My holiday strategy for shopping estate sales
So long ago before I started my own estate sale & liquidation business I trolled other people's sales myself. In the beginning I wandered aimlessly wondering what I could buy. As you have probably experienced yourself, I ended up with a bunch of stuff I didn't need. As time went on, I learned to make little wishlists to keep myself on track. If I needed a patio set, I headed to the yard, if I needed kitchen utensils or party platters, I headed to the kitchen, etc... But the one area I always stopped by and I still do is the holiday section!
Anyone that knows me, knows that I am a sucker for kitsch! The kitschier the better. I should mention that I lean toward hoarder tendencies and can easily get derailed. So I devised a punchlist to keep myself in check. And I highly recommend you do too!
First, I limited myself to 1950's and 1960's kitschy holiday decorations. Yes, that meant Easter, Halloween, Christmas and even Thanksgiving. But for this post I'm just going to focus on Christmas. (Tis the season!)
- must be vintage-looking (can be authentic or a really good replica) as long as it makes me smile
- depending on price, if there is damage can I repair it with glitter? (this is a legitimate mode of repair for me)
- reindeer, santas, elves- that's it! I'm not a big snowman kinda gal. So if there were reindeers, santas or elves AND had vintage appeal, I was considering giving them a new home. This really helped me limit the amount of decorations I had to store and they look so great displayed in clusters!
- Christmas villages. Yes, I know they can be hokey, but you know what? I love them! I love looking at these tiny villages all lit up. But the real truth is they are like dollhouses to me. But how to make them more "Silver Lining"? I decided that if they were of the same scale, and the price was right, I would scoop them up and re-paint them using glitter! Most of the time, the houses were poorly painted anyway and since I was paying lower prices for them, I would decide on a "palette of tonal glitters" and go to town with my glue and glitter.
I realize you may not think of estate sales for holiday decorations, but trust me, it's one of the most amazing sections of them. You can snag some great items at great prices. And some really unique decorations.