Having a Sale

Executors of an estate, people moving to smaller quarters, people moving to a retirement or nursing home, people moving in with a relative, or anyone who needs to sell most of their home's contents.

First, many people are not fully aware of the current market value of their possessions. In that case, a self-operated sale can result in two things: 1) Selling items at give-away prices, or 2) The inability to sell items because they are priced too high. Neither will result in an optimum return.

Second, preparing for and running a sale is a lot of work. Most people find it much less stressful to have a professional handle the job and simply receive a check at the end. Also, dealing with the disposal of a loved one's possessions can be emotionally draining. It is much easier to let someone else handle that task.

Finally, in many ways there simply isn't enough time to do it yourself. Allowing professionals to handle it frees you to deal with the more improtant aspects of your move or estate dispersal.

We can sell anything that is legal and safe to be sold...furniture, accessories, prints, paintings, kitchen goods, clothing, appliances, tools, garden equipment and most other household items. We also sell cars, trucks, and boats.

A large part of our job is to find and identify those "sleepers" that might otherwise be ignored, lost, or discarded. That's why we ask clients not to "clean up" excessively before contacting us. There might be treasures in that trash! The real trash can be discarded as we prepare for the sale or after the sale.  You should focus on keeping personal papers, prescription drugs, family photos, and such. Even if you miss something, when we come across anything of a personal nature, we set it aside and save it for you.

We start working in the house about six weeks before the sale dates.  We bring in folding tables and display shelves to display the items to be sold. Then, we empty all closets, cabinets, drawers, and the attic, if necessary, so that all items can be seen.  After organizing, we price everything, either individually or by using signs for groups of items. Pricing is based on our knowledge of the marketplace, reference libraries, price databases, and relationships with specialists in many antiques and collectibles fields.

On occasion we discover rare and valuable items in estates. In that case, we research the market value of the item and determine if the estate sale is the best venue for its disposal. Options may include attempting to sell it at our sale for a fair market value, selling it privately to