Lamp Lights Up My Life

About a month or so ago I purchased an old table lamp at a lawn sale a few blocks from my house. The lamp has a dark brown heavy metal ornate base, a large globe top with etchings, and about 25 crystals hang from the globe. Mint condition. The only way you could tell it was old was from the electric cord.

It was a front yard / back yard sale, and this lamp was "lost" in the back yard sitting on top of a tall filing cabinet. I doubt many people had seen it. Worst place ever to display it. I took it down and looked it over. Very clean. It had 2 small price stickers on it. One read 4--- and the other had 2---, so it appeared they were asking two dollars.

I talked to a woman running the sale about it. She said that she did not own it. She was selling it for a friend. And she said it came from an antique shop. I bought it for two dollars, placed it on a table at home, and kind of forgot about it, until David, my antique dealer friend arrived to look at my recent purchases.

For starters, David said each of the 25 crystals were worth $3 each, and he said the lamp, which was likely made in the 1920s, was quite valuable, at least two hundred dollars. An excellent find. I am hanging on to it while David tries to come up with more info on it.

Here's what I think happened: I believe the lamp was actually priced to sell at $200, but both the seller and I thought the sticker meant $2. My guess is the original price was $400. Think about it: Who would sell an old lamp in mint condition for just $2? The dealer certainly would have known the crystals alone were worth much more than that. And who marks a lamp down in price from $4 to $2? Reducing it in price from $400 to $200 is much more likely. I think the owner simply failed to tell the woman running the sale that the price was $200.

So I have a genuine bargain on my hands. It proves you can buy an item worth several hundred dollars for just a few bucks at a garage sale. Doesn't happen often, but it does happen. That's what keeps people going to garage sales.

A Visit from David

Yesterday I wrote about how I relied upon my friend David, an antique dealer, for assistance in pricing some of the items I purchase at garage sales. Well, he paid me a visit last night.

In preparation for his visit, I moved all my finds to the kitchen table so he could examine them. I ended up with about a dozen items for him to look at. Visions of dollar signs danced in my head.

I was most interested in his opinion as to the value of the two bowls I had purchased for $2.50 each last week. After looking at them carefully, he said they were both Carnival glass, a bowl from the depression era, and an ornate dish, made later. David estimated the value at each between $25 and $35 each.

David also appraised two ceramic planters at about $5 each. An old pictured titled "The Fisherman" was worth $10 at least. And some early metal roller skates with leather straps and a key were worth about $10. I had paid $1 for each of these items. I had also purchased a shoebox containing 10 early Christmas bubble lights and a dozen small Christmas bulb lights. He suggested I price the bubble lights at $30 and maybe $5 for the bulbs. I had paid $3 for the entire box of lights.

The big surprise of the night was the value of an old lamp I had purchased. I will write about that in my next posting.

Ask An Expert !

I do know a lot about garage sales and selling, but when it comes to pricing some vintage or potentially valuable items, I ask my friend, David, for advice. He is an antique dealer and can easily distinguish what is valuable from what is not. And he also knows other dealers, if he is stumped, and has tons of books on every aspect of collectibles. I have learned a great deal from him.

As I prepare for my first lawn sale, I have a box of items that I want David to look over. For example, last weekend I purchased 2 old bowls for $2.50 each. The seller told me that everything came from a relative's farm in Wisconsin and was at least 50 years old. The bowls I purchased are in mint condition and have to be worth much more than I paid for them. I suspect that the seller made a major financial error with incorrect pricing by not having a knowledgeable person look at the offerings first. That's how and why you find bargains at garage sales.

Bottom line: If you are going to sell something that may be valuable, do your homework before putting a price tag on it.

Too Many Treasures!

I thought I would take this opportunity to tell you about some of the treasures I purchased at garage sales so far this season. My best find has probably been a vintage Imperial chocolate slag pitcher, which I got for $1, but sells for about $20. Another purchase was season one of the Golden Girls on dvd for $2. From the same seller I purchased a large analog tv with a built-in dvd player, $8.

At another sale I got a brass or copper table lamp from the 1920's or 30's (judging from the electric cord & plug). It has a large elaborate glass shade surrounded by hanging crystals that go all around the lamp. I got it for two dollars, but plan to try and sell it for $125 or so at my next lawn sale. And I now have a backlog of vhs movies and dvds to watch in my spare time. I buy the vhs for $1 or less, and usually pay $2-$3 for a dvd. Looking forward to what I will discover next!

The Rainy Days of June

I heard on the news that June is one of our rainiest months, and it is living up to its reputation this year. And it certainly has a major impact on garage sales. Sellers postpone or cancel sales on rainy days and rain also cuts down on attendance at sales. Buyers don't want to get wet, either. The good news is that drier days are ahead and until then it's a great time to plan your garage sale by collecting and pricing seldom-used items in your home. And when it does rain, remember that some sales do go on --- and that means less buyers, less competition. You may be able to pick up some great rainy day deals!

Garage Sale Signs

One of the most helpful and annoying things about garage sales are the signs people post. The best signs are larger ones with an arrow, dates, and address. Attaching a balloon lets you know the sign is current.

The worst ones are small and just say "garage sale." They leave you guessing. The signs I hate the most are the ones left up days or weeks after the sale is over. Other useless signs include those 8" by 10" or smaller ones posted on telephone poles or streetlights. Impossible to read from a passing car, and people walking by rarely notice them. And usually they are out of date also.

If you are taking the time and effort to use signs, please be smart about it!