What is the difference between a Flea Market and an Auction? Is a Garage Sale the same as a Yard Sale? What can I find at an Antique Mall vs. a Thrift Store? They’re all similar because they involve the selling of used items, but they have subtle, key differences. The world of vintage shopping – or as we like to call it ‘treasure hunting’ – can be a little overwhelming. And maybe even confusing if you don’t understand the nuances of each type of sale or venue. Knowing what to expect will help you be more successful in your hunt. We’ve rounded up a glossary here that will help define each type and what to expect, so you can take your antiquing game to the next level.
Antique Mall
Antique malls often consist of hundreds of vendor booths each selling their collections of antiques, collectibles, vintage pieces, home décor and sometimes hand-crafted items. They are often spread out over thousands of square feet, in spaces as unique as a barn or as ordinary as a strip mall. You can find them aplenty in any community in America. They have normal daily business hours just like a regular shopping mall, so it takes a little pressure off of the buying experience (unlike the quick decisions that need to be made at a flea market or an estate sale). It’s not as easy to negotiate prices at antique malls because booth owners aren’t usually on-site, so if you want to make an offer, the mall staff will have to telephone it into the vendor. I find antique malls to be really convenient and can find myself wandering in them for hours.
Auction
An auction is a public sale where goods or property are sold to the highest bidder. Many people think that auctions are just for high-end pieces that come at a high price (like the Barbra Streisand Auction featured here), but that’s far from the truth. You can find everything from antique furniture, to art, to cars and houses at an auction. As long as you meet the minimum bid requirement, you may get your piece for a steal, or you might end up in a bidding war with another interested party. There is a lot of drama and suspense with an auction, so they’re really fun to do every once in a while. Estate Auctions differ from Estate Sales in that everything is auctioned instead of being marked with a price tag.
Charity Thrift Shop
This type of treasure hunting is a win, win, win for all involved. There are so many thrift shops connected to charitable organizations – from the big guys like Goodwill, Salvation Army and DAV Thrift Stores to the smaller versions connected to religious or other philanthropic organizations. They offer unbeatable prices, benefit worthy causes and operate under regular business hours making them very convenient. They carry everything from gently used clothing to furniture and household items. These stores receive donations from the community every day, so stock turns over constantly and you never know what you’ll find. The trick is to go often – one day you won’t find a thing and another day your cart will be full.
Estate Sale
An estate sale usually involves the selling of an entire household of items due to a major life event (downsizing, moving, bankruptcy or death). They are often filled with higher end items, including furniture and clothing, and you can expect to pay higher prices than you would in other thrifting environments. These events are most often managed by estate sale companies and have a pretty controlled environment. Lines begin forming outside sometimes hours before they open and folks are allowed in on a first come, first served basis with a limited number at a time. Prices are typically firm until the final hours of an estate sale, so don’t expect to negotiate if you’re there early. I recommend signing up for email notifications from EstateSales.net to hear about sales in your area each week. They often include photos so you can plan in advance if something catches your eye.
Flea Market
A flea market is an event where vendors sell secondhand goods. Flea markets tend to occur on specific dates or seasonally and vary in size and scope. Quality ranges from antique and vintage to thrift-type pieces, and yes, sometimes junk. Dealers can either do this for a living, traveling from market to market, or they can be hobbyists picking key events that they want to participate in. In either case, they all curate their goods by shopping estate sales, garage sales and other thrifting. Prices are usually a little higher because they have already curated the selections for you, and they are turning items around for profit. If you’re looking for vintage or antique pieces, you want to make sure the flea market you plan to attend features them. Some flea markets are more like a swap meet, trading a lot of random items.
Facebook Marketplace
As we talked about in our earlier blog post, Facebook Marketplace has become a very convenient way to shop for antiques (and lots of other used goods) in your area. From the comfort of your own home – and at your fingertips – you can search for a specific style, item or era – or just scroll to see what’s new. Deals are also aplenty on this platform because items are being sold for the most part by people that want to move things out of their basement.
Garage Sale
Simply put, a garage sale is a sale of miscellaneous household goods held in the garage of someone’s home (if the merchandise is displayed in the yard, it’s called a yard sale). They are an excellent way for a homeowner to clear out items that are no longer needed and make a little money. Garage sales usually occur over a weekend, from morning to afternoon. The price of goods are set by the homeowner and are generally about 10% of the original cost of the item – you’ll see lots of things marked $5 or less. Typically, whatever is left after the sale concludes is donated. When residents of a neighborhood come together to have their garage/yard sales on the same day it’s called a community sale. A multi-family sale is when multiple families have joined together to sell their items in the same spot, such as one family’s home.
Moving Sale
You can usually expect to see a fair amount of furniture, appliances, electronics and other substantial household items at a moving sale, as they occur when a homeowner is downsizing or moving and needs to unload things beforehand. Things are typically priced to move. These events are organized as garage or yard sales, with the key difference being the more substantial items being sold.
Rummage Sale
A rummage sale is usually connected to a fundraiser or charity. These events are frequently held at community centers, churches or schools and are a source for them to raise money. Usually, community members come together with items they are willing to part with to benefit the charitable organization and they donate whatever is left following the sale. While you can find useful items at these sales, they don’t typically include great vintage finds.
Tag Sale
A tag sale usually includes higher quality items and is often managed by professionals (like an estate sale) who can help inform buyers about items they’re interested in. Here in Michigan, we don’t hear the term ‘tag sale’ often but we see lots of estate sales. Back in May, Martha Stewart received lots of buzz for the fabulous ‘Great American Tag Sale’ she hosted at her Bedford, New York estate. During the event, which was televised on ABC, Martha sold pieces from her vast collection of furniture, art and housewares, sharing stories of how the items were acquired with buyers. What I would’ve given to have had a ticket to that event!
Yard Sale
A yard sale is like a garage sale, but it’s held outside in the yard or driveway instead. They are effective for those who don’t have a garage or live in an apartment building. Yard sales typically occur on weekends in the early part of the day. Pricing is determined by the homeowner and generally start at about 10% of the original cost of the item.
Now that you know the difference between each type of sale and venue, we hope you enjoy your vintage shopping experiences even more. Happy hunting!
~ Beckie
Photo Credits:
COVER COLLAGE: Design by Beckie; Most images from Flickr and linked below.
IMAGES – https://flic.kr/p/3bFSH, https://flic.kr/p/cQFz7U, https://flic.kr/p/dCkv7w, https://flic.kr/p/2sDXv9, https://flic.kr/p/41evv, https://flic.kr/p/LypEnu, https://flic.kr/p/9WSEgu, https://flic.kr/p/9urooX, https://flic.kr/p/5WSM2W, https://flic.kr/p/oJYCD2
THE GREAT AMERICAN TAG SALE WITH MARTHA STEWART – (Eric Liebowitz via Getty Images)
THE COLLECTION OF BARBRA STREISAND AUCTION – (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)