Furniture and decorator accessory hunting at estate sales are a lot of fun and lead to some great deals on very fine furnishings. Here’s some guidance to check out.

1. Be At Least An Hour Early: When it comes to an estate sale, the early bird gets the worm, well more specifically, they get whatever worm they want! There’s no trick, no secret to this, just plan on showing up ridiculously early and standing in line.

2. Be Ready To Move It Out Right Away: Most estate sales will hold large items until near the end of the sale and put a sold sign on it. Just because you’ve paid for it, doesn’t mean there won’t be 1,000 people coming in, sitting on it and declaring their depression that it’s already sold. Be sure to arrange your own vehicle and workers to move your purchases out.

3. Be Patient and Shop Often: If the item you want isn’t priced within your budget, or someone else gets there first, be sure to check back because very rarely are items so unique that something similar won’t come up again soon!

4. Check Back: Prices generally go down over the course of an estate sale. Good companies will be looking for direction from the executors or owners. If they have a mailing list, be sure to sign up to get the latest information.

5. Be Tough with the Professional Estate Sale Shoppers: You have every right to go first through doorways. You might be looking for things to fit in your home, but many others have booths at local antique stores and they’re just concerned with making a profit.