Tips for Bringing Your Estate Sale Bought Goods Home Safely

When purchasing goods at estate sales you will need to bring your own boxes and wrapping supplies to make sure your goods make it to your destination safely. No bags, wrapping, boxes, blankets, tape or similar supplies are provided, so be sure to think ahead and bring your own. Avoid the risk of having a newly purchased antique roll around in your car trunk or crash land off the passenger seat!

Essential items to bring include newspaper, tape, boxes, twine, scissors, bags, paper towels, tissue, pillow cases or other light fabrics, packaging peanuts, labels and of course a pen. Depending on what you plan on buying you may not need all of them, but it would not hurt to have them on hand just in case.

Don’t be stingy with wrapping something, and carefully take the time to overwrap and protect your new treasures. Keep in mind that if you break something purchased at an estate sale, there are no refunds or returns. The old adage “you break it, you bought it” holds true at any tag sale. Use extra newspaper and tissue whenever possible, and be sure to tape everything thoroughly so that it doesn’t unwrap.

If you are loading items in a truck then you will want to pack the heavy boxes on the bottom to prevent crushing any other delicate items. It may sound like common sense, but never risk setting furniture on anything other than the floor of the truck or van itself. Cover items individually to prevent scuffing, scrapes and other possible damage. Small fragile items should be wrapped and cushioned with crush paper, blankets, towels or other soft padding. Fragile items should also be placed with fragile items and not heavier purchases.

Any goods with cords should be fastened with tape or zip ties so that they do not dangle for both your own safety, and to prevent the snagging on other protruding objects. Avoid over packing boxes and give your newly purchased goods plenty of room to breathe. Label items that require special handling especially if you will be seeking help moving them once you reach your destination. If something is delicate, by all means tag the box as such so that anyone assisting you move them knows they need to be gentle.

Pack like items together whenever possible to avoid breakage and easy unpacking. Figurines should be packed with figurines, glass with glass, tools with tools, and so on. When placing the items in your vehicle, make sure they are tightly packed and will not slide around or fall when driving and riding over bumps. A handy roll of twine or rubber bungee cords can assist in keeping everything in place in the trunk of the car once you’ve got it loaded up.

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