There is early, and then there is estate sale early. @yolandaadiazz opens her video with a confession: “Zach is cranky at me this morning because I woke him up at 6am.” Her reason was simple. She had found what she called “the craziest estate sale ever,” and she was not about to miss it.

The listing had promised everything she loves. “There was Chanel,” she says. “There was a lot of Kentucky Derby stuff. Basically all the things that I love.”

The couple arrived an hour before the doors opened and still found themselves 48th in line. Only the first 50 shoppers were being let in at the start, so they squeezed in with just two spots to spare. “We gotta get moving,” she says.

The pair had a plan. She sent Zach off to hunt for sunglasses, and she explains that the two of them use a whistle to signal each other when it is time to move. Once inside, they split up so they could cover more ground, with Zach heading for the garage.

What she found was the kind of closet estate sale shoppers dream about. There was vintage Chanel, and then there were the fur coats. “Look at these fur coats,” she says, clearly stunned. “Oh my god.”

Shelves of hats and fascinators told her something about the woman who had lived there. They showed that “this woman loved the Derby as well,” she says. There were handbags everywhere, rings that caught her eye, beaded pieces, shoes and boots. “I would take those boots home right now,” she says.

She was also candid about the furs. She says she does not own any, partly for ethical reasons, but that secondhand is “completely different” for her. Then there was a massive mirror priced at $200. “Really considering it,” she admits.

By the end, she was paying tribute to the woman whose things filled the house. “I can only hope to be as fabulous as she was,” she says. Her verdict on the 6 a.m. wake-up call: “That was so worth getting up early. Wish I would have woken up earlier.”

@yolandaadiazz

How Estate Sale Lines Really Work

Her story is a good lesson in how competitive a well-advertised estate sale can be. Sales that list designer labels, jewelry or collectibles often draw a line well before opening time. Many estate sale companies limit how many shoppers can be inside at once and use a sign-in sheet or hand out numbers in order of arrival, letting the next group in as others leave.

If a sale has items you really want, arriving an hour early, as she did, is not unusual. For the biggest sales, the most serious buyers sometimes arrive even earlier and put their names on the list. Study the listing photos ahead of time so you know exactly which rooms to head for when you get in.

Bringing a partner and splitting up, as she and Zach did, is a classic strategy. One person heads for the clothes and jewelry while the other checks the garage, the tools or the kitchen. Agree in advance on your budget and how you will reach each other inside.

Bring cash and a card, since payment rules vary from company to company. Wear comfortable shoes, and bring a tote bag for small items. Ask how holds work, because many companies let you carry items to a checkout area to set them aside while you keep shopping.

If something like that $200 mirror feels too steep, remember that many estate sale companies reduce prices on the later days of the sale, often by a quarter to half. The risk is that someone else snaps it up first.

Buying Vintage Designer Pieces and Furs Secondhand

Estate sales can be one of the best places to find genuine vintage designer goods, because the items often belonged to one owner for decades. Still, it pays to look closely. With designer handbags, check that the stitching is even and tight, the hardware feels heavy and well made, and the logos and interior stamps look crisp. For a costly purchase, a professional authentication service is worth the small fee before you resell or insure the piece.

For fur coats, gently tug on the fur to check for shedding, flex the hem to make sure the leather underneath is still soft rather than dry and cracking, and inspect the lining for tears. Store fur in a cool, dark closet in a breathable cloth garment bag, never plastic, and have it cleaned by a professional furrier rather than a regular dry cleaner.

Fine jewelry from an estate sale is worth a second look, too. Check rings for loose stones and worn prongs, look for metal stamps such as 14K or 925 inside the band, and have anything valuable checked by a jeweler before you wear it often.

Vintage hats and fascinators deserve the same care. Keep them in hat boxes or on a form so they hold their shape, and keep them away from sunlight and damp basements.

Most of all, take a page from @yolandaadiazz and enjoy the hunt. Every estate sale is a little glimpse into someone’s life, and sometimes the best thing you bring home is the story of a woman who clearly lived fabulously.

More From Vinyl and Velvet

• Woman Goes to Her First Ever Estate Sale Where Everything Was Two Dollars a Piece and Leaves With a Haul of Bling Bags and Shoes for Around Six Hundred Dollars Total
• Woman Waits Two Hours in Line for a Highland Park Estate Sale Billed as a Billionaire Sale Where Everything Was $25 and Shoppers Fought and Stole From Piles Before She Walked Out With a Giorgio Armani Silk Scarf
• Shopper Finds an Estate Sale Advertised as a Garage Sale With Handmade Quilts a Mirror and a Wooden Bread Box and Negotiates the Whole Haul Down to Two Hundred Fifty Dollars