While almost everyone has stopped by a local yard sale at some point, it is at estate sales where you can uncover forgotten treasures.
And if you've never shopped an estate sale, you might be missing out on some amazing deals.
It is the perfect place to find great deals on secondhand furniture or collectibles.
Rosie Harris is the general manager of a local franchise of Caring Transitions, an online estate sale company where you no longer have to wander through old homes for hours to find something you are interested in.
She says you might be able to buy collectible crystals for pennies on the dollar.
"There's Waterford crystal here on the top shelf," she said, while going through a home her team was clearing out.
In another room was a mint condition vintage stereo from the 1960s, with all instructions.
"Open this up," she said, "and there's the turntable there."
And she had tables of jewelry and figurines that she was cataloging.
But you don't need to spend an entire Saturday wandering through someone's home to find all this.
With Caring Transitions, you simply point and click from the comfort of your home.
"It's really changed post COVID," Harris said. "Everyone shops online, so it made sense to migrate the estate sales to that."
How to shop a sale in person
But if you still love shopping in person, we turned to antiques appraiser Doctor Lori from the History Channel, who also appears in the Netflix series "King of Collectibles."
She shared some of her best tips for tackling estate sales in person, starting with what to bring.
"If you're looking at jewelry, for example, a loupe will help you to identify the quality pieces," she said.
Also, she says, bring a measuring tape, and not just to know if a larger item will fit in your home.
"There are standard sizes for certain things that will help you to get away from what might be a fake," she said.
Lastly, she says, bring several forms of payment.
Have cash, a credit card, and a payment app at the ready.
Next, she says, know where to look, knowing that other shoppers may have hidden valuables, planning to come back for them later.
"Look under the tables, look under the bed, look under inside drawers. Previous shoppers have been there and they want to come back on the second day or the third day when the prices are reduced and they've hidden things."
Doctor Lori's last piece of advice is to always, always negotiate.
With Caring Traditions, and similar online estate sellers, you typically bid online, and the highest bidder wins the item.
Harris says it is well worth it.
"You never know what kind of cool treasures you can find," she said.
And that way you don't waste your money.
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