Negotiating Your Best Deal on Leftover Estate Sale, House Sale, and Auction Items

What's your next move if there are items you want to buy at a house or garage sale, but prices are firm and more than you want to pay?

Do you walk away in search of greener pastures? Absolutely not.
You make a lower offer and see if it’s accepted. What’s the worst that can happen? Someone might say “no”?

Do you just pay the asking price? Of course not. That’s breaking all our established rules for success, as well as a guarantee failure will soon be your partner.

Yesterday, a 31 Club Member called me facing these choices. He had been at a house sale and found many upper end items the first day of a sale, but prices were firm that day. A 24” x 36” pastoral painting interested him, but he could only describe some of the things I would need to know if I was going to make a phone assessment of the piece. Since prices were firm, I advised him to return to the sale the next day, bringing his camera along. So, back to the sale he went the next day.

Oh, Boy! It’s Leftover Time. Leftover Estate Sale Items Can Be Your Ticket to Success.

Hooray! The painting was still there, and its price had been reduced from $400 to $200. He shot some photos of it, and sent them to me via e-mail. I looked at those pictures, and I realized he had found a treasure. In fact, I had just sold a much smaller painting similar in subject matter to this one; cattle and a stream backed up by beautiful mountains. And, his painting appeared to be better quality than mine, and it was twice the size. Who knows what this might bring in? My painting brought in $2,600 in an Evansville, Indiana sale.

After I looked at these pictures, I got him back on the phone and asked to speak to the lady conducting the sale. We had some light conversation, and then I asked if she could possibly take $100 for the painting. She agreed! No other takers were waiting in line for this piece, and the sale was ending. The company had done the best they could do, and $100 was their best offer. End of story. Or, is it?

31 Club Free Mentoring and The Associates Program is Worth Countless Bucks in Your Pocket.

Along with my offer of $100, I asked if there were other items not sold. And there were many. In fact, several paintings were left behind; their signatures impossible to read. That is – impossible to read for the person who’d not seen these signatures before. Remember, Knowledge is King, and that where 31 Club comes in. You see, tomorrow, our member is returning to photograph and e-mail me photos of the leftover items.

Depending upon what’s leftover, we’ll make an offer at a price we like. Although this member might not have the funds to purchase all the leftover items we like, the 31 Club Associates Program will buy those items that are beyond his budget, handle the sale, and share a good percentage of the profit with him. It’s a win-win deal for both of us, and we’ll make it possible for the sales agent to close the sale without having any leftover items in inventory to dispose of. That's win-win-win. The sales conductor will be quite happy, and there could be a few great treasures in there for us. The Associates Program is available to 31 Club Members only, so join today, if you’ve been sitting on the fence.

A Rejection is Just a Problem You Haven’t Found a Solution For.

I ask all 31 Club members to think outside the box. You’ll discover that situations aren’t as they first seem to be, and with a little creativity, you can turn this to your advantage. Countless times, I made offers on items that were rejected, but I continued to shop the sale and found other things to my liking. Before settling up, I’d go back to the items whose offers were rejected and ask, “Why don’t you throw that piece in for what I offered because of the amount of money I’m spending with you.” Very simple, and it almost always works.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles.

My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership.

The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

2008 Political Memorabilia Will Make Fortunes of Us Regular Folk

Hillary Clinton 2008 Topps Baseball Card, autographed on the back, sold for $725 on eBay, May 13, 2008. There were only 18 cards printed.


More fortunes will be made in political memorabilia items from this election season than in any other time in history. I am more convinced of this now than I was back in August, when I began writing this subject.

This thought came to the forefront of my mind yesterday during a conversation I had with eBay Powerseller, Skip McGrath. He was looking to share some timely information with his many readers and customers, so he asked where I thought there was a real niche market in the antiques & collectibles business; one that was highly profitable.

You see, Skip McGrath is in the business of helping others make money with eBay. He’s one of the best known names in the industry, so keeping his readers and customers current and satisfied is second nature to him.

“Daryle,” Skip said. “Is there a niche right now that’s highly profitable?”
I can’t believe how quickly the answer came to me. It came in a flash. Political Memorabilia; without question.

I’ve discussed this topic in previous Blogs, so you might want to look those up to refresh yourself. If you’re new to the blog, scroll back or check the category list to find them. So, today, let’s get a little more detailed in the types of items that could become quite valuable, in addition to those previously mentioned.

High School and College Yearbooks from the schools that Clinton, McCain, and Obama attended will become highly sought after. If they are signed by the candidates, their value could escalate to the moon after the results of this election.

