Top 10 Estate Sale Flips
Estate Sales in Olympia, Tacoma, and Gig Harbor include plenty of treasures. We know that many of our shoppers are looking to flip items for a profit, and many do this as a hobby. It’s often as simple as knowing what to look for and being in the right place at the right time. Let’s learn a little more about our top ten items to flip.
Coins
Coin collecting in the US became popular in the 1850s. With coins, you need to be on the lookout for the following:
Mercury Dimes. This is a ten-cent coin made between 1916 and 1945. It’s also known as the Winged Liberty Head dime as it features a young Liberty with a winged cap. This was initially confused with the Roman god Mercury – hence the name “Mercury Dimes.”
Ten-cent pieces made between 1917 – 1945
Older pennies. Pennies have changed a great deal over the years. A popular one-cent piece is the 1909 Lincoln cent. In 1909, the US changed the face of the penny from the Indian Head design to Lincoln’s profile to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth.
To learn more about some of the rarest and most valuable coins, check out this blog.
Sports Memorabilia
Whether is an autographed jersey or baseball cards, estate sales are a great place to find sports memorabilia. Some of the best to look for include signed memorabilia, vintage programs, and baseball cards.
Hummels
Hummel figurines hail from Germany, and many people own and proudly display their Hummel figurines. These adorable pieces debuted in 1935 and were designed by MI Hummel. Born Berta Hummel, she later changed her name to Maria Innocentia when she entered a convent in 1931. She was an art school graduate, and she enjoyed painting during her early days at the convent. She began selling artwork that features the now famous figurines. One of which found its way to Franz Goebel, a director at a German pottery company. He worked with her to transform her art into what we now know as Hummels.
There are plenty worth collecting including the Little Old Man Reading a Newspaper, Chick Girl, and Apple Tree Boy. Check out a recent blog we wrote just on valuable Hummels here.
Vintage Jewelry
Estate sales are teeming with costume jewelry. This is fairly easy to find and some pieces can be resold for a considerable profit, so be sure to examine it carefully, especially vintage turquoise and vintage coral.
For a complete guide on buying vintage costume jewelry, learn more in a recent blog post here.
First Edition Books
Old books can be worth lots of money, especially first editions, so take the time to browse the bookshelves.
To learn more about how to tell if an old book has value, take a look at this recent blog here.
Vintage Vinyl
Don’t sleep on old vinyl. Some records are still worth quite a bit of cash, especially those in mint condition. You can learn a few tried and true ways to determine the value of vinyl here.
Vintage Board Games
When it comes to board games, condition is key. Some of the most valuable include Fortune, Haunted House, Monopoly, and Dark Tower.
Star Wars Collectibles
Star Wars toys hit the shelves in 1977, and today the characters can be found practically everywhere, from lunch boxes to LEGOs and everything in between. Star Wars memorabilia is loved and admired by many, and occasionally vintage figures can be found at local estate sales.
LEGOS
LEGOS are also a popular find. If you’re looking to collect, here are some popular and lucrative finds.
· LEGO Ultimate Collector’s Series Millennium Falcon | Highest Sale Price: $15,000
· LEGO King’s Castle | Highest Sale Price: $2,600
· LEGO Taj Mahal, First Edition | Highest Sale Price: $3,864
Pyrex
Last, but certainly not least, is vintage Pyrex. This classic collector item has quite the following, and this has driven prices of some Pyrex dishes way up. Estate sales are treasure troves of midcentury Pyrex, and some patterns can fetch thousands of dollars! Check out our top 5 Pyrex Patterns to see what you should look out for.
If you’re looking to flip estate sale finds, check out our upcoming estate sales here.
