Garage/Estate Sale Success?

[STL1944]

I am relatively new back into the hobby and was curious if folks out there regularly find things of value at garage/estate sales?

About two years ago I went to a garage sale and found a stack of 25 different 52T for sale for $.10/each (including a very nice Andy Pafko). I might have been just really lucky because since then all I see out there are a bunch of 1988 Donruss Diamond Kings or the like.

I am sure if you keep on looking there is stuff out there, but do others find success at garage/estate sales or should I assume I had a one-time stroke of luck?

Any words of advice?

[ullmandds]

Personally...i have never "scored" at a garage/estate sale. Local auction houses regularly have cards from 50's-70's though.

[Republicaninmass]

I've found mostly modern cards, but did score some unopened heritage boxes

[bmattioli]

If I drive by any I stop and poke around.. You never know what people have. I have better luck at the Flea markets I attend. I do OK..

[bdk1976]

I go to a LOT of garage/estate sales and have been for years. I have never found any pre-1960's era cards, and only a handful of 60's era (and that was at a 'professional' estate sale where they were way overpriced). Granted, this area of the country likely had/has less material stashed away due to several factors (distribution and population back in the day).

I'd say 99.9% of the time I find beat up junk-era stuff at various prices. People have associated 'old baseball cards' with dollar signs for the past 30+ years so most of the good stuff is either sold off to dealers or passed down through the family.

I did have a bit of luck last year when I found an old scrapbook loaded with 1941 Uncle Sam/Home Defense cards. Of course they are taped in and not in the greatest shape, but I was pretty excited to find them. Price was right, too - 25 cents for the book.

I'll probably hit the lottery (which I rarely play) before I find anything like 52 topps for .10/ea around here!

[JustinD]

Never even came close to finding anything other than something someone was trying to sell at less than 5 or 10x what it was actually worth.

[keithsky]

I have never found anything good at a garage sale worth anything. I find it comical that whenever you run across something that looks of value on eBay the clown selling it always says he got it from an estate sale. Total red flag in my opinion, never any authenticity just always says it came from an estate sale like it's their way to make it sound like it's real when I would guess most of the time if not all its fake. Like a lot of Babe Ruth items always seems to be found it at an estate sale or was my grandpa's from an estate sale some excuse which they know they've got it from someplace else. What's the chance of all these high end looking items coming from an estate sale?
I would say slim to none

[Orioles1954]

Last year I bought a 1961 Hartland Rocky Colavito at a yard sale for ten bucks.

[deeg23]

I've had much better luck at my local auction house and a couple of flea markets (and even ebay) than garage/estate sales.

[bcbgcbrcb]

Have heard many stories but never picked up anything even remotely close to significant at a garage or estate sale...