Summer Tips for Successful Estate Sale Shopping

 

 

Ah, the great outdoors! Are you wearing your bug spray and sunscreen?
Ah, an estate sale in the great outdoors! Are you wearing your bug spray and sunscreen?

Is it hot enough for you? Summer is here for sure in Tennessee, and that’s great news for estate sale fans. This time of year boasts the largest number of estate sales, barn sales, tent sales…you name it! There’s lots of shopping fun to be had, but it’s also a time of year when you need to plan ahead and take a few precautions so that you don’t run into trouble when you’re on the hunt for discounted treasures.

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Warmer temps mean that sales are held outdoors as well as inside. When you’re picking through items that have been stored in barns or sheds, you might want to bring along a pair of gloves to protect your hands from dirt, rust, splinters…and the occasional spider. A little good planning helps make the experience safer and more fun.

Park smart and avoid trouble! It's worth the effort.
Park smart and avoid trouble! It’s worth the effort.

Estate sale parking can be challenging, especially with larger summertime crowds. Neighborhoods are rarely designed for the influx of vehicles that a sale can attract, and often times people are in a rush to park and get inside to shop. However, it’s important to remember that there’s not ANY deal that’s worth a scraped bumper. Take special care in older neighborhoods with narrow streets (Inglewood) or inside condominium complexes not to park on both sides of the street–there must always be a clear path for emergency vehicles. Summer often brings heavy rains; if an area looks muddy, be extra careful about parking your vehicle!

Yeah, that's how you roll your ankle on the uneven terrain or rickety basement stairs at an estate sale. Wear closed-toed shoes!
Yeah, that’s how you roll an ankle on the uneven lawn or rickety basement stairs at an estate sale.

Can we talk about flip flops? We love our flip flops in the summertime…but they are a hazard at estate sales. Often, older houses have uneven flooring, or steep/slippery/narrow basement and attic stairs. Navigating narrow hallways in a crowd of estate sale shoppers while wearing flip-flops can be dangerous to your toes! Please consider saving the flip flops for the beach, and wear your closed-toed shoes to the sales.

Hydrate, hydrate! We'll have the lemonade waiting for you at our summer sales.
Hydrate, hydrate! We’ll have the lemonade waiting for you at our summer sales.

Summer estate sales are often hot…especially outdoor barn and tent sales! Be sure to stay hydrated in warm weather. We offer complimentary lemonade, coffee and ice water at all of our sales, so please be sure to take advantage of this.

Keep bugs and sunburn at bay!
Keep bugs and sunburn at bay!

If you’re out at estate sales, it’s good to keep a bottle of sunscreen and bug spray handy. With the warmer weather, often times we will have items for sale outdoors; and y’all know that mosquitos are out in force this time of year. A little spray will help keep ’em away!

Join the fun and line up early!
Join the fun and line up early!

If you really want to beat the heat, arrive early. Our sales open at 8:00 a.m., and folks generally start lining up on the first day at about 7:00 a.m. It’s generally as cool outside as it’s going to be at that time, and there are lots of friendly people to chat with in line.  We really do have the best customers and we love seeing them each week!

Check our estate sale listings (link on our home page) for where we’ll be, and come join us for great deals and a glass of lemonade. See you there!

My best,

Michael Taylor and Company

 

Summer Tablescapes: Using Vintage Finds

Don’t you just love summer? We do! It’s our busiest time of the year, and we’ve got a full schedule of really great estate sales and new treasures arriving at Michael Taylor At Home weekly. Today we thought we’d share with you some fun ideas for setting a summer table using items that are easy to find at our sales or in our retail location. tablesettings3

Vintage mason jars are a staple at our sales–and some older Ball jars are quite collectible! Group several together and fill with water, glass ovals and floating candles for a pretty outdoor accent. Or add lemon slices, rosemary sprigs and a few drops of citronella oil–this looks pretty and is a natural mosquito deterrent.

Vintage books, an old tin, and mason jar vases accent a rustic dining room table...chic and easy!
Vintage books, an old tin, and mason jar vases accent a rustic dining room table…chic and easy!

Old books and vintage tins are inexpensive and easy to find at our sales, and add height and interest to a tablescape. Pick up a small, decorative plant and voila! Here mason jars are used as drinking glasses–one more use for them.

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Vintage china is beautiful and a tremendous buy at estate sales–our sales are literally full of china place settings at very affordable prices.  Don’t be intimidated by the fragile look of these pieces! China is meant to be used and enjoyed, and is easy to incorporate into casual dining.  Here we have a basket full of mix-and-match small plates on a dessert buffet. What an easy, fun presentation…not fussy at all!

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Here’s a wedding table centerpiece using silver plate (Michael Taylor At Home has a great selection of silver plate serving pieces!), old books, a china coffee pot, etc. Groupings of dissimilar objects can look great together. Don’t be afraid to experiment!

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This beautiful table is set with mix-and-match china. It looks like a million bucks, right? Lots of colorful, creative vintage style. Fun fact: we’ve had brides shop with us to find enough mix-and-match china to set tables for weddings of 200+ guests. We just love helping customers bring their events to life…and isn’t it fun to imagine someone’s old china set being used for a fabulous celebration like a wedding? Mixing and matching takes away that “too fancy!” factor…and brings in a lot of old-world charm.

Need help locating pieces like these? Please feel free to ask any of our staff at our sales to help you find items like any you’ve seen here–we’d love to help you with your treasure hunt! Photos of our sales are updated weekly in the estate sale listings tab, found on the home page of this website. Or you can find similar items at Michael Taylor At Home, open 10-5, Thurs. thru Sat., at 478 Allied Dr.

Happy shopping, and we hope to see you soon!

Michael Taylor and Company