Wilton resident Andrew Clarke rarely misses an estate sale. He braved the cold and narrow roads Friday, snaking his all-wheel drive Audi up to the Easton and Weston border, where he found some good deals.
"I'm into industrial stuff," Clarke said as he heaved a massive steel shelf unit onto a sheet of cardboard atop his car. "Unfortunately, lots of people are into industrial stuff."
Carroll and Rose managed the sale. The company has no central office and functions through word-of-mouth and posts on Craigslist.
"The winter is a good time for estate sales," said Dennis Carroll, co-owner. "The weather can put a little damper on things, but there's a lot less competition this time of year. There are few tag sales and flea markets and that stuff going on."
A customer approached Carroll and asked how much for eight books. "Twelve bucks," he said. Another asks whether he'll take $50 for a wooden yoke. "Yeah, I'll take 50," Carroll said. His company has been doing this work for 10 years. "It's pretty much a cash-and-carry operation," he said.
Fairfield resident Grace Weitzer wasn't deterred by the cold, either. "I was in Aspetuck for lunch, and I was going to the mall and I saw the sign that said 'Estate Sale,'" she said. Weitzer found two end tables to refinish and an assortment of philosophy books for her son. "I'm thinking about that armoire," she said. The price tag was $450, but Carroll said he would take $300. "That's a good deal."
Fairfield County residents know a good deal when they see one. People lined up at the door before the sale opened, waiting to peak at the record collection. "That's always the first thing to go in an estate sale," Carroll said.
Do you ever go to estate sales? What are the best buys there? Leave a comment below!
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