EstateSales.NET Blog

Eight months ago, I got a call from my father, “We’re going to Portland, Indiana!” The annual Vintage Bike Show for vintage motorbikes, mini bikes, scooters, and bicycles was in full swing, and he wanted to go to relive a piece of his childhood. For many men in their 50s and 60s, the mini bike was an essential component of their childhood dreams. Between the late 1960s and early 1970s, a plethora of companies came out with mini bikes targeted for children. Open up a Popular Mechanics magazine in that era. Nearly every other page has an ad for some type of minibike.Here is a list of vintage mini bikes you might have had, a kid in the neighborhood had, or you pined after in those catalogs. Keep your eyes out while estate sale shopping because these are becoming more valuable as time goes on!Fox Corporation:The history of Fox Corporation is not well documented (a theme you see quite often in the minibike world). Still, we do know that they started in 1946, making motorized vehicles. It wasn’t until 1965 that they introduced their first mini bike, the “Fox Little Gen...

I was recently in a brainstorming session with our in-house graphics designer and video extraordinaire Kyle, and he brought up something that he saw at his grandfather's house. He told me about an impressive collection of antique razors that his grandfather has, and it sparked the idea for this article. Shaving is something that many of us do daily, but we haven't always been able to go pick up a pack of disposables and call it a day. We're going to take a look at the history of razors and see if they might be worth anything.Over the several past blogs, you've met a few members of my crazy family. We're going to talk about my Uncle Bill for a bit. After leaving the Marine Corps in the 1980s, my Uncle Bill went on to open a barbershop in Texas and did things the old school way in his shop. His specialty was a hot towel and straight razor shave. When he moved back to Missouri, that was the first time that I ever got introduced to the world of antique razors, and I was instantly hooked...

Are you an avid thrifter looking to flip your finds for some extra cash but aren’t sure how to get started? I spoke with TikTok famous Clinton Avery Tharp, who went viral for giving his secondhand finds a simple facelift and selling them for a profit. Let’s take a look at how this musician transitioned from performing gigs live to sharing hilariously educational videos of bringing forgotten vintage furniture back to life.Oklahoma native, Clinton Tharp, was a full-time musician before COVID-19 shut everything down. He found himself in need of a new creative outlet and a way to supplement his income. Flipping furniture on the side was always a hobby of his, but he was curious to see if anyone cared to learn how he transformed pieces online. Clinton created a few TikToks doing his thing, and they didn’t take off. Feeling a bit insecure, he took the videos down and tried again. He eventually caught the attention of the TikTok world with a video where he shared how he merely removed the skirt off an old sofa to reveal its legs, transforming the piece entirely...

One of the best things about working at EstateSales.NET is talking to you all about the treasures you've found at estate sales. I was recently talking to one of our customers from Rockford, Illinois. She couldn't wait to tell me about a pristine Hoosier Cabinet that she came across. I wasn't 100% sure what a Hoosier Cabinet was. I was excited because she was excited. I immediately started researching to see what all the fuss was about, and I am glad I did. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Greenwood Lake Retreat Airbnb (@greenwoodlakeretreat)The old adage "Necessity is the mother of invention" has been confirmed for mostly all of the things I write about, and the Hoosier Cabinet is no exception. Originating in New Castle, Indiana (hence the Hoosier moniker), these multi-purpose workstations solved a few different problems. While houses built in the early 1900s (like mine) may have been made to last, they weren't necessarily built for functionality. Most homes lacked kitchen storage and workspace, so the Hoosier Cabinet served to remedy all of those problems at once...

If you’ve kept up with our previous blog posts, one thing you’ve learned about me is that I am a huge fan of collecting and searching for random things such as Pez dispensers and lunchboxes. Today, we’re going to take a look at something we’ve all seen at estate sales and auctions...autographs!Speaking of autographs found at auctions, I’m particularly fond of this Tony Danza signature I recently scored at an online auction on EstateSales.NET!In the summer of 1994, my parents took me on a trip that sparked my love for a few different things: music and collecting autographs. We went to a concert in Paducah, Kentucky. After the show was over, we stood in line to get autographs and pictures with Mark Collie and Deborah Allen. As a kid, to be standing so close to the people I just saw on stage was incredible. Those autographs hung on my wall for several years, and from that point, I would get signatures any chance I got...

