Unique stereo at Michigan estate sale

[SubWolfer]

It would be dangerous if I went to this sale.

I've never been to an estate sale. I'm in Michigan but unfortunately I can't make it until Saturday. By then I'm sure all the good stuff will be gone. :tears:

Let me ask you guys though, is it chaos and dangerous to go to these? A mad rush and people getting into verbal altercations is what I picture (kind of akin to Black Friday). How in the world do these things go down without violence? Who keeps order?

 

[perchdog]

6'3' 250 lbs and a real prick when sober, generally i do....

 

[soundmotor]

Let me ask you guys though, is it chaos and dangerous to go to these? A mad rush and people getting into verbal altercations is what I picture (kind of akin to Black Friday). How in the world do these things go down without violence? Who keeps order?

When they give an opening time, people line up and get let in as small groups. Usually more don't get let in until some move out. On a sale with many decent items, people may show up 2-3 hours in advance to be with the first group in. I've never seen a fight break out at an estate sale. They tend to be pretty sedate.

 

[cooljjay]

I've never been to an estate sale. I'm in Michigan but unfortunately I can't make it until Saturday. By then I'm sure all the good stuff will be gone. :tears:

Let me ask you guys though, is it chaos and dangerous to go to these? A mad rush and people getting into verbal altercations is what I picture (kind of akin to Black Friday). How in the world do these things go down without violence? Who keeps order?

Well I will tell you it depends, I have been to some where there was only me and another person there, but then again I have been to some where you can't even make it out the front door, you have to put an electrical fence around your pile. Then there are some there with hardly no one there, if you go to one before the opening time they usually only let people in 15 at a time. It just depends but it is fun, usually the last day there isn't anyone around.

 

[cooljjay]

I've not seen fights but have seen many arguments...and also be prepared to have people wanting to buy the stuff you've just bought on the way out

 

[soundmotor]

...and also be prepared to have people wanting to buy the stuff you've just bought on the way out

I love that; especially when I am having immediate buyer's remorse.

:thmbsp:

 

[SubWolfer]

6'3' 250 lbs and a real prick when sober, generally i do....

Give me the biggest guy in the world, you smash his knee and he'll drop like stone. Patrick Swayze - [Roadhouse]

 

[grumpy]

How or why does an estate sale thread turn to talk of violence ?

 

[perchdog]

lol, i think its that little blue haired old ladies that are the most aggressive... how do you deal with that ?

patrick who ???

 

[spartanmanor]

I've never been to an estate sale. I'm in Michigan but unfortunately I can't make it until Saturday. By then I'm sure all the good stuff will be gone. :tears:

Let me ask you guys though, is it chaos and dangerous to go to these? A mad rush and people getting into verbal altercations is what I picture (kind of akin to Black Friday). How in the world do these things go down without violence? Who keeps order?

I have been to hundreds and for the most part is pretty much the same idea as a garage sale just with a lot more stuff. Often the last day is the best day to go. That is when the stuff is marked down cheap and often the person running the sale is willing to make some great deals just to move things along.

 

[Andyman]

When they give an opening time, people line up and get let in as small groups. Usually more don't get let in until some move out. On a sale with many decent items, people may show up 2-3 hours in advance to be with the first group in. I've never seen a fight break out at an estate sale. They tend to be pretty sedate.

Well usually here they pass out street numbers to determine order of admission. For a good sale, some folks may show up DAYS before to be the first one in. Cindy was #17 for this sale and she got there about 1 1/2 hours early; #1-3 were audio guys there for the stuff we're discussing.

You have to remember that there is a limited amount of stuff, so if several folks are after the same item, you need to be quick and find it before someone else does, especially if it is priced well under what you perceive it's worth to be.

 

[SubWolfer]

patrick who ???

LOL, now that's a good one. Reminds me of when the Pistons beat the Lakers in the NBA Finals. I think it was Chauncey Billups who said at the celebration parade "Carmelo who?"

