While Boxing Week sales are a popular way to get things cheap, there's another type of sales which have become popular – estate sales.  The New York Times reports that because of the increasing number of baby boomers who are downsizing (or selling off the belongings of their deceased parents) there has been a dramatic rise in the number of estate sales occurring.

It’s not just the supply, either – the demand is also increasing and is fueled in large part by the still-weak economy.  While the hope of finding unique and inexpensive items for their homes lures some shoppers, there are also those inspired by the desire to flip items for a profit on online auction sites. 

The increase in popularity of estate sales has also led to a subtrade of professional organizers like Sisters in Charge Tag Sale Professionals and JBD Estate Sales.  Online sites like EstateSales.net, Estatesales.org, and WeekendTreasure.com, which list the sales, are also becoming more common.   

For those interested in hitting the estate sale circuit, there are rules of protocol to keep in mind:

• The first person to arrive distributes “pre-numbers” to others as they arrive – these are then exchanged for real numbers when the organizer arrives, which dictate the order of admission;
• If you see something you like, don’t dither.  Pick up anything that seems even remotely interesting and then make a final decision later;
• If the piece is too big to carry, just remove the price tag and take it to the register;
• Don’t apply “sold” stickers to items before you’ve actually purchased them.  This is considered tacky!

So just keep those rules in mind and get ready to shop ‘til you drop!