If you shop at an estate sale run by a company, the prices will be much higher. If the sale is run by the family, usually the adult children, their goal is to clear out the house so it can be sold. The last sale I went to I was given a Little Tikes table and 4 chairs and 7 white wire shelves for cabinets. I purchased an inlaid wood box and a never-used iron for $5. I am posting pictures of some of the items.
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It is often the case at estate sales and garage sales that those hosting the sale overlook some hidden treasure in their inventory. Go to a jeweler or a pawn shop and see if the proprietor would teach you some fundamentals.
This is a page about finding estate sales. When a person or family is liquidating nearly all their possessions, great deals can be found, but you have to know where to look for them.