The best part of reselling is that every sale is a little mystery. The team at Florida Pickers headed to two estate sales on a rainy Florida morning, and between them they turned up four Wii games with a manual for $15, a 50 cent movie and a pair of vintage underwear that cost $10 but had a comp of $43 on Poshmark. Then, because it was vacation time, they flew north to see something very different: giant trolls made out of recycled trash.
The video starts at the first sale, with the hosts and Stacy browsing through rooms and talking over what might resell.
Sale One: Games, a Movie and Lace Waist Briefs
One of the best moments came at a table of video games. The set had only four games, but they came with a manual, and the seller said it was $15 for all of it. As one of the hosts put it, it is always nice to have a manual. Stacy grabbed the games to pair with Wii consoles they find throughout the year, so they would not have to be sold alone. A film was priced at just 50 cents, and they said yes without any real debate.
Then there was the underwear. A bundle of vintage briefs with a lace waistband, tagless, was priced at $10. They noted there was a comp of $43 on Poshmark, and so $10 felt worth the risk. The hosts had fun with the name “lace waist.” The reasoning is a good reminder for anyone starting to resell: vintage clothing and accessories from a certain era can sell, but you should always look at what similar items have sold for before you buy.
The house had a lot of clothes and shoes, but not the style they usually pick up, so they skipped those. A mug set turned out to be Pfaltzgraff, a brand they said they do not usually pick up, though they liked its turtle backsplash design. Then, as often happens in Florida, the rain showed up right as they were heading to the car.
Sale Two: Colonial Village and a Life-Size Uncle Sam
The second sale was on its second day, so they knew what was left would be picked over. Even so, they found Colonial Village Christmas houses at $20 each and a piece of Revere Ware at $25. The standout was a life-size plush Uncle Sam, which Stacy identified as a Lillian Vernon item. They had sold others in that line before, including Mrs. Claus and Santa, and they said people like them. It was $10, in pretty good condition with a couple of stains on the back, and she thought it could resell for between $50 and $100.
Stacy also found a witch costume for $10, which she planned to use for Halloween, though it was a little tight. Getting to the sale was an adventure too: they went up five flights of stairs to the wrong side of the building, only to find that the sale was in building five, floor one. They got their steps in either way.
A Different Kind of Find: The Trolls of Lake Placid
The second half of the video trades estate sale tables for the Adirondacks. They flew into Albany, picked up a Hyundai Santa Fe, stocked up at Trader Joe’s and Costco, and stopped at Lakeside Farms for apple cider donuts. Florida bones, they joked, were not ready for 36 degrees.
The main attraction was The Wild Center in Lake Placid, where artist Thomas Dambo has built giant trolls out of recycled materials. Fans, they said, even travel to find them all. Five trolls were part of an exhibit that would be there only until the end of October, plus one permanent troll, Patrick Sapling, who was announced a few weeks before their trip. They walked the whole trail and saw all seven in about two hours, with the museum inside taking about another half hour. Some of the names they read on the signs:
- Rosa Sunfinger, the botanical troll.
- Ronja Redeye, the smallest of the group, who is good with words.
- Iddy Pitt, the birdhouse troll.
- Hannah Can, the treasure troll, who sees potential where humans see trash.
- Basse Buller, the painting troll.
- Patrick Sapling, the permanent troll, who holds a real tree.
Tickets were $28 per person, and parking was $25 before 1 p.m. or $15 after. Stacy gave the visit a 10 out of 10 and came home with a troll shirt and a magnet.
What Resellers Can Learn
Even if you are not hunting estate sales, this trip has a few lessons for clearing out your own home or shopping smart:
- Bundle matters. A game set with its manual and controller is worth more together than apart, so keep sets intact when you sell.
- Check comps. A quick look at sold listings turned $10 underwear into a possible $43 sale.
- Know what you do not pick up. They skipped clothes and brands outside their lane, which saves time and money.
- Seasonal items can be good. Halloween costumes, Christmas villages and plush decor are good flips for the right season.
- Second-day sales mean lower prices, but fewer choices.
- Take a break. The pickers made time for fun, and that is how they stay in the game.
The takeaway is that a few dollars at a sale can turn into something worth far more, and a few days away can help you appreciate what recycled trash can become.
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