Estate sales typically last for three days over a weekend: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Since sellers are eager to move product, they will often discount items as the days progress. Friday is full price, Saturday is 25% off, and Sunday is 50% off. This can vary, depending on the estate sale, but since the ultimate goal is to clear a space and sell as much as possible, you can usually count on steeper discounts the longer the sale continues.
At the highly anticipated Clare V. sample sale last month at Row DTLA, designer Clare Vivier exuded calm as she walked through the packed aisles, smiling and offering assistance while hundreds of frenzied shoppers snatched up her discounted handbags, colorful accessories and apparel. (Shout-out to the stranger who offered me tips on how to clean my ink-stained Clare V. leather wallet from a few years back!)
If you really love something - even if the dimensions aren't quite right - it's usually worth grabbing regardless. I have spent the last 30 years buying things that I love, often without knowing where they would go.