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A recent poll went out asking you what you would like us to write our first blog on. With us being a roofing company we thought it would be something similar to that. But instead you guys wanted to know more about yard sales, pawn shops, rummage sites, craigslist, and flea markets. Well here you go, ask and you shall receive!
Antique
This is an object that is a century old or older.
They’re a lot of people who refer to old objects that are less than 100 years old as antiques, including dealers and antique mall owners. They are either mistaken or deliberately trying to mislead you.
Bait and Switch
Bait and switch is where someone lures you with one thing while actually having or offering something that’s less desirable.
This is where someone advertises one thing like “Hall of Fame NFL rookie cards for cheap!” Then you get there and they are 3rd year or 5th year cards. Not rookies at all. Most of the time this happens deliberately to bring potential customers to the product. But occasionally this happens due to the seller being uneducated on what they are selling.
Bargaining
Bargaining is the same as haggling. It means negotiating to get the seller to lower a price. You find this most commonly in the resale world. Where some people are just wanting to get rid of something and don’t know what the resale value is. So in some cases they go below value.
Barter
When you barter, you trade something of yours for something you want instead of paying money.
For example, let’s say you see something you like on a Craigslist. If your seller is willing to barter, you can offer your time, labor, expertise, or another object in exchange. This is most commonly found in the auto areas. Where people trade 4 wheelers for motorcycles and other fun toys.
Booth
A booth is the designated spot where an individual flea market, antique mall, vintage market, or antique show seller sells their stuff within the larger venue.
Curb Shopping
Curb shopping is browsing and/or taking the discards people set out on the curb for trash collectors—and possibly taking a peek in the garbage cans too.
Similar terms to curb shopping are dumpster diving and trash picking.
Dumpster Diving
Dumpster diving is the act of going through a dumpster (with or without permission) to look for usable or salvageable things.
Though the term refers specifically to dumpsters, it’s also used to describe the process of searching residential trash cans set out for pickup. Haven’t you ever heard? One man’s trash is another man’s gold!
Early Bird
An early bird is a shopper who shows up at a yard sale (or similar event) much earlier than the listed starting time. Most of the time these are customers who want the first look at all of the items. But some other early birds maybe other resellers wanting to grab high value things to sell in their booth for a very cheap price.
Fake
In a flea market, swap meets, etc. setting, a fake is a counterfeit, usually of a designer or name brand item. A fake pair of Nikes are real shoes, for example, but it’s not really made by Nike though. This is very commonly found in jewelry, clothing, and other apparel items.
Firm
If a seller tells you a price is firm, it means the price not negotiable and you can’t haggle. You can always try, but will often lead to disengagement from the seller.
Haggling
Haggling is the act of negotiating for a lower price, either by making an offer or asking if the seller will take less.
Hand
The hand is the way a textile feels when you touch it.
Junking
Junking refers to antique, vintage, or just old stuff at any secondhand place or event. You can go junking at flea markets, yard sales, estate sales, antique malls, or junk shops. You can even go junking by driving around looking for free things people have put out on the curb.
Knockoff
A knockoff is designed to look, smell, or function like a designer or name brand item. Sometimes the name and/or packing is inspired by the designer item too.
The difference between a knockoff and a counterfeit (or fake) is that knockoff manufacturers aren’t claiming (or trying to fool buyers into believing) that theirs actually is the designer or brand name item. It’s obvious to the buyer that a knockoff is just an imitation.
Pop-Up
When it describes an event, such as a flea market, pop-up means the event doesn’t take place in a regular place at a regularly scheduled time. It just pops up someone from time to time.
Porch Pick Up
If you see porch pick up on a Craigslist or online yard sale listing, it means the buyer plans to leave the merchandise on the porch. This is also commonly referred to as curb pick up or drive way pick up, or even alley and yard pick ups.
Restyle
If you restyle something (dresser, chair, etc.), you are giving it a new cosmetic look without changing its original function. Similar to refurbishment in electronics.
Smalls
Old (antique or vintage) ornaments and home accessories of small size are sometimes referred to just as smalls—unless you’re talking to a vintage clothing dealer. In that case, smalls probably refer to vintage underwear. You probably thought we we’re going to say “You’re killing me smalls” but we didn’t…….. Unless you just counted that. In other words we did say it. But I digress!
Storage Find
A storage find is an object you found in someone’s abandoned or unpaid storage unit.
Some storage unit contents are sold as a blind lot in an auction. Other storage sales have individually priced and sold items, much like a garage sale held in a storage unit. Similar to the popular show Storage Wars.
Thrifted
If you thrifted something, it means you bought it at a thrift store.
If you donate a chair to Goodwill, you have thrifted it. If you buy a dress while you’re there, you have thrifted the dress.
Thrifting
Thrifting is the act of browsing or buying something at a thrift store.
Trash Picking
Trash picking is looking through residential or commercial garbage with the goal of salvaging something usable or salable.
Trinket
A trinket is a small object (a piece of jewelry, home accessory, or another decorative item) of little monetary value. Trinkets usually hold more sentimental value than anything.
Vendor
A vendor is an individual seller at a commercial secondhand sale, such as a flea market, vintage show, antique show, or antique mall.
Vintage
There is no agreed-upon, official definition of vintage when it refers to used objects of a certain age. It’s a term taken from the wine industry, where vintage precedes an actual year.
The accepted use of vintage typically means old enough to be collectible and desirable, but not old enough to qualify as an antique. However, people disagree about how old something vintage really is.
With so much grey area around the time frame of what makes things officially vintage. We say just be careful with postings or deals that use this word.
Whatnot
Ah some good ole southern slang. Yeah I’m fixin’to go over yonder, and grab that whatnot from Sally. I’m sure she’ll be madder than a wet hen. But it’ll be funny as all get out. Anyways….
A whatnot is a small open shelving unit used to display small decorative objects. For example, you could arrange your doodads on a whatnot.
A whatnot can be wall-mounted or freestanding.
