This place is like a morgue. Has anyone made any great finds over the summer?

[Vinca]

I'd love to brag about mine, but it's been a disappointing season. My hopes and dreams are pinned on an abstract painting from the 1950's with a signature I'm still trying to decipher. I've found lots of smalls for resale - paperweights, perfumes, studio pottery and glass. Last weekend I found 2 antique cabinet cards of military men in full regalia that I suspect are military academy cadets. I'll be sending a picture of them to a museum associated with the school I think they might be from. Last weekend I got a great buy on a couple of Charles Sawyer and David Davidson prints. I've always preferred them to Wallace Nutting and they'll be easy to sell. The hunt goes on. Church sales in the fall have always been winners.

[gibraltar72]

1. My accumulating days are over.

Have found so many great buys in the past at garage sales and auctions. I bought stuff that I liked and it became collectible. I've sold some stuff on Ebay and have been astounded at what it brings. It is a great place to sell but not to buy. You are up against the world when you try to buy on Ebay. Just my opinion.

[Glamrock]

2. I found this at a flea market a couple weeks back.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10181115751

[Vinca]

6. Nice wall decoration. Old guitars are hard to pass by.

[safeinOhio]

3. Last week I was at a yard sale and a guy next to me was looking in a box

on the ground. Heard him say this is all KISS stuff. I mumble to myself, get away from that. He stood up and moved on, so only seeing a few pins and magazines on top, I grab it and head seller. How much I say, he says $5. I says here you go. Put a few items in my booth and priced about 30 % lower than priced(sold) on Ebay and they went the first day. Have tons more to sell and figure I'll make a couple of hundred. Even a rare Badlands promo album in unused condition.

Last week my friend and I were out all day looking. Stopped at an always there garage sale. Look like the same stuff as last year. My friend picks up what looks like a pick with flat ends for five bucks. He says it was used to drive RR spikes. I asked her how long it has been there and she says at least a year. So, I grab it, spit in my thumb and rub what little writing I could find. Said C&O on it. Sold it the first day for $40.

Been a great summer for buying. Moved into a new mall and sales have been great. My strategy is to sell cheaper than anyone else in the mall. 80% of my sales are to dealers.

[Vinca]

5. I try to price for dealers, too. I'm not that far from Brimfield so I think I get some of that

traffic, too. I had to laugh about the Kiss stuff. Early this summer I walked into the recycling shed at the dump and spotted three filthy boxes of books. Unfortunately, 2 pickers walked in right in front of me. It turned out to be old Dungeons & Dragons books with a few other early gaming books thrown in. At least I managed to grab one box of the stuff. LOL. They cleaned up really well and I figure, if I'd gotten the whole lot, it would have been about $4,000 worth of stuff. The first book I looked up sold all the time for $85 and there were dozens of them. Oh, well. Sometimes you're first, sometimes you're left swearing under your breath behind them.

[safeinOhio]

7. In the early 90s I had a shop

and a girl brought in a trunk full of KISs stuff. Ticket Stubbs, Utographs, etc. paid $300 and made several thousand.

I have a leather bound store catalog I found in a barn. 1902 and in great shape. One in not quite as nice shape was listed on EBay for $999. And sold for best offer. Have to list it this winter when I find the time.

Best retirement job one can have.

[Vinca]

9. I'm "retired," too. Mostly I sell out of a shop though. It's fun.

[TeamPooka]

11. dealers are the best collectors. thats why they deal.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. I vacated my booth at the end of May. I just got tired of it after 2 years.

My travels took me away for longer and longer periods, making it difficult to keep it well stocked. Now have an entire shed of stuff to sell.

If you're ever out my way, I could make you a deal.

[safeinOhio]

8. I'd love to make it down there

I was born I Fayetteville 68 years ago.

[sinkingfeeling]

10. I was born in central Ohio 70 years ago.

[wyldwolf]

13. I found a collection of 70s/80s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issues - about 25.

Picked them up for less than $1 a piece. Let them sit for about 6 months before listing them. Getting $10 - $20 each for them.

[Vinca]

14. Great find! I have a friend who bought a large collection of Playboys and has made

a fortune off of them. He even had the Monroe issue. I recently discovered there's a market for early gay and lesbian magazines (not of the explicit variety if they exist, but more writings, drawings, poetry, etc.). My best find of late was last weekend. I picked up a really fabulous old burl maple chair with a back fashioned from the roots of the tree. It's already in the shop for sale. I also found a modern Lalique vase. Not as valuable as the old ones, but a good find anyway.

[wyldwolf]

15. not only Playboy, but I've found 70s-80s Playgirl mags can be worth a bunch

I've also had a little luck bundling magazines with particular stars on the covers. For example. Cosmopolitan + Rolling Stone + InStyle with Demi Lovato got me $30.

[Vinca]

16. That's an interesting approach. I'll have to try it!