Quiltingboard Forums - Estate Sales Are Dangerous

Stay far away from them unless you want to suffer that rush of adrenaline as you pile things into boxes and scurry them out to your car. I thought I was getting better. I thought I could start getting rid of sewing machines. I thought I could...until someone posted a link to an estate sale local to me. As I looked at picture after picture, my eyes widened and I knew I would go. I still often go to estate sales but usually there's not a lot that's tempting and I can frequently walk away empty handed. Not this time. I should mention that this house is in the country club area and one of the wealthiest neighborhoods composed of mostly retired people. Here's a link that includes the pictures from the sale: http://luxestatesales.blogspot.com/

There was an event tent set up in the front yard with cashiers. When I entered the front room, it was lined with tables which were all covered with sewing ephemera of all types.There were 4 or 5 Featherweights gathered around the fireplace accompanied by a black longbed 301 and a handcrank in pristine condition. They seemed pretty reasonable, too. I picked up a hemstitcher attachment and asked the woman behind the jewelry display if she knew the prices of the objects on the table and she didn't but described the tall guy I should ask. I picked up another couple of items to inquire about and a woman handed me a box and said “You need a box! You'll get a better price for a box full.” I wandered through and there was more and more. What was probably the family room was also filled with tables covered with sewing stuff and plastic bins two deep full of the same under the tables. I dropped more and more things in the box and it began to fill. There were tall spool cabinets and flat-drawered cabinets filled with sewing, knitting, crochet items. I made it into the sewing room and started to reach sensory overload. There was an industrial hemstitcher covered with boxes filled with parts, attachments and accessories as was every surface and floor. I sorted through a container and my hands rested on an object I felt would put me over the top of myself-imposed limit for that cash-only sale. I just kind of strolled through and then started searching for a person to give me a price. I finally tracked her down with assistance and she looked through mybox and gave me a price. I didn't haggle as I usually don't if I think it's fair. I felt it was actually more than fair.

My haul:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]558082[/ATTACH]

Money shot:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]558083[/ATTACH]

I loaded the box in my car and thought“Well, I have $25 left. I'll just take one last look and see if there's anything I can't live without.” I walked back in the sewing room and remembered the empty Bernina 930 case sitting under the hemstitcher and asked the gentlemen in charge if the machine was still around. He led me back to the master bedroom and pointed to a closed cabinet. It's in there. I opened it and there was the machine and piles of accessories all around it. He gave me what I felt was a very good price and said all the accessories would go with it, except the cabinet. I said I didn't have enough cash so he said I could give a deposit and pick it up anytime that weekend. I paid the deposit and cashier said someone else had just asked about it. The cashier told me there was an additional warehouse sale in two weeks where the majority of the sewing collection would be sold and gave me an announcement card.

To say I raced back would not be an exaggeration. When I pulled back up to the house, there was a police car parked in the road with lights flashing. I thought someone probably had a fender bender because of all the traffic. No. The police were talking to the man in charge about it being an improper sale as they had advertised they were bringing in additional sewing merchandise from their warehouse and the neighbors had complained(such sales are frowned upon in that neighborhood). I paid my balance and took another box for accessories and loaded and there was quite a bit more than I had thought. Not one but 2 cut and sew attachments,two walking feet, almost every attachment you could think of and almost 50 presser feet. I was a happy man. Here's the Bernina haul:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]558084[/ATTACH]

Later that evening, I thought I would post a link to let people know about this sale and all the ads were gone. I discovered later that I had everything but the manual so thought I'd go back and see if anyone were around to see if they had it. There was a sale canceled sign on the front door but to go around back to pick items up. There was a U-Haul and they said they were working on the second load hauling things away. I didn't find the manual but one worker did give me the Bernina magnetic pincushion and the wooden cabinet insert. I looked in the garage (which I hadn't even been in) and there was a 201, 15-91 and three 301s and a few other machines. I managed to stop myself from digging more. It was phenomenal.

I guess the point to this long diatribe is to let everyone know that if you are in the area, that this is the sale of a lifetime (I doubt I'll see one like it again). The Warehouse Sale is in Emeryville, CA (close to Oakland) on September24-26 and the “good stuff” is supposed to be there. Here is the link: http://luxestatesales.blogspot.com/2...meryville.html

I'm afraid to go to Emeryville.

There is danger there.

Good luck and stay safe.