10 Vintage Items Often Overlooked at Estate Sales

     Have you ever set out to do some vintage shopping and ended up feeling like all the good stuff sold before you arrived? Next time you feel that way at an Estate Sale, thrift store, Garage Sale, or Auction, pull out the following list of ten items.
I can almost guarantee you will find one of these items (probably many more than that!), because they are the sorts of things that other people invariably pass over. Bringing home one or more of these overlooked and undervalued vintage pieces, means you’ve had a successful bit of shopping and you’ll have new pieces to decorate with or to sell from your antique booth, Etsy shop, or eBay.
Are you ready to find out what those ten categories are? Let’s get started.
Tools
     I’ve found that pretty much anything found in a basement or garage tends to be overlooked by most people. Of course, that’s where you’re likely to find tools, and many people don’t maintain their tools very well, so they are often dirty and/or rusty.
Most shoppers don’t stop to look at dirty or rusty, but you should. With a bit of elbow grease, the dirtiest, rustiest tool can often be transformed into an attractive piece of decor. Tools with a bit of paint, especially red and green, but also yellow, white, or black, provide some of the best decorating opportunities.
     To give you an idea of their actual market value, the items pictured above have each sold on Etsy shop. The clippers sold for $12.99, the brass hose attachment for $7.99, and the level for $19.99. A lovely woman actually purchased two red levels from me, and she named them both: Fred (the short one) and his cousin, Carmine (the long one). We had a good laugh back and forth with all that silliness.
     A final note: Men love tools. So if you take the time to learn a bit about them, you will either a) be able to buy great gifts for the tool-loving man in your life or b) be positioned to sell to men, who aren’t afraid to spend some money on the things they love.
The tools I’ve talked about here are primarily decorative or functional. Men want old Stanley tools, antique hand-made tools–early and unusual stuff that takes some time to learn about.
Frames
     Frames are both functional and decorative, and they tend to be quite plentiful at Estate Sales. Old frames have many uses now-a-days: as Chalk boards,Bulletin boards, Shadow boxes, Mirrors, and more.
In the photo above, you can see I’ve used them to frame vintage flags, buttons, and a county fair poster. The flag sold for $18.00, the buttons for $10.00, and the poster for $25.00. Well worth the effort of matching up the old frames with desirable items in need of a frame.
In the past, I’ve purchased ornate, gold-gilt frames, beautifully aged mahogany frames, and even wedding gift frames (still-in-the-box) that I’ve been able to re-gift.  In fact, because of my “frame sickness” (along with several others that shall be revealed as you get to know me better), I probably own a couple hundred frames, stored in various places throughout my home. (No, I am not a hoarder!)
Sellers tend to price frames quite reasonably because they lack the knowledge to identify and appreciate older frames. A few things to look for: real wood (rather than plastic), aged paper backing, or dark (oxidized) wood, if not covered by paper. Look also for chips, small dents, and scratches since anything really old is going to have some imperfections.
Many modern frames are made to look “aged,” but they are constructed of molded plastic and are glued together. Others have ridged metal fasteners on the back corners that hold the pieces together.
Art
     Most people have their own opinion of what constitutes “art.” Someone may think their Aunt Edna’s oil paintings are ugly as sin, and when it comes time to sell her estate, they may price each piece for a couple of dollars. If you stumble across sales like this and fall in love with “Aunt Edna’s” artwork. In such cases, you might be more than happy to liberate the family from the burden of a few of pieces.
A question to ask yourself is the piece created with any evident skill? Most of the art at Estate Sales falls into the “naive” category, basically art created by someone with little or no training (this also puts it into the “folk art” category). However, that doesn’t mean the artist had no skill. Good naive art will demonstrate the basic artistic qualities of balance, unity, and a pleasing color scheme.
Jewelry
   Sometimes sterling silver pieces are left behind by others because they were unattractive. Sometimes unattractive means old and sometimes it just means plain ugly!
But in that case I can sell the sterling for scrap or use it for parts, for example, an ugly pendant on a perfectly fine chain. I can match the chain with a pretty pendant I have in stock and sell it as a set.
Sterling may be marked “Sterling” or “925,” and is almost always marked, as is gold, which is marked by karat, 14K for example.
I must note that a fair number of people are always on the look-out for jewelry. But those jewelry buyers can’t attend every single sale so you could get lucky
Some items to look for include Christmas tree pins, other figural pins (e.g., animals, insects, and fruit), Bakelite anything, signed pieces (e.g., Corot, Haskell, Weisenburg, etc.), and ornate rhinestone pieces.
Coffee Table Books
     Coffee table books provide a great decorating accessory–lay one on a coffee table or stack them underneath an end table, both look terrific. They provide a literary, well-read sort of feeling to a room, and depending on the subject matter, can make a real statement, too.
Categories to look for include: movie stars, birds, cities, baseball, art, and your local area. A classic on folk art by Jean Lipman, has a stunning cover filled with folk art images.
Quite plentiful at all kinds of sales, coffee table books can usually be had for a dollar or two. Resale value can vary from $8-$25 and up.
A Marilyn coffee table book sold on Etsy for $24.99. Published in 1973, the book’s author, Norman Mailer (the famous playwright and divorced husband to Monroe), adored her. The book contains page after page of sumptuous black and white photos.
