everything in there?

[Jazzgirl_127]

Pianos are dirt cheap around here these days. A family friend was clearing out her folks house and had to dismantle a piano to get anyone to take it. Glad you are happy with yours.

They come up for free here often too, just hard to get one when we dont have a truck and coordinating a mover with whoever is giving it away can be tricky. I was really lucky to be able to schedule the piano mover, not only was he 1/3 the cost of some of the others I called, he was able to get us in the same week due to a cancellation, some were scheduled until after Christmas. When my boys first started lessons, we had some time to kill and walked into a piano store and my oldest saw how much new (and even the pre-owned) cost at the store and I think that made him realize we weren't going to just buy one if they didn't take it seriously. I think all but one at the store cost more than we paid for our van lol.

[willandi]

So is the jewelry store done now too? did you sell everything in there?

We are reimagining it. The physical store will be gone, but I will concentrate on the Celtic jewelry, both online and at Highland Games and Renn Faires. So I am keeping the inventory.

[RenoZag]

Scored an 8 foot fiberglass Werner stepladder for $20 a couple weeks ago. Plenty of paint stains, a little dirt here and there, but otherwise a good deal.

[Eroop22]

Scored an 8 foot fiberglass Werner stepladder for $20 a couple weeks ago. Plenty of paint stains, a little dirt here and there, but otherwise a good deal.

A couple years ago I scored a 6' metal Werner ladder for $10. I left the price tag on it to remind me of how good of a deal it was. I purchased a gorilla cart at the same yard sale for $20.

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[Martin Centre Mad Man]

The best bargain ever? The beer I didn’t buy my future bride on the night we met.

I was hanging out at a happy hour with several law school classmates. A couple of my bolder classmates attempted to pick up a pair of ladies at the bar with zero success. After watching them get shot down, I turned to a single lady classmate and asked her for advice on how to do better. She introduced me to a high school friend of hers who happened to be in the same establishment. The three of us watched as our bold classmates made several more unsuccessful attempts. The ladies offered a running play by play commentary on the gentlemen’s misery. They offered pointers on how to do better. I never tried.

By the end of the night, I had a phone number.

A few weeks later, my new girlfriend asked me why I never offered to buy her a drink that night. I guess I missed that opportunity. I still got the girl.