Sedalia, Mo. ? The saying one man’s trash is another man’s treasure has true meaning for Sedalia antique dealer Jim Johnson.

He and other area antique dealers take to the streets early Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings, combing the yard sales for antiques.

“The difference between those having the sales and some of us in the business is that we know the real value of a Dazey churn or a Weller vase, while the seller just knows he or she doesn’t want or need it anymore,” Johnson said. “A lot of profit is based on buying good items cheap and selling them at their real value.”

John Dick, a Sedalia auctioneer for estate sales, said the real treasures are usually items passed down in families when a relative dies or enters a nursing home.

“I find all kinds of really valuable things when I’m called in to do an estate auction — gold and silver coins that have been stashed away, vases and decoration items that were bought for a few dollars in 1920 and are worth hundreds of dollars today.

“A Dazey churn was something nearly every family had back in the 1930s, and making butter was a normal Saturday chore,” he said.

Once useful, now collectible

“When there was no longer a milk cow in the back shed, or it became cheaper to just go and buy a pound of butter rather than make it, these churns were put away in back cabinets, tossed in the attic — they outlived their usefulness,” the auctioneer said.

Today, a gallon Dazey churn with its glass jar and crank-handle top will bring $100 to $150 at just about any sale. And a one-quart churn, because they’re rare, can bring as much as $1,800 to $2,000, Dick said.

“There are many things that were commonplace in 1920, 1930 and even 1940, that today’s antique-hungry public will pay a lot of money for,” he said.

Dick pointed out that Roseville, Weller and Rookwood pottery vases and decoration pieces, hot items on eBay and at auctions, were originally sold for just a dollar or two at five-and-dime stores like Woolworth’s and Kresge’s.

In mid-Missouri, gorgeous golden oak furniture was common because the wood was locally cut and sawn, and there were many talented German woodcarvers in Missouri, Dick said.

When that furniture went out of style, it was often put in back bedrooms and attics and replaced with the new styles, he said.

“A lot of this beautiful furniture has been passed down from Grandma or older relatives who have died and is just sitting there gathering dust. Drag that stuff out, put a little polish on it and it can bring big dollars,” Dick said.

Get advice

The auctioneer said when he is called to manage an estate sale, he makes a complete inventory of the items for sale.

“I walk through the house, look in every cabinet and cupboard, even go through the garage and list the tools and such,” Dick said.

He then puts approximate prices with all the items and discusses the auction with the seller. He said anyone seriously wanting to raise some extra money should do the same thing — make a list and price the various items — instead of just setting it out on tables and taking what someone offers for it.

“And the big thing,” he said, “if there’s something there you have an idea might be valuable but don’t know, call an auctioneer or an antique dealer and get their advice. Most everyone I know would be fair and give a close estimate, even if they wanted to buy the thing themselves,” the auctioneer said.

In addition, he said, there are many antique pricing books such as Kovel’s or Schroeder’s that will list the latest value of most antiques.

“You can go through the antique book and get a good idea of what things are worth, even though you may have a hard time talking an antique dealer into giving you that much. The dealer has to have a little room to make a profit, too,” Mr. Dick said.

Gary Yancey, who is an auctioneer and an antique dealer, said people many times overlook old paper items such as outdated deeds, picture albums, hand-written recipe books and old postcards, because they think they are valueless.

“These are all little bits of history about the area and are valuable to collectors and historians,” Yancey said. “I’ve seen old, used Sedalia postcards bring $100 for a special one, and a stack of the old cards can bring in the hundreds.

“A sentimental hand-made Valentine card from back in the 1800s can bring big dollars. They’re all a part of local history, as well as family history,” Yancey said.

Yancey agreed that anyone thinking about a sale, even a yard sale, should do the inventory and find out about what they have to sell.

“I’ve seen gold jewelry, diamond rings and diamond brooches sell along with a box of costume jewelry just because the seller didn’t take the time to look at what was there and get a value for the items they don’t know about,” he said. “It’s amazing how some old-timers used to hide their valuables.

“I’ve found gold and silver coins, paper money and jewelry hidden in flour and sugar canisters.” he said.