Who are the new estate sale buyers?

I'm not sure what has been the reason for a fluctuation of collectibles in the last few years but the Friday morning garage sale and yard sale hunt has definitely been a different buyer.  Even before the 2008 recession followed by Americans out of work, antiques and collectibles were already losing their resale values.  Much of that began with online auctions.  Flooding the market with antiques and collectibles definitely brought the value of those found in abundance down below book values.  However, rare finds are still bringing great prices and the internet is necessary for getting the best prices for those unique treasures.

But regardless, we have a new treasure hunter out there and they are looking for something different than before.  Men have left their wives at the mall and are hitting the streets for estate sale finds.  I know this to be true from not only observation but my google search engine shows that over 15% more men than women are searching for estate sales.  So what are they looking for?  I think shows such as American Pickers, Pawn Stars etc. have a wide appeal to the male audience and have brought out a new fan of antiquities.  These shows target male interest such as bikes, cars, advertising, and primitives.

Therefore,  the men collectors and resellers are the first in the door headed to the military collections, coin collections etc.  Now that I've written a somewhat sexist blog I do want to ad that a little old man found a beautiful doll at my sale.  He called a significant other on the phone and described the porcelain doll to her and he looked at me and said, "she wants to know if it has a name on the back."  I doubted but looked and found the name Kathryn.  He got back on the phone and said, "You're not going to believe this.  Her name is Kathryn."  Of course, he proudly took it home that day to the lady on the phone also named Kathryn.

Many walk in the front door and ask, "Where is the garage?".  They find tools, lawn equipment, products and supplies in the garage at great discounts.  The quality of these items have also decreased in the last few years as many tools are made in China and not the quality of materials once used in American made tools.  Therefore, some of the antique tools are not only in great condition and great prices but also highly collectible.  My son's first reaction when working his first estate sale was, " I can't believe so many of these things are made in the USA."
This article is brought to you by Busy Bee Moving Sales in Nashville, Tennessee.  Visit our website to find out how we can assist you in selling your estate. email: busybeemovingsales@gmail.com or call 512-788-2544.