Garage Sale Hunting! Tips, Hints and Advice

[Wickabee]

Andrew: No worries, I have a guy. He's just out of town.
AJ: #75 is sitting on ebay for $235. Can't find any sales.

[ajcorleone]

Thanks I am going to check it out I have 2 art stores actually in the area.

Andrew: No worries, I have a guy. He's just out of town.
AJ: #75 is sitting on ebay for $235. Can't find any sales.

[Star_Cards]

Photo Feb 28, 3 40 07 PM.jpg

I picked these up over the weekend. I went to the IUPUI surplus auction. I bought this box that had a bunch of medical stuff in it that I thought would sell. I paid 7.50 for it. Once I got it home I was able to research it a bit more and couldn't find the items selling, but it the bottom I found these instruments. They are for medical scopes and are basically tiny lenses and there is also a cable that isn't in the photo that hooks to them. I assume that you can record the procedure or view it on screen. The cable sells for $100. The two pieces on the top seem to go for $300-$400 each (couldn't find the exact model), and the small one goes for $150. I couldn't find the tool on the bottom but I'd bet it goes for a bit more than the $150 tool.

[Wickabee]

Records: The Kinks - ANYTHING on the PYE label.
4 records cost me $4 and the finals sale on them was just over $90

[Star_Cards]

crusader_by_taure_1.jpg

Bought this bronze statue at a sale at a condo clubhouse that was redecorating. Paid $25. Sold it over the weekend for $540.

[ajcorleone]

crusader_by_taure_1.jpg

Bought this bronze statue at a sale at a condo clubhouse that was redecorating. Paid $25. Sold it over the weekend for $540.

Fella you could retire on all your finds. Where do you find all these gems I am in the wrong state?

[Star_Cards]

Fella you could retire on all your finds. Where do you find all these gems I am in the wrong state?

lol. A lot of luck is involved, but I do get out quite a bit. This specific pick was complete dumb luck. I was heading home from another sale and just happened to take one route home instead of another. I think I actually drove past the sign and decided to go back and check it out. The medical instruments that I got over the weekend was complete dumb luck.

[Star_Cards]

Records: The Kinks - ANYTHING on the PYE label.
4 records cost me $4 and the finals sale on them was just over $90

I've only dabbled in records. One of my first non card flips I bought 140 records at a sale that had some considerable wear on one side of the covers as the owners cat scratched them up. I looked them up on ebay but none were really great records to sell on their own. I craigslisted the lot and got $100 for them on a $20 investment.

Do you know enough about records to go through and pick out the good ones or do you have to research a lot of them? My lack of knowledge and most that I have looked up were junk keep me from buying records. If I found loads of classic rock stuff or hip hop I'd have interest but most of what I find are gospel stuff.

[Wickabee]

My personal collection is mostly classic rock and virtually worthless. Stuff I have set aside for flipping is considerably larger.

I don't know a ton but here's what I do know:
Any non-vinyl (mostly shellac) that still plays fairly well is a minimum $5 on what is usually a 99 cent purchase.

If you find shellac records (virtually all are 78s regardless of size) the first thing to look for is the Beatles or Silver Beatles. These are super rare and I've witnessed $200 thrown down on a low quality copy. The second thing you should look for in general is pre WWII. This is higher quality and therefore usually in better shape and more sought after. The older you get (vinyl doesn't start until the late 40s early 50s) the more instruments recorded the better.

I'm no expert though. I keep coming across stuff there is little to no record of. This morning I bought a book of 6 records because they weren't vinyl. Every last one is from 1926 and really tough to find. All of it is symphony stuff. No idea what it's worth specifically, but it all plays, so I figure if these are even basic copies I'm going to make close to $100 on my $4.99 investment.

I also picked up a sealed evangelical record a few days ago. Know nothing about it, so I threw it on eBay for $100 and it's getting enough views. You really never know with some stuff.

I also end up finding signed copies of the weirdest stuff. Last couple were an alpine yodeling group and a banjo playing 12 year old.

[Wickabee]

By the way, what does that placard say on that statue (which is cool as hell, by the way).