I was recently lucky enough to interview Danielle Weidemann from Victorian Times Estate Sale Services on Photography and Staging a Home. During the interview, Danielle brought up something that I had never heard of before but immediately piqued my interest. Apparently, there’s a little thing called Boho-Chic that is taking the estate sale world by storm on the west coast. I had to do a little digging to find out what could be so special about this trend and it was eye opening. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Girlfriendism ™️ (@mgcstx)The actual definition of Boho-Chic is a fashion style that draws influences from the Bohemian and hippie lifestyle. But I have come to find that it’s much more than that. When it comes to Boho-Chic, not only is it a fashion trend, but it spills over into home decor and furniture as well. Gaining popularity in the 1960s, the resurgence of Boho-Chic reinforces that eventually, trends come full circle...

If you’ve kept up with our past blog posts, you know by now that nothing gets us more excited than when a sale chocked full of mid-century modern shows up on our site. This week, we’re going to take a look at a few of the pioneers of our favorite design era.George Nakashima (1905-1990)After graduating from The University of Washington and later earning a master’s degree from M.I.T. in 1931, Nakashima traveled the world and eventually found himself in Japan studying under master architect Antonin Raymond. Nakashima mastered Japanese woodworking and joining techniques while in an internment camp in 1942. After his release, Nakashima went to work on Raymond’s farm in Pennsylvania. He was later commissioned by Nelson and Happy Rockefeller to design 200 pieces of furniture for their home. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Carolina Maluhy (@carolinamaluhy)Rather than searching for the perfect piece of wood for his projects, George focused on the imperfections on the pieces, stating that they revealed the true “soul of the tree...

This week, we will take a look at something that changed the way we consumed media forever: the household radio. I could spend weeks writing about all of the radio manufacturers that came about in the early 1900s. Instead, I will focus on the true underdog story of the Philadelphia Storage Battery Company, more popularly known as Philco.At the turn of the 20th century, the options for entertainment were pretty limited. The few things hardworking folks had to do in their spare time were Vaudeville productions, early motion pictures, sporting events, and the occasional county fair. This was also around the period when people had more time on their hands due to reduced working hours and the introduction of the Saturday half day holidays. In a few years, families across the country would be gathering around the radio to tune into their favorite programs.A trend I have noticed in writing these articles is that companies who found success saw a void in the market and jumped at the opportunity to fill it. Philco was no exception to that trend...

Merry Christmas from everyone at EstateSales.NETAs the year winds down, we wanted to take a moment to wish you and your family Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Our Christmas “card” this year pays homage to the wild ride we’ve been on and the changes we’ve all embraced.Though businesses have had to operate a little differently over the past few months, your devotion to and love for estate sales hasn’t wavered. We’re eternally grateful for your commitment to EstateSales.NET and the support you’ve shown your local communities.We hope you enjoy our rendition of We Wish You a Merry Christmas!Micky McQuadeEstateSales.NET Co-Founder Searching For a Company Looking for a company to conduct your sale? Go to our Hire a Company page to find a company in your area.Find a CompanyGet Notified Sign up to receive free email notifications of estate sales in your area!Subscribe Now...

The inspiration for this week's article came from the middle of nowhere...literally. I was recently on a family trip and while driving through the Mark Twain National Forest, I saw something that looked like it was plucked straight out of an episode of The Andy Griffith Show. Sitting in the front yard of someone’s home was a full scale replica of an old service station. From an old soda machine to vintage advertisements (there’s an article on those coming soon), it was almost like time stood still in Iron Co. Missouri. While I barely had time to take everything in, one thing really stood out to me. There were a pair of antique gas pumps that were absolutely pristine. I wasn’t camera ready but we’re going back in a few weeks and I’ll make sure to post some pictures to our Facebook page. It looked a lot like the one pictured below. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Barry B. Brown (@coralreefphotos) on May 18, 2020 at 4:18am PDTMuch like with most of the things I write these articles about, two questions came to mind when I saw those gas pumps...