Some estate sales are about quilts, canning jars and a grandfather’s tools. Others are held in a part of the country where the houses are famous for their size, and the contents tend to match. Creator @rebeccamartinezz_ recently toured one of the second kind in Palm Beach, Florida, and shared a quick walk through the rooms, from a dining set with animal print chairs to designer shoes and jewelry.
The creator opens by saying the sale sits in a zip code where the houses look a certain way and the views look a certain way, so it is only right that the finds would look that way too. Here is a rundown of what was on display.
@rebeccamartinezz_
An Estate Sale Held One Weekend a Month
According to the creator, the company running this sale holds an event for only one weekend every single month. The goods come from households across Palm Beach, and the creator describes the sellers as millionaires and billionaires. The mix ranges from very unique finds to what the creator calls jaw dropping, stunning pieces.
The sale described in the post ran February fourteenth through the sixteenth, with doors opening at nine in the morning. The creator also gives a friendly warning: get there early, because the line is going to wrap.
Furniture and China
The tour starts with the furniture and fine china. The creator says there is just something about a dining room table paired with animal print seating, and that the combination gives the room the look of a set from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Put that dining room together with a Cartier panther china set, the creator says, and that is how every holiday dinner, breakfast or snack ought to be served.
Cartier is best known as a French luxury jeweler, and the panther is one of the house’s most recognizable symbols, so a china set decorated with that animal is the kind of crossover that tends to catch a collector’s eye.
There is also a style of chair that the creator has loved for about eight years. It is on sale that weekend for seven hundred and fifty dollars, and the creator says it looks like nobody has ever sat in it.
Art, Platters and a Surprising Collaboration
Next comes the artwork. The creator lets two shots of paintings speak for themselves, saying they look stunning enough that no commentary is needed. Then comes a piece that was casually tucked away in a corner, and it earned a double take: a platter that seems to pair the names Rolls Royce and Tiffany. The creator jokes about wanting to serve a birthday cake on it.
Clothing, Shoes and Jewelry
Finally, the creator notes that this sale company has been stepping up its offerings of clothing, shoes and jewelry. The highlights include a pair of Chanel flats and a group of Cartier pieces. The creator ends the tour with a promise that everything shown, and plenty more, would be at the sale that weekend.
Why High End Estate Sales Are Worth a Look
You may never be in Palm Beach, but there is a lesson here for anyone who enjoys estate sales. Sales that come out of wealthy neighborhoods often include designer items, quality furniture, fine china and original art, because the homeowners spent decades collecting. When a household is being sorted after a move or a major life change, a sale company is usually hired to price and sell everything over a weekend.
That does not mean everything is cheap. As the chair at seven hundred and fifty dollars shows, prices at a sale like this can still be significant. The advantage is that you may find well made pieces at a fraction of what they cost new, and items with real history that you simply would not find in a department store.
If you are thinking about attending an estate sale of any kind, here are a few simple tips.
- Check the listing the week before. Most sale companies post photos and the dates and times online, so you can decide what is worth the trip.
- Arrive early for the best selection. The creator advises getting there early because of the line, and that holds true for most popular sales. Opening day usually has the widest choice.
- Come back on the last day for deals. Many sales reduce prices as the weekend goes on, though the best pieces may be gone by then.
- Bring a tape measure and cash. Furniture is easier to buy when you know it will fit your room, and some sales prefer cash or have limits on cards.
- Look closely at china and jewelry. Check china for chips and cracks, and look at jewelry for hallmarks or maker’s marks before you pay.
- Research the brand before you go. If a famous name such as Cartier, Chanel or Tiffany shows up on a piece, look up the maker’s marks and recent sold prices so you can tell a real find from a lookalike and know what a fair price looks like.
- Ask about pickup rules. Large items often need to be collected on certain days, so plan how you will move them.
It also helps to keep your expectations realistic. Not every sale will have a Cartier china set or a pair of Chanel flats. But a sale in an affluent area can be a fun way to see how other people live and to pick up a few pieces that make your own home feel a little more special.
Whether you are shopping for a dining room table, a set of dishes for the holidays or just a good story, an estate sale like this one is a reminder of how much can turn up behind a front door. The creator clearly enjoyed it, and the tour is a nice peek into a world most of us only glimpse from the road.
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