Many sales have box after box (or shelf after shelf) of books for sale; it can feel extremely overwhelming. Rather than look through all of the books, focus just on the over-sized, coffee table books. They stand out and usually, less of them have been offered for sale.
Rusty Things
     Most people will not touch, let alone buy, anything with rust on it, but if you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know that a little bit of rust never stops me! Of course, rust is “in” with some decorative items.
Some items to look for: vintage rusty tools, grates, gates, lanterns, trivets, cast iron pots, plant holders, and scissors. I had two rusty lanterns not too long ago that no amount of rust removal tricks could affect. I sold them as is (completely rusted) at a good profit.
Above you can see the before and after of a metal folding ruler. I took care of the rust and brightened up the brass fittings, and then it sold quickly for $12.00. (Note: You can fold folding rulers into the shape of stars and they make great farmhouse decorations.)
If you find a rusty piece of “junk” and think it’s interesting, chances are, others will too. Does it have an appealing shape? Is it colorful? Can it be grouped with other items? Can you hang it on the wall? Will it look good in the sun room, the den, or the family room? These are some good questions to ask yourself when you come across a piece of old rusty metal.
Folk Arty Pieces
     Folk art is a unique kind of art, typically produced by untrained artists in a naive style. Often proportion and realism take a back seat to charm. It will, however, usually hit the nail on the head with one or more elements, like shape or balance or color, and it typically possesses a warmth and/or vibrancy that one feels irresistibly drawn to.
     Crafts like basketry, rug hooking, and weaving are also considered forms of folk art by many. I think you kind of “know it when you see it.”
Folk art has a special place in my heart; I find myself very attracted to all of its many forms. In the first photo above you see a hand crafted wooden mold of some sort; I love is pumpkin shape, and it remains in my “private” collection. I hope someday to discover it’s true purpose.
The watercolor in the middle reminds me so much of Grandma Moses–perhaps the most famous folk artist of all time. You can see that proportion is off, as is the depth, and yet, I reframed it and sold it recently for $45.00.
Keep in mind that certain kinds of art that you might find at a Estate Sales, pieces like framed children’s art or poorly executed art student renderings, more often than not fail to rise to the level of folk art.
Weathered Wooden Stuff
     Another category that people often overlook at Estate Sales includes any sort of old weathered wooden thing, like those you see above. For some reason, it’s easy for the eye to overlook them–they look like something you might throw away (or burn) and because you have to imagine a new purpose for them, buyers will often overlook them.
The scrap wood in the first photo could easily be used to create a decorative tray or to make signs. The cylinder in the second photo would make a unique “sculpture,” perhaps set on a coffee table or hung on the wall. And the ladder could function in several ways, as a quick scan of Pinterest would prove.
Other old weathered pieces to look for include bird houses, pieces of fencing, plant boxes, outdoor decorations, and whirly gigs. It’s hard to go wrong with purchasing any reasonably well made wooden piece that’s priced low. I can safely promise that you will either find a way to use it “as is” or come up with DIY project that’s perfect for it.
More weathered wooden objects to search for at Estate sales? How about shutters, doors, and crates, all of which offer fantastic decorating possibilities. Shutters and doors can be hung on a wall, rested in a corner, or placed on a mantel. Small crates make great centerpieces and larger ones can be stacked to create end-tables or small shelving units.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to old wooden finds.
Game Pieces
     It seems like almost every Estate sale has a pile of vintage games for sale. Most can be had for around a dollar, and I’ve found that the game pieces can be worth more than the games themselves. Crazy right?

Game pieces appeal to scrapbookers, steampunk-ers and altered art creators, so there’s a nice market for these sorts of things. They have a sculptural quality about them that is very appealing. I would someday love to fill a printer’s tray with a variety of pieces from games I enjoyed as a child, like Clue, Life, and Monopoly.
Fill a small bowl or clear glass jar with your favorite game pieces, Scrabble tiles in particular, and you have a great conversation starter. Wouldn’t guests find such a bowl impossible to resist? They would be spelling words before you know it.
Crafters love scrabble pieces for all kinds of projects; Just recently, I used Scrabble tiles to create a unique Christmas ornament that ended up being extremely popular at the Christmas craft fair I sell at every year.
The vintage, wooden Parcheesi pieces you see above recently sold for $5.99, and the letter cards (64 of them) sold for $6.99. Monopoly pieces, bingo numbers, and dice (particularly Bakelite ones) are also very popular. I’ve used Bingo cards to create attractive Christmas decorations for a few years now. You can also see one in an altered art project of mine here.
The possibilities seem nearly endless for these very diminutive vintage objects.
Steam Punk or Altered Art Supplies
     The term “steampunk” refers to a period in the 1800’s when the world was fascinated with science, exploration, and invention–all things industrial, scientific, and time-related.
    This is a somewhat narrow category, but it is growing in popularity among young people. Many like to wear steampunk inspired jewelry and still others use the same types of supplies for a variety of unique and interesting art projects.
Other items to look for include hinges, knobs, clock faces, clock parts, gears, and similar “junk.” Like game pieces, these kinds of collectibles look great tossed in a bowl or jar, and will definitely get people talking!
So that’s my list; I hope you found it informative and helpful to you in your vintage shopping. I hope you make some wonderful new and exciting purchases. Happy hunting!