Personal Letters will command astonishing prices. For example, personal letters from Abraham Lincoln could bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars today. If Barack Obama is elected President, his personal letters could achieve that same status.
Photographs of the candidates will be competing with photographs of top athletes for the highest prices.

Articles of Clothing will be compared in value to costumes that Elvis wore. (Look up some of those, if you dare.)

This morning on eBay, 1065 Hillary Clinton Items were listed for sale; 722 McCain items and 2812 Obama items for sale.

Number of sold items show Hillary Clinton coming in with 2,753 sales, McCain with 1,745 sales, and Obama ringing in 8,000 sales for eBay.

The highest price paid on eBay shown this morning indicates a high price for Hillary Clinton at $725 for 2008 Topps Baseball Card, autographed.

A signed on-the-spot and authenticated baseball produced John McCain’s high selling price of $273.98.

Barack Obama comes in with a whopping $2,700 sale of an Obey Giant Shepard Fairey Complete Set of 4 signed/numbered prints.

In other words, anything that can be connected to these candidates will be going to auctions throughout the world, sold to the highest bidder. When the Kennedy Collectibles came to auction, they sold at stunning prices. I particularly remember John Jr.’s rocking horse being hammered at an amazing price. I can’t stress enough how this election has the historical value not seen since our founding fathers stood together and started this great nation.

This event will not be a one day wonder, so everyone still has time to participate in this upcoming auction bonanza. I’ve seen items already selling on eBay, yet no one has shown me a single article written about this subject, except for my own. So, don’t be asleep at the wheel while dealers and collectors are working under a cloak of secrecy. Get out there and get your share at a great price before the articles start pouring in over the wires. Then, when you start seeing article after article on the value of this election’s political memorabilia, you’ll have your items on hand to cash in big when the market takes a hike straight upward. Your cash out value can then fund your next big purchase(s), sought after by worldwide collectors.

The opportunity that only comes about once every hundred years or so could be staring you in the face today. Don’t miss it.

Learn the Inside Secrets of the Antique & Collectible Business. Learn to Make Some Real Money.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn to make high profits and continue growing your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

Antiques & Collectibles: Buy What You Can Sell

"Casablanca" movie poster sold for $23,000 in March of 2006 through Heritage Auction Galleries (http://www.ha.com/)

What is the true value of an item? This is the most important question that can be answered for you in the Antique, Collectible and Fine Art business. Being able to understand what creates an item’s value will save you unlimited pain and loss in the future.

There are many areas within the collectible business and several of these areas you will want to avoid at all cost. So, before you get started, you’ll want to scratch them from your want list because they will likely not create profit for you, regardless of their price.

Franklin Mint items are tops on the list. I once saw a young man with Franklin Mint collectibles that he had paid over $30,000 for turn around and sell them to a dealer at $1500 – and the dealer still lost money. This is also true of the collector plates, most often sold on the Bradford exchange. Today, these plates are listed at ten cents on the dollar of their original selling price.

I’ve had to learn some valuable lessons in these area myself. I once attended a large auction in Louisville, and I couldn’t help myself when a set of twelve plates came to the block. I had researched them and found they had originally sold for $3,600. I won the plates with my bid of $400, and I was sure I had found a treasure that day. I kept them for many years, and after moving to Chicago, I thought I’d test the water on my great buy, so I listed them at a local auction. They sold for only $300. The only way I could justify my $100 loss was to tell myself that at least I hadn’t lost as much as the first buyer.

Another market that hasn't done so well for me is the Movie Poster Market. You can look in the Kovel's price guide for Movie Posters and find prices for many posters as high as $5,000 or more. However, I am very familiar with prices that reach tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands for the most rare posters. Heritage Auction Galleries auctions movie posters and recently, a Bride of Frankenstein poster sold in the high 300,000's. The movie poster market is a very controlled market, and a poster getting anywhere near the posted price is nearly impossible. Go to any dealer that specializes in Movie Posters and ask the price for a rather rare one they are showing. Return later to the booth and tell them you have one of those posters, and I will almost guarantee you they won’t give you a price. I do think that some movie posters are wonderful, but we are in the business of making money. If you buy something and can't sell it at a reasonable price, then you must go on to the next item.

For the consumer, Galleries selling works of unlisted artists might be the most unfair market that I know of. There isn't ever a secondary market for this type of art work that I can find, and after it’s bought, the paintings will only have a value similar to other decorative art items.

