You Really Never Know What You Might Find in an Auction Box

One of my favorite things about picking is bringing box lots home and sorting them out, researching what I find, and learning new things. It's like a treasure hunt and you never know what you'll find. It's such a rush to go through a box you paid $2 for that looks like it's full of total crap and finding a piece of gold or something else of value. 

Last week I bought a few blue tubs filled with old vanity items from what I assume are from around the 50's. I like selling vintage perfumes, compacts and other old vanity items. They aren't items that make a lot of money but I enjoy them and they aren't generally items I have a lot of competition with from other buyers so I can get box lots really cheap most of the time. I finally got around to sorting the tubs out tonight. I sort and price various glass and fabric items, and even found this awesome nurse cap just in time to sell for the Halloween season....

 At the very bottom of the second bin I found a plastic bag all rolled up. 

I'm thinking maybe it's more old scarves. (There were several in the bin already)

I unrolled the bag and turned it upside down and out popped ....

Nasty old human hair braids! 

Images of the last season of Dexter with Julie Stiles popped in my head at first, but it just looks like someone got a haircut and kept them as a souvenir. While there is small market for stuff like this, I think I'm just going to toss this unique find because it's just plain gross. Just goes to show though that you really never know what you'll find in an old auction box that probably hasn't be sorted in years and those finds aren't always good ones. 

Doilies, Doilies, Doilies!!!

What are they? Lovely often hand crocheted ornamental mats often used under knick knacks.

What I Paid: $5 for several flats of them.

Where I got them: At a household auction in Kent OH. I also buy these on a regular basis at auctions, yard sales, or anywhere I can pick them up cheaply.

Where I sell them: In my antique mall rental rooms.

How I sell them: These can sell on eBay for anywhere from a few bucks to twenty depending on how ornate and detailed they are, but I prefer to sell them in my antique mall rental spots for a few bucks a piece. While I could get more on eBay I sell them in my vending rooms because it's it's a lot less labor intensive. It would take me several hours to a few days to list a large lot of these on eBay over the few hours it takes me to tag these with my prices and vendor information. They are also functional. I can place them under figurines I sell to make my spaces look nicer while I wait for them to sell. I only buy when I get them for literally pennies each so selling for a few bucks still offers a profit margin I'm comfortable with.