Anyone who has been to a popular estate sale knows the early morning ritual: the dark drive, the cold line and the hope that today is your day. For the shopper behind @brooke_majors, today was not her day, and she shared the full tale of her estate sale fail with good humor.
Her caption sums it up: you win some, you lose some, and nothing good comes from getting up at 4:30 in the morning. The story is about a pattern, a pretty pattern of porcelain called Rose Medallion, and a rival who simply outworked her. Here is the story in order.
@brooke_majors
Five hours and nothing to show
She explained that she left her house at 4:30 that morning. She spent a total of five hours waiting, in her car or in line, and she left the estate sale without a single thing she wanted. It was the third time in a row that she had been beaten out for Rose Medallion, and she was ready to talk about all three.
The first loss
The first time, she knew she would not be first in line, and another shopper got the Rose Medallion. She described that shopper as sweet and said she was happy for her. In a funny twist, the shopper later appeared on her feed a few days afterward, talking about the find. Her verdict was gracious: a great find, and she was proud of her.
The long drive to Huntsville
The second time, she drove an hour and forty five minutes to Huntsville for a gorgeous Rose Medallion dish with a lid and a bottom plate. She left home at six that morning. The first lady in line took it, and she was fine with that. Her strategy was to go whichever direction the first lady did not, because there was Wedgwood she also wanted. The other shopper went for the Rose Medallion, so she went for the Wedgwood and was happy with her haul.
Determined to be early
By the third sale, she admitted she was highly competitive and a bit petty, and she refused to be beaten again. So she got up at 4:30 and planned to arrive by 5:30, and she did. She was ready to claim her prize.
The winner who slept in her car
Then she learned how she had been beaten. The woman who got every single piece she went for had been sitting in her car since ten that night before. She said you cannot beat that, and you cannot even be mad. When the doors opened, the woman ran straight to the first table and grabbed the card for every piece of Rose Medallion. Then she ran into the kitchen and took the silver champagne bucket the shopper had been hoping to find for a friend’s Kentucky Derby themed bridal shower, an item that had been on her list for years.
A gracious plan B
The story ends with a twist of good sportsmanship. The winning shopper, she noted, has a beautiful shop, so she was thinking of giving up and driving out to buy the champagne bucket from her instead. It is a fitting ending for a morning of competition that never turned sour.
Estate sale strategy and Rose Medallion basics
Some general advice for anyone who wants to compete at popular estate sales, and for those curious about the porcelain at the center of this story.
- Rose Medallion is a style of Chinese export porcelain, decorated with panels of figures, birds and flowers on a pink and green palette. Much of what survives today dates to the nineteenth century.
- Look closely at condition. Chips, cracks and worn gilding affect value, and lids and underplates are often missing from older sets, so a complete piece is a prize.
- Wedgwood is a well known English maker. Marks on the underside help with identification, and jasperware and bone china each have their own appeal.
- Many estate sales use numbered cards or sign in sheets to set the order of entry. Read the sale listing carefully for the rules and arrive early to claim a spot.
- Some sales hand out cards at the door, and shoppers grab a card for each item they want to claim. Learn the system before you go.
- Bring cash, tote bags, newspaper or bubble wrap for fragile items, and a measuring tape for furniture.
- Check the sale photos ahead of time and make a short priority list. Head to the room with your top item first.
- Be kind in line. Estate sale communities are small, and the shopper who beats you today may be the one who tips you off tomorrow.
- If you miss out, ask whether the winner sells in a shop or online. Many dealers are happy to sell a piece for a fair markup.
Winning some, losing some
The best part of this story is its good nature. There is no complaint about unfair play, only admiration for the dedication of a rival who spent the night in her car. It is a reminder that thrifting and estate sale hunting are a mix of luck, timing and sheer determination, and that a loss can still be a good story. And it is an invitation to try again, with a little more sleep or perhaps a little less.
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