I once was call to a house by a woman who needed money for a surgery. She showed me a painting that her father-in-law had gifted to them, having paid over $18,000 for the painting at the time. Many phone calls later to auction houses and galleries, I was finally able to sell it for $1,000 to a buyer. (He did me a personal favor by buying it.) If the artist isn't listed or the painting doesn’t have a record of its history, pass on it and go to the next item.

The final area of items to stay away from is Limited Prints. If the prints aren't signed by the artist, I have no interest in them. Unsigned prints are a dime a dozen and are to be avoided at all cost. The framing will be more valuable usually than the print. Signed prints are a different story. Most of the prints you find will be signed within the print. But, what you’re looking for is where they have been signed after the print has been produced. So on most of these they will have a double signature and usually one will be in pencil.

While you’re on the lookout for valuable antique and collectible treasure, keep these three words in mind: Secondary, Secondary, and Secondary. I repeat it three times so you’ll not forget it – ever. If there’s an item you are considering and you don’t know if there is a secondary market for it, let someone else have it and save your money for a better buy.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

Antique Bronze is Too Often Overlooked

Most people today seem to be looking for silver candlesticks or candelabras and often pass by the bronze ones too quickly. Unless they are figurines, most people pass up the bronze items. What a mistake this is.

Remember the story about the oriental vase that I sold way too cheap? If you recall, the dealer kept pressing me and finally I put a price on it before I had thoroughly done my homework. I did put a price on it that I thought would be rejected, but I was outsmarted when he said, “Sold!” Well, at the same house I bought the oriental vase, I also purchased a set of unmarked bronze candelabras.

I had already spent several thousands of dollars with the woman when I noticed the bronze candelabras. Even though they were unmarked, I knew they were well done but didn’t have any idea of their value. So, I offered the lady $50 for the pair, which she graciously accepted. Being unmarked and using my general rule, I figured I could get $200. But, I also figured I had nothing to lose if I started them at $2500. I could, after all, lower my price.

Since it was mid-summer at the time, I thought it would be a great time to have my own garage sale. After all I had accumulated several things I wanted to sell and had plenty of garage sale items to clean out of my house. I always place some of my better items in my sales so the ad will look particularly inviting to dealers. Right off the bat the dealers started ringing my doorbell several hours before the time listed in the paper. This happens all the time, and its one reason why I tell you to arrive early at garage sales. To be polite, you may want to wait until the seller allows another person to enter first. That’s quite all right.

The first person into my house was a lady I knew very well. She did her shopping and bought a few things, but she continued to visit the candelabras. She asked if I would lower the price, and I said,” It’s still very early and I think that’s a very good price. I think they should sell as more people come.” I took a chance. I knew they were special and I didn’t care if I held them a little longer. Psychology is very important in this business, and it’s good if you practice reading your customers. I was pretty sure that she had a keen interest in the pair. Finally, she gave in to her desire to own them and said, “Sold!” And, she paid me $2,500 for them.
There is several great lessons to be gleaned from this example. First, something can be quality without being marked. Second, if it is quality, mark it as such in your price. Third, once you’ve priced a piece, shut up and let the customer think about it.

Old bronze should have a very mellow patina. If it’s too bright, then I usually think that it’s new or has been polished, both of which reduce my interest. The truly great pieces of bronze should be well molded, with out seams, and their detail should show the work of a true master. Newer pieces will look cheaply crafted, and the details will tell you that it isn't a master’s work.

Most good bronze candlesticks will sell from $1,000 up, depending upon the marker or its quality. At most sales, I am surprised if I find a bronze candlestick or candelabra priced over $500. At this price they should always be a buy.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

Antique Business: Getting Leads for Antique Treasure

How many people have you told this week you’re in the Antique, Fine Art and Collectibles business? If that number isn't 25 or more, what are you waiting for? This is your future. Auctions and house sales are wonderful places to find treasure, but they don't compare with a lead from a personal contact.

I’ve had people call me five years after my first contact with them. Because I was still in business, they felt I could be trusted. There is no better feeling in the world when your phone rings and the person on the other end of the line says something like, ”Hello Daryle, I’m Jane. Anne said that I should call you, because I have some things to sell you might be interested in.” There’s a couple things going on in receiving this call. First you have a great friend in Anne. Second, Jane now trusts you because of Anne. This type of relationship will be where your true success will come from.

I just received a large box in the mail from a person I’ve done business with before, and you won't believe this. It was stuffed full with Indian artifacts. These included three Kachina's, two Apache arrows, six or eight pieces of bead work, two pieces of pottery (one a black on black pot), and some very nice coins including fifteen 1922 D pennies in near mint condition. So why did he send them to me? He trusted me. They were sent without discussing any price, knowing that I would be fair with him and know the value of these items. NO COMPETITION and NO TRAVEL TIME TO EVALUATE THE ITEMS. What could be better than this? So look for these in the future in our marketplace.

The best advertising you will ever have, is when you tell someone that you are in this business. And it’s free. You won't be getting that dreaded invoice in the mail. How many times have I had to pay a bill for advertising that was over $200 or and I didn't get a single response, let alone make enough money to pay for the ad. If you tell 1,000 people a year that you’re in the Antique and Fine Art business, it could easily be worth over $100,000 a year to you. Now that is something to think about.

People today are very leery of Antique Dealers in general, so if you can build a reputation for being honest, and have others recommend you, this will sit you at the head of the class in this field. People are looking for trustworthy people in their time of need. They might be retiring, have an estate to settle, have children entering college, or simply want to reduce their debt. There are so many wolves in sheep’s clothing out there in the world today, and this is when you can be the trustworthy person that they're looking for. So don’t forget we operate by the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

I hope a box full of treasures comes to you in the mail sometime soon, however it will only arrive if you tell others you are in the business. Make sure you go through all your boxes of business cards and have to order more. Set a daily goal for yourself. Will you tell 2 people, 10 people or 15 people a day. How many people do you want to have told by the end of the week? Does your mailman know you are in the business? Does your doctor? When your cable guy comes to make a repair, will he know what business you’re in? How about all the parents at your son’s baseball game? Do they know? Make certain each person you speak with gets your card. Do this consistently, and one day you just might get a box of treasure delivered to your own front door.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

Antique Clothing Chests - and Other Inside Tips

This Connecticut Chest on Chest, circa 1790, sold for $18,000 at Hood Auction.

We are all very individual in our tastes when it comes to decorating our homes. Some like formal, some like casual, and there is a chest for anyone’s taste. For most of my life, I preferred Queen Anne style but now, I'm more into early America. Regardless of style, the one thing that most catches my eye is quality. Beautiful wood, crafted by a true artist, certainly gets my attention.

We talked about blanket chests, sugar chests and today we’ll continue with clothes chests, which we’re most familiar with. These beauties can be very valuable under certain circumstances. Here’s an example of what I’m talking about:

A gentleman brought a chest to the Antique Road Show inquiring of its value. He told the director that when he purchased the piece, it had been painted in an ugly red paint, but he had it stripped and refinished. When the director asked him if he wanted the good news or bad news first, he opted for the good news first, and the news was that his piece was worth about $35,000. The owner was thrilled. He asked how there could be bad news. But, there was. And the bad news? By stripping the original red paint finish, he had washed away $100,000.

This is a lesson we must not forget. It’s best to buy each piece as it is, at the value it is in the condition it is in presently. Never stray from this rule. Yes, you might be able to make a piece prettier, but in doing so, you risk reducing the true collector value. Always let your new buyer make the decisions on what he want to do to improve what you’ve sold him.

There are many styles of chests you can run across. The federal style, with its straight lines, appeals to me. Your taste might be more toward Chippendale or Empire style. The true antiques in these styles can be very expensive. You might be expected to pay from $10,000 to $500,000 for a bow front mahogany or a birds eye maple chest. If you’re not familiar with styles in chests or furniture, nor the appeal of various woods, I believe the best way to learn about furniture and its styles is by first studying books. There are many books to choose from, and you might even spend some time in the library studying. Then, find a shop that carries a variety of high quality antique furniture and take a look at these items close up. You’ll find the shop owner will probably be more than happy to answer questions and help with your education.

I once bought a very nice three drawer walnut chest for $500. It had all the original hardware and had a patina that was true to its age. I got a little excited, and priced the chest at a little over $2,000. It sold immediately. This was another time I wish I had waited and allowed myself more time to research before selling. I would’ve made a lot more money. So, please take some time to research your piece as best as you can, and don’t be shy about calling in an expert or two or three. I am sure you can tell that what I share with you has been learned by making some of the very mistakes I warn you of.

Hepplewhite, Queen Anne, Sheraton are also styles that will add beauty to any room. When you are on the hunt, never be distracted by price. If the price asked seems too rich for your blood, that’s the moment go and do your research. Yes, you might lose the piece, but being safe rather than sorry is always the right decision. If you return, and it is gone, it probably wasn’t meant to be at this time. Remember, the best decisions we make are based on knowledge.

If you find a piece of furniture that fits all the rules, buy the piece and have the sales person put a “sold” tag on it immediately and continue your hunt. If you stop to secure the piece or take it to your car, the other fabulous treasure waiting for you in the next room might be missed.

There is a pot of gold waiting for you, if the right chest comes your way. But, remember, it will more than likely require waiting for several months for it to be sold at the proper auction. For special pieces, the wait will be well worth it.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.

Buying Fine Art and Antiques from Auctions & Estate Sales - Four Presumptions Not to Make

What a great radio show I had with Auctionwally. I have been answering the phone ever since. In this increasingly more difficult economy, people are beginning to listen more closely to what we are saying, and discovering it makes great sense and might be a solution for their financial dilemmas.

Our Member, William called the show, and I was so glad to hear from him. He is eager to be the winner of the 31 Club race to the million dollars. We speak with one another often on the phone or by e-mail, and he is learning at a very quick pace. Being a newcomer to this industry, he wasn’t sure how long it would take to master the skills for success. But, he simply went out, on perhaps, his first treasure hunting venture and promptly purchased a painting for $40. We’ve discovered it has a retail value of $3,500. Not bad for a newbie.

This is exactly why I make every effort to preview the paintings before I go to an auction or even a house sale if I am able. I can learn more about it and make an offer or bid based on knowledge. I truly believe that it is in the area of paintings that you can find the one treasure that can change the way you are living. So often, I’ve found that sellers do not have the resources to truly evaluate a painting. This can apply to individual sellers or auction houses. If they don’t subscribe to an art service, but only depend on book guides like “Davenports”, they may come no where near the true value of the painting they’re trying to sell.

Let’s go to the call I got yesterday from our member, Cecil R. and use this as an example to see how this kind of thing plays out. A friend of Cecil’s, who knew he had an interest in paintings, called him to tell him about two Charles Partridge Adams paintings up for sale through an auction house in Owensboro, Kentucky. In the Davenport’s guide, Adams is listed, but the price for his works are moderate. When we went to a service like Ask Art, we found that within the last month or so, a small oil on canvas of his sold for $12,000.

So, now you’ve got two paintings by Charles Partridge Adams listed in the local paper, and I’m fairly certain they were listed in the Antique Trader as well. Wouldn’t it seem like everyone, including their aunt and uncle, would know these were being sold and would surely show up and outbid a newbie? Well, everyone must’ve stayed away thinking that these fine paintings would surely sell for more money than they were willing to spend, especially with the market for paintings being so strong. Yes, indeed, everybody stayed home, and this opened the door for Cecil, to snatch those two paintings for (drumroll………………………) $700 apiece!!! Cecil might just have made himself about $18,500 -- conservatively.

With that example, let me stress a couple of things. First, Don’t presume that just because a painting is listed in an estate sale ad or an auction ad, that it’s priced just right.

Second, consider that the name of the artist, alone, might keep many buyers away. Buyers will often stay away when they’ve had a “rational” conversation with themselves that goes something like this: “Since it was listed in the ad, everyone and their uncle will now know it’s for sale. So, they’ll be plenty of interested and capable buyers lined up to buy. They will all bid the painting up beyond my reach, so I’ll just stay home and not waste my time. In that way, I’ll save on gasoline and be able to sit on the couch and watch TV today, since it’s raining anyway.

Third, never presume that you know what is going to happen at a sale, whether auction or estate sale or house sale. You might be right, but – what if you’re not? What if you’re completely wrong, and you never even bothered to step foot out of the house?

Fourth, before you decide not to go at all, take my experience into your mind before you decide. You see, I have found that even when I’ve gone for a particular piece and it’s been bid up or priced higher than I’m willing to pay, I have usually stumbled upon other treasures that I would have missed, had I decided to stay home.

Your success will be based upon the number of items you have the opportunity to buy. So if you don't get out of the house to buy, your chances of success are very limited. Get out of that house. Your treasures are awaiting you.

Join with like-minded 31 Club Members and put a turbo charge on your treasure hunting skills. Get FREE Mentoring. Learn Inside the Industry Secrets. Learn to make high profits and continue to grow your money buying and selling antiques, fine art, and collectibles. My 220 page book, 31 Steps to Your Millions in Antiques & Collectibles is FREE with your membership. The book is also available on Amazon.com. If you buy the book on Amazon, then the membership is FREE.