Birds chirp as fog lifts. It’s spring, 8 a.m. and my mom and I have been standing in front of a Victorian home since 7 a.m. I look down and read my number: 23. Oh, brother. It’s going to be a while.
I smile at the older lady in line in front of me, camping in line with a chair, book and reusable grocery bags. She shuts her book and asks what I’m looking for inside, and I tell her I’m interested in the clothes and books. She replies, saying she’s looking for a particular lamp she had when she was about five. I smile and my mom continues to talk with her.
Two things I’ve learned about Estate sales are as follows:
- The community is like no other
- Nostalgia and a cheap price can convince people to buy almost anything
Bringing together collectors, cheapskates, builders, vendors and more, estate sales create an environment of healthy appreciation for the material world we usually put a little too much value on. People inherently want to consume, and estate sales give people the opportunity to do so in a more sustainable and meaningful way.
Shopping for things at an estate sale becomes a shared experience if you meet the right people at the right place, which is arguably something lacking in today’s online retail atmosphere. Although convenient, when you shop online you lose a few “hellos,” and however short it may be, it is certainly a conversation. Connection is important; feeling like you don’t fit in somewhere can be a difficult emotion to deal with.
At 9 a.m. sharp the coordinator comes out and lets the first five people inside. A few minutes later, they each come rushing down the front steps with armfuls of vintage dresses, drop them into a pile and run up the stairs to retrieve more. The lady in front of me widens her eyes and the three of us share a judgmental glance. I think of De Kooning’s Woman Series and smirk to myself. I’m a little bummed I will not get to see this collection. Twenty minutes later, we near the door and are ushered inside. We wish each other good luck and part ways.
My mom and I look around, trying to make sense of the rooms and correlate them with those I had seen displayed on an estate sale directory days prior. To our left, a room stands full of oriental vases, ornate chairs and a large built-in bookshelf. I walk towards the bookshelf, and as I near it a piece of masking tape blocks it and reads: Not for Sale, Sentimental Value.
Bummed again, I peek at the fashion encyclopedias and almost make my way to another room until someone said, “I’m willing to part with a few, but only if you have a good explanation.”
I smile, not expecting the owner of the house to be there.
“Well, I am about to go into fashion school, and I love learning about history,” I said. “I saw your collection online and was hoping to look at some of your books!”
“Oh, well, in that case!” she says as she piles her books into my arms. “You will want this one, and yes, this one… Do you like vintage?”
“Wow, thank you, yes I do!” I said.
A while later, my arms aching from the books and a few other finds, we walk outside and wave at the lady from the line as she carries a ruffled lamp to the checkout. This is what I love about estate sales. No two are alike, and when you find a good one, stories unfold and entire lifestyles are showcased.
My mom, a more outgoing character, claims her favorite part of an estate sale is waiting in line and sharing stories related to the sale’s items with a stranger. Once, she shared her love for Christmas decorations with someone in line, both awaiting a rather large collection of Santa figures. Once inside they helped each other find certain ones they were looking for.
Following a similar notion, TikTok artist Sabrina Montella posts creations called object portraits, which are hyper realistic oil paintings of objects she compiles to describe a specific person.
@sabrinamontella.art an object portrait, made for my sister, to tell a story of who she is through items she carries & collects. ️ #paintedobjects #oilpainting ♬ prayer kendrick –
Her works describe the feeling of estate sales perfectly. Seeing a splay of objects displayed so acutely can really give a sense of what a person’s lifestyle and personality might be like. In my opinion, if you love vintage, fashion or simply meeting people, estate sales are a great activity to take up if you are feeling disconnected.
Others may say their favorite part of an estate sale is the thrill of finding a collectible or picking up old tools and saying, “They just don’t make ‘em like this nowadays.”
It’s all about the type of person you are and the type of person who lived in the home you are interacting with. You might find a new friend, a new outfit or nothing! It all comes in the luck of the draw.
And the time you show up in line.
Support Student Media
Hi! I’m Kayla Friedman, A Magazine’s editor-in-chief. My staff and I are committed to bringing you the most important and entertaining news from the realms of fashion, beauty and culture. We are full-time students and hard-working journalists. While we get support from the student media fee and earned revenue such as advertising, both of those continue to decline. Your generous gift of any amount will help enhance our student experience as we grow into working professionals. Please go here to donate to A Magazine.