How ironic Billups now plays for the Denver Nuggest with Carmelo Anthony and they just got defeated by the L.A. Lakers in the Western Conference Championship!

 

[Sam Cogley]

How or why does an estate sale thread turn to talk of violence ?

Go to an estate sale and get clubbed by a little old lady holding a big old lamp. Then you'll know how and why. :lmao:

 

[perchdog]

its actually pretty sad. once the family goes through the belongings, the bickering, arguments and possible fights. the doors are opened up for the general public to do the same. you do need to be fast much like c/l. i guess i cannot stand that type of competition, that coupled with having a regular 8-5 type job does not afford me to be 1st in line so i am left to the left-overs.
i did go to one last year very close to where this one was held. it was much the same. the lady running it priced every thing according to ebay and anything i was interested in was priced way out of line in my opinion. actually her sale went on for weeks if not months. what these people do not seem top realize is ebay is world market, i believe the real high dollar stuss goes over seas where the market way not have the inventory that we have in the states. so be it, i believe there are better options, or options that work better for me. if i am looking for item, generally i concentrate on items through ebay that i can pick up local..

 

[StarMover]

yeah, I think the correct formula is to value the item on ebay, then offer it for about half that locally.

 

[spartanmanor]

So did they sell? Anyone been back?

 

[soundmotor]

its actually pretty sad. once the family goes through the belongings, the bickering, arguments and possible fights. the doors are opened up for the general public to do the same. you do need to be fast much like c/l. i guess i cannot stand that type of competition, that coupled with having a regular 8-5 type job does not afford me to be 1st in line so i am left to the left-overs.
i did go to one last year very close to where this one was held. it was much the same. the lady running it priced every thing according to ebay and anything i was interested in was priced way out of line in my opinion. actually her sale went on for weeks if not months. what these people do not seem top realize is ebay is world market, i believe the real high dollar stuss goes over seas where the market way not have the inventory that we have in the states. so be it, i believe there are better options, or options that work better for me. if i am looking for item, generally i concentrate on items through ebay that i can pick up local..

I used to be very focused on advertising wants as well as combing through the classifieds in publications that might have audio gear I wanted. I'd also spend entire Saturdays hitting yard sales & sometimes even take Friday off to hit an estate sale on the first day. I haven't done any of this in a very long time. Now, with yard sales I am done by 10AM as I have to pick my son up from karate class. Then I hit the dump with my weekly trash load. If I find something good, so be it. If not, there is always next weekend. Doing it this way makes a cool find more enjoyable. At some point however I am going to have my own sale and a lot of stuff is going to go.

 

[Broker57]

My wife and I stopped by on Saturday. Everything (except the Lalique crystal figurine) was 50% off. The Magnavox console was still there at $90, so it would have been $45.

The Mac and JBL system left Friday night. According to the woman running the sale, it went for $6000 for the pair.

We bought some very nice mid-century modern furniture and were happy with the prices.

Funny story about the Lalique; they had it sitting in the front room on a table (not the one where you cash out). A woman, who I would say at first glance was not that "sophisticated", snatched it up with a firm grip around the middle and said "I saw this on the web and it's coming home with me!". So the man running the sale pleasantly says "so you must have looked it up and realized that it's worth twelve hundred". The woman got a puzzled look and said "oh, you mean that this isn't $6?" She then continued to wave it around and state that anything that expensive shouldn't be set out where just anybody could grab it.

 

[magnasonic66]

The huge console speaker system seems to have been offered for several years, I have one High Fidelity magazine from late 1958 that has one of those in an ad. I hate to think where most of those units ended up, or how they were "improved" over the years. I hope that whole system as well as the blonde Magnavox in another pic get homes with vintage audiophiles.

 

[Brian]

I think it is the smaller version, called the Metrogon or something like that. Mc equipment definitely. Wonder what the tt is, but nothing shabby. Whoever bought that new was either a musician or really enjoyed the good life.