I was at my driveway in Portland wrapping up a yard sale I'd been running since 7 AM. This woman bought a 1970s brass floor lamp for $40, seemed happy, loaded it into her minivan and drove off. Two hours later she pulls back up holding the lamp in two pieces. Said the base snapped off when she set it down in her living room. I wasn't sure what to do at first - felt like maybe I should have inspected it closer before selling. But I grabbed my epoxy glue, asked her to hold it steady while I put it together, and after 10 minutes it was solid again. She drove away smiling. Has anyone else had a buyer come back with a broken item? How do you handle it?
I was at a sale last Saturday and got chatting with the lady running it, she told me she marks things high on day one because serious collectors expect to haggle down 30-40 percent. She said if she priced things at what she actually wanted, people would just lowball even lower. Has anyone else noticed that pricing games at these sales are more about psychology than the actual value?
I was at a park in Denver last weekend and overheard this dad talking to his buddy about selling toddler sneakers on Facebook Marketplace. He said he cleaned them up with a magic eraser and listed them for half retail, and they sold in two days. It never crossed my mind that worn shoes could flip that fast. Has anyone else had luck with kid stuff like that?
I tested both on a beat-up dresser from a Salvation Army in Phoenix and the chalk paint peeled after 2 weeks while the primer held solid, has anyone else had this problem with chalk paint on old pieces?
Last Saturday I grabbed a vintage Monopoly set at a yard sale in Salem for $5. Got it home and opened it up, found a 1950s silver dollar tucked inside the money tray. Must have been used as a token by some kid back in the day. Anyone else ever find hidden cash or collectibles inside thrift store items like this?
Was at a neighborhood yard sale last Saturday and overheard one woman tell her friend she never bothers looking under couch cushions. I used to do the same thing until I bought a beat up recliner for $5 and later found $37 in coins and a gold earring stuffed down in the crack. Now I always flip them over and check every pocket and seam before I buy. Has anyone else found cash or jewelry hidden in old furniture?
I almost walked past them thinking they were just old dishes. Now I always check the bottom of any glassware before I put it back.
I figured a little elbow grease would bring it back to life, but now I've got a $3 paperweight that still smells like burnt bacon, has anyone else fallen for the 'it just needs some TLC' trap with vintage cookware?
Got a gorgeous pink Gooseberry casserole dish at a church rummage sale for $3 fifty years back and yesterday it just split clean in half while I was baking a mac and cheese at 350. Now I'm trying to figure out if I can glue it back together for display or if I should just start hunting for a replacement at estate sales. Anyone else had luck repairing old Pyrex or is that a lost cause?
So I was at the Goodwill in Burbank last Tuesday and noticed the prices looked kinda messy. I asked the cashier how they decide what to charge, and she said a guy literally walks around with a pricing gun and just guesses based on what he thinks it's worth. Blew my mind cause I always assumed they had some system or database. That's why I find random stuff like a $200 camping chair marked at $4 but then a beat up coffee mug for $8. Has anyone else seen wild pricing like that at your local store?