Here in Lincoln, Nebraska, there is a busy community of shoppers that aren’t often talked about: The estate sale community. Estate sales usually happen when someone wants to get rid of most of their belongings, so their home transforms into a store full of objects that were once loved. Looking around estate sales can lead you to find vintage clothing, useful kitchenware, house decor, and plenty of other gadgets.
One business that I have stumbled upon is Bassett Estate Sales. They are family owned, and organize and manage sales for people in the Lincoln community. Their process for an estate sale begins with a walk through and a consultation with the client, then the objects are organized, priced, and advertised. They manage the sale for two whole days, and after that everything is cleaned up and leftover objects are settled.
“We typically like to run our sales every two weeks,” Amy Bassett, an owner of Bassett Estate Sales, said. “One week for setting up and the second for pricing. The pricing usually moves much more quickly as we have been doing this over the years, you start to learn the market value as you sell.”
I went to a Bassett Estate Sale on August 30th, located at 5610 S 73rd St (NE of 70th & Old Cheney). I had such a great experience walking around with my mom through the estate. The sale was in the house of an older couple that wanted to downsize their residence and get rid of extra belongings. Between my Mom and I, we walked out purchasing a plethora of items.
My Mom picked up a blue polo shirt for my Dad, a vintage record player and amplifier, twin JBL speakers, and a Chicago cutlery kitchen knife set. I spotted a black vintage Kate Spade New York purse, and of course had to take it home. When checking out the final room in the basement, I lucked out and found a Canon Powershot SX100 digital camera. It was in amazing condition and came with a camera bag. These cameras can be valued for 150 dollars, but I got it for the price of 10.
“As I get older, I love walking through a house that I know was from a family the same age as mine,” French teacher at Lincoln East, Cara Heminger, said. “There are things my parents owned, (computers, cameras, clothes, etc.) and things my sister and I had (70s/80s toys and games, Ataris, boomboxes, VHS tapes, etc.). I love that the items will not be going to the trash, but will be getting a second life.”
I would recommend anyone to visit a local estate sale. You never know what you could find for an unbeatable price. It is also a great way to explore vintage items while benefiting the environment. Instead of going to a landfill, these objects are given a new home. I hope estate selling in Lincoln stays around for decades to come.
