Auctionbay In the News... FOX News Chicago

"Best Bargains Can Be Found At Estate Sales"

Chicago - From matchbooks to cookbooks, we all have our collections. But if you want to find the best bargains, there's a secret source here in

Chicago. Patrick Elwood reports on where to find it...

Diane Hudec in the news...WBBM Chicago Channel 2

"How To Price And Promote Your Garage Sale"

Chicago - From the city to the suburbs, the number of homeowners getting permits for garage sales has doubled...

"Antique Shopper's Best Kept Secret"

Estate sales can be treasure troves for deeply discounted art and collectibles. What are you waiting for? 

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Auctionbay In the News...Wall Street Journal Online 

"Be A Pro At Estate Sales"

ESTATE SALES, TYPICALLY HELD when a homeowner dies or moves to a nursing home, can be an excellent opportunity to find bargains,

especially on such sought-after items as antiques and collectibles.

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Detroit News

EVEN THE KITCHEN SINK MIGHT BE AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL ESTATE SALE

CHRISTY BONSTEL/ Special to the Detroit News

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Going a little crazy without garage sales to scour for deals? Just want to get out of the house and stop hibernating? Then get out to some estate

sales. Despite nasty, slushy weather and tough parking, hundreds of people showed up at an estate sale held by Marcia Wilks earlier this month in

Grosse Pointe Park. "I had two in a row. Both weekends were terrible weather," she says. "I had hundreds of people. I did gangbusters. You can

buy anything. You can get toilet paper or a fine antique. People get comfort out of buying things." "There are the same amount of sales year

round," says Diane Hudec, owner of Diane Hudec Estate and Liquidation Sales in Chicago. "There is not a bad time of year to have an estate

sale." Estate sales are generally held when a family member has passed away or when a person is moving. The entire house becomes a

showroom, and everything in it gets tagged with a price.

Shopping Tips

Here are some tips from Kolojeski and Tawra Kellam, owner of www.livingonadime.com, to help you get the best haul at estate sales:

• Estate sales are a wonderful way to find antiques, but be sure you know what you're paying for. Only pay a premium price for something

  you're positive is worth it or that you love that much

• Look for odds and ends that can save you money, such as unopened cleaning supplies, which can go for as low as a quarter. Your saving

  can be gigantic.

• Be ready to negotiate, but know that estate sales are different than garage sales because an outside company often runs them. However, if

  you find one run by the family, they might be more willing to haggle.

• If you're looking for something in particular, it's best to go early and purchase that item at the listed price. However, if you can afford to wait,

  come back in the last hours of the sale when things are marked down as much as 75 percent.

• If you're furniture shopping, set up help and transportation in advance of the sale because the company is not likely to hold an item for you.

• Just because something is old is no reason to assume it's worth money. Things that are damaged can lose their value.

• Don't buy things just because they are cheap. Ask yourself if you really want it before getting caught up in the excitement of a bargain.

• Bring a magnifying glass with you to identify markings or chips in china or glass. Be sure you know what you're buying is authentic; don't just

  assume a "diamond" ring is a diamond -- it may be glass or even vice versa.

• If you see a piece of china you like, tap it with a ballpoint pen. If you hear a bright "ting" sound, the china is crack-free. A dull sound means

  there's a crack you can't see.

• Books are worth more as first editions, in perfect condition, illustrated by certain artists and still in possession of a book jacket. If you intend

  to collect books for an investment, you should know a little about them.

• Bring coin change and small bills. This makes it easier to pay and to haggle.

• If you're looking for silver, carry a reference book to help you tell the importance of the markings made on silver jewelry or utensils.

• You may not be able to try on clothes, so wear something you could throw clothes over for an estimated fit". 

Estate sales can turn up clothes, furniture, collectibles and much more, says Patricia Kolojeski, who ran Grosse Pointe Household Sales for 28

years before retiring last year.  "Now I go to sales. It's a fun kind of a thing," she says. "It is like an addiction. I think people want to get a

bargain." 

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

CHURCH AUCTIONING OFF BOWLING ALLEY

RUMMANA HUSSAIN

February 24, 2005

Parishioners at St. Mary of the Angels Church lost interest decades ago in the basement bowling alley. Now they're about to lose the alley -- to the

highest bidder. The Bucktown church's vintage Brunswick six-lane B-1 bowling alley -- complete with original ball holders, ball polishers, two seats

and pin washer -- will be auctioned off on eBay today with the starting price of $9,000. The bowling alley was probably installed shortly after the

church at 1850 N. Hermitage was built in 1920 for Polish immigrants, according to Diane Hudec, vice president of Auctionbay Inc., the

Chicago estate sale and Ebay consignment company handling the auction that will benefit the church. Lanes were common The bowling alley

wasn't used much after World War II, and most parishioners are not even aware it's there. It has been used for storage for 60 years, Hudec said.

Before the Internet, cosmic bowling and even television, churches were neighborhoods' primary social centers, so it was common for them to have

a bowling alley, according to Jim Dressel, editor of the Chicago-based Bowlers Journal International, the oldest sports magazine in the country.

Dressel said he doesn't know whether any other church in the Chicago area has an alley. Dressel doesn't think the

professional bowling community would have much interest in buying the equipment. "I don't think the bowling community would want to go

backward in time," he said. But Dressel said he wouldn't be surprised if some collector, restaurateur or bowling alley business bought the set for

its kitsch factor. "These things look like they were in pretty decent shape," Dressel said. "It sounds like they were prematurely closed." Hudec said

the bowling alley was probably actively used for 15 years in the late 1920s and 1930s. Based on the recollection of the oldest parishioners, open

play cost 15 cents a line, beer was a dime a bottle, and pin boys got 3 cents for setting up the pins. One of St. Mary's popular pinboys was Joe

Kissel, the late publisher of the Chicago Bowler. Hudec wasn't sure whether tales of a strict bishop putting an end to the fun and games were

accurate. Most likely, bowling dwindled during World War II when many of the men who dominated the leagues' schedule enlisted in the military,

Hudec said. "The society changed. How we conducted our personal lives changed." When St. Mary's parishioners were told of the Pearl Harbor

attack, everyone stopped bowling and ran home to listen to the radio. A large prayer board tacked behind the alley with the handwritten names of

"Our Boys in the Service" remains untouched. The bowling alley was last used when some students were allowed to play in the basement in

1980s. The church had been considering refurbishing the alley but eventually decided to sell it. Church officials declined comment on the 10-day

eBay auction, which will run through March 6.

Copyright The Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.

NOTE: Final selling price $15,000