estate sales

Hummel figurines started appearing in Germany in the early 1930’s after Frank Goebel and Sister Maria Innocentia came up with the ideas and sketches for the little collectibles. These little porcelain people became the heart’s desire of many as novelty stores across the country began to sell them during the war. After WWII, Hummel figurines [&h...

What can an estate sale do for you? A sale can save you money, help you complete your coin collection, or paint a view of history that you never could imagine. The endless options that are found in estate sales in the DC Metro area are one of a kind, and you could be the […]...

Are you a collector of newspaper articles, magazines, or books? Estate sales may be your best place to find your next prize piece. Many people store old literature in their basements, attics, or garages and often forget about them.  Therefore, when all of these things are rediscovered you could be the first to sift through […]...

Antique and collector toys are easy to find at many of our estate sales because they are something that usually are put in box in the garage after not being played with for years. They are the memories of years past and youthful innocence. Toys like porcelain dolls and collector cars are often worth the […]...

Antique clocks are timeless and have been collected as people pass on family heirlooms, discover them at estate sales, or even on the internet. On the newer end of the clock spectrum there are some interesting clocks to look for like the popular Coca-Cola bottle clock and various Disney Mickey Mouse clocks. Coca-Cola bottle clocks […]...

Over the past  several months, I had the pleasure to work with Four Sales on an estate sale of the property from my parent’s residence.    The overall experience was both a very positive one and effortless.   In picking Four Sales, we investigated several other firms.    Many didn’t even respond and the ones that did required [&hel...

Antique sewing machines are a collector’s dream and aren’t always easy to find. Estate sales are one place where they can be found regularly! Sewing machines have been produced since the late 1700’s as a way to inexpensively make large quantities of garments to sell. These futuristic contraptions weren’t patented until 1854 in the United [&...

Thimbles have been in existence since the 1st century AD and have been a crucial part of tailoring and manufacturing since. The earliest known thimble was in the Roman city of Pompeii and was made of bronze, a very precious metal at the time. As time went on the thimble became a necessity in every […]...

1. Assess the condition, look for cracks, chips, fading, and any other flaws. Compare each item to other pieces in the set in order to make a decision about whether or not the colors are bright and as flawless as they should be. 2. Look around the marketplace; collector’s pieces are only as expensive as […]...

Purchasing pieces of furniture from estate sales is a great opportunity to buy quality furniture at a reasonable price. The challenge is deciphering if the piece itself is in good shape or not. Woods like mahogany and cherry are often the most valuable and continue to gain value over the years. Look for pieces that […]...