Have any of you had any luck finding good coins at garage sales? I've gone to a few community garage sales in the past couple of years, some in fairly affluent neighborhoods, but have struck out. I was just wondering what kind of luck some of the members here have had. Thanks!
Two year ago I found some nice German Notgeld coins at a local annual church sale. One of those where everything is donated.
I used to peruse garage sales and flea markets both for coins. All I ever really seen is LCS bargain bin sort of stuff. I’m sure there are folks that have had decent finds. I just don’t seem to ever have that sort of good luck!
I live in an old rural area in South Central Texas. I have gone to several "Estate Sales" in the area. In each one I see the same guy pushing the sales. I have also seen the same items at different sales. They get moved from one to the other until they sell. He is a broker or something. He gets the contract for holding the sale and takes the good stuff (coins, guns, other collectables) and sells them outside of the sale. All that is left is the garage sale stuff. An example is across the road from me. We were there the minute it opened and it was just a big garage sale by then. He knows that I will never go to another sale and am using my connections to alert others to the scam. Small community, doesn't take long.
We have some large flea markets in my area that just recently have opened, but some of the stuff I've seen there is overpriced. Plus you have to watch for fakes. So I usually don't do the flea markets. I have, though, found some silver (not sliver plate) flatware at flea markets and places like Salvation Army stores. You have to know what you're looking at as far as markings go, though.
Never seen coins at garage sales but I do see coins at flea markets occasionally . Almost always overpriced
I don’t understand how this is a scam. People hire professionals to manage their family estate sales when loved ones pass or move. I have family members who have a business where they do this. Some items get sold before the sale and some items that are left over that aren’t thrown out go to the next sale.
It's true. We hired a professional to liquidate our mother's estate. The agreement made clear that items from elsewhere might be brought in for the sale, and items from our mother's estate might be put up for sale elsewhere. The agent also ran a booth at an antique store in a nearby city, and I'm pretty sure I eyed my mother's silver service for sale there. I can understand the frustration of buyers going to an estate sale run by a third party and finding that what's for sale there is not in line with their expectations, but from the heirs' point of view, it's about liquidating the estate after they've had their chance to keep what they want to keep. The heirs give up a lot of control over how the estate is sold, how much things sell for, etc. Is it a better deal for the agent than for the heirs? Yes, probably. A better deal for the agent than for the buyers? Yes, probably.
This is common in my area. Sometimes they buy everything in the house at a set price and get to use the house for the sale. They haul everything away at the end of the sale and leave the house completely empty for the family. Sometimes they even buy the house and market it while the sale is going on. It makes it easy for the family and sets a market value if needed for tax reasons. I have seen coins at these type of sales but they were priced above what I would pay. Never found anything rare. Just common stuff.
I've found coins at some sales, and have only bought twice. First was my first purchase July 2019. 7 Korean War 1 oz silver Rounds private mint 3 1/10 GASE Proof ASE 1st 6 ASE unc Thomas Jefferson Set Statue of Liberty Set Second was yesterday, 1975 proof set and 3 1996 unc sets, with the dime.
