Why You Should Bring Post-It Notes To An Estate Sale

An estate sale is an excellent way to snag quality decor pieces at budget-friendly prices. Sure, you'll have to contend with long lines, an uncomfortable, cramped environment, and rude fellow shoppers. But nothing beats the rush of filling your basket with gorgeous items, knowing you're getting them at a steal, and bringing them to the cashiers. However, what do you do when you notice quality wood furniture just begging you to take it home? You take a Post-it note out of your bag, write "sold" on it, remove the price tag, and stick it on top.

Wondering why? Well, you can't lug it to the front desk by yourself, as it'll most probably be quite heavy. Another obvious option is to simply leave it unattended while you find the people working the sale. The only problem with this approach is that someone else might claim that vintage item before you return. So, if you're unwilling to let go of your find but aren't quite prepared to guard your "precious" like Gollum, it's best to bring Post-its and put them on items you like. Just ensure the items don't belong to the NFS (not for sale) category.

If you strike gold at an estate sale and find a piece of vintage furniture with exquisite detailing and original woodwork, it's best to claim it before someone else gets any ideas about taking it home. But puffing your chest and claiming, "This is mine!" will hardly go over well. Estate sales may have a "holding area," where you can drop items you can't carry around, but if you're gone too long, the salespeople might put it up for sale again. Remember, the company working the sale has one simple goal: to successfully sell as many items as quickly as humanly possible.

So, keep a Sharpie and a few Post-it notes handy. This way, you can quickly scribble down "sold" on a note and stick it on top of an item you want. (Hello, antique chest of drawers!) You can even write your name, number, and "sold" on a few notes before you enter the estate if you did your homework (aka checked the preview photos) and know you'll buy at least one furniture item at the sale. The makeshift "sold" tag will prevent other people from eyeing or claiming your furniture. Additionally, it'll help you keep track of your finds. While this trick works wonders for large furniture items, you can also tag other items, like lamps, mirrors, artwork, and giant planters. The idea is to claim items you can't possibly carry around and will need to take to the checkout.