The Estate Sale Reseller's Saturday Morning Checklist

Print this, tape it to your fridge, and never have a chaotic Saturday morning again. The whole reseller's pre-sale routine, in one short list.

Some posts are about strategy. This one is about execution. The strategy stuff is a different post — this is the *list* you actually run through every Saturday morning, in order, no thinking required.

Print it. Tape it to the fridge. You'll be a sharper reseller within two weekends.

Friday Night (15 minutes)

[ ] Open the browse map and filter to this weekend.
[ ] Triage every sale within driving range — star sales with 30+ photos and antique furniture / pottery / electronics / sterling / vintage clothing in the photos.
[ ] Note opening times of starred sales.
[ ] Build a route in the Route Planner, clustering by neighborhood.
[ ] Set alarm for 6:30 a.m. (or earlier for an 8 a.m. opener far away).
[ ] Charge phone fully. Charge backup battery.
[ ] Cash in wallet: $200+ in twenties and fives. Pull from ATM tonight.

Saturday 6:30 a.m. — Wake-Up Routine

[ ] Coffee. Real shoes. Layered clothing (sales aren't air-conditioned).
[ ] Reusable cloth tote bags (3+).
[ ] Tape measure (small, retractable).
[ ] Phone fully charged + backup battery in pocket.
[ ] Wallet with cash + a credit card backup.
[ ] Notepad and pen (for negotiating piles, jotting items not yet seen).
[ ] Bottled water and a granola bar (you won't have time later).

A flat-lay on a kitchen counter at dawn: smartphone, notebook, measuring tape, small bills, reusable cloth tote, and takeaway coffee in soft early morning light

Saturday 7:15 a.m. — Out the Door

[ ] Route Planner pulled up on phone, mounted in car.
[ ] First sale's address loaded in maps.
[ ] Drive calmly. The sale doesn't open faster if you speed.

At Each Sale — The 4-Step Walk

Step 1: Get a Number (if applicable) Many sales hand out numbered tickets. Get yours. Make small talk in line.

Step 2: Walk the House Fast (no stops) Survey every room. Don't pick anything up. Just spot the gold.

Step 3: Go Back to the Highest-Value Item First Buy it. Get it in your hands. Then keep shopping.

Step 4: The Final Sweep Walk every room one more time. Check shelves you missed. Ask staff: "Is there anything in the basement or garage I haven't seen yet?"

The Negotiation Phrase

When a price is borderline:
> *"What's your best price on this today?"*

Said with a smile. Open-ended. Way better than naming a number.

At the Register

[ ] Stack everything together for a possible bundle discount.
[ ] Pay with twenties when possible (faster checkout = better impression).
[ ] Be friendly with staff. They remember faces.
[ ] Carry items to car gently. Especially Pyrex, glass, ceramics.

Between Sales

[ ] Update Route Planner if you're running long or short.
[ ] Take a photo of any haul you want to remember.
[ ] Sip water. Eat the granola bar.

On Items You're Unsure About

[ ] Snap a clean photo of the whole item.
[ ] Snap a second photo of any maker's mark on the bottom or back.
[ ] Run it through the Ai Photo Appraiser.
[ ] Make the call in 10 seconds — buy or skip.

End of Morning (around noon)

[ ] Sweep through one final half-price sale if your stamina is there.
[ ] Drive home. Do *not* go to one more sale "just because." That's how Saturdays die.

Saturday Afternoon — The List Routine

[ ] Sort the haul on the dining room table.
[ ] Photograph each item under bright window light, white background.
[ ] Look up sold comps on eBay for each item.
[ ] List the top 5 most valuable items today (the rest can wait).
[ ] Reset cash for next week.

Sunday — Optional Half-Price Sweep

[ ] Re-check sales you went to Saturday — *some* are worth a half-price return.
[ ] Don't burn the morning. 1–2 hours max.

Sunday Night — System Reset

[ ] Update wishlist alerts based on what you wished you'd seen this weekend.
[ ] Note any neighborhoods that produced unusually well — bookmark for future scouting.
[ ] Charge phone. Make tomorrow's coffee in the pot.

The Kit, In One Sentence

Cash, phone, tote bags, tape measure, water, granola bar. Coffee in hand. Route on the dashboard. Smile on the face.

That's the whole show.

Keep going: browse this weekend's sales near you and run the Friday-night version of this list tonight. The Saturday version takes care of itself.