Last week we bought a couple boats (catamaran and 15 foot fishing boat) and today we went to an estate sale. We picked up a few items and did some bidding on the land (had a real nice 80 acre piece) but there was someone there who wanted it more then we did (hey - I don't overpay for anything when possible). We dropped out at the 200K mark and it ended up going for 260K. It was nice, but there is a 70 acre parcel going for 210 just down the road in a regular real estate sale that has more hardwood. Perhaps they didn’t do their research well enough.

I do know that when there are more people at these, the likelihood of a few people who overbid goes up. Last week nearly everything went for a lot less then its value. Today it was the other way on a lot of items. Maybe it was some who got caught up in the excitement.

Anyone else go to these things? Any stories to share?

I go to auctions sometimes. I don't think I've ever gotten anything real great, but once I got a whole collection of vintage matchbox vehicles (mostly from the "yesteryear" series) for $10 each, they all turned out to be worth between $40 and $60 each when I looked them up in the price guides.

i been to a few never got anything good though :(

I went to a Police and Government seizure(sp) auction, nothing there worth buying all the cars were terrible windows missing and had sat in the elements not worth much to anyone.

I go to the local mart about once a month,just to buy hand tools and junk for the workshop.Last time I went I bought an old washing machine for $5,just to take out the pump for a waterwheel that I have planned for the garden.

I also go to a tender showroom in town occasionally,there's much less chance of 'overbidding',because you pitch your best price and wait,but there's less chance of a bargain[unless you want to waste time putting in a heap of low bids on the off chance].

I do some work for an auction place. They deal mostly in Antique furniture and art and other old stuff. Sometiems it can go either way depending on the item, a Polar Bear bed cover went for some $4,000 or so between two guys when it should have only gotten half that, while a 14 person couch (stained but otherwise magnifiently huge) went for $125. It's exciting when you watch all the people spend there money, you just hope you don't drop the expsensive stuff.

I've been getting the feeling that the auctions that are unknown or a new charity one get the best deals overall. Those that have been around tend to attrack the same set of overbidders after awhile.

Its been a few years since I went to one, but used to frequent them a lot back in the states. Most of the time because I had stuff in them, but others because I was there to pick up certain things. It is so easy to be caught up in the bidding and over bid, but that is the nature of the beast. I have picked up very good deals in the past such as a snowmobile, 1986 Phazer in 1988 for $690. Nothing wrong with it, it was just an estate auction and most there were bidding on the house hold items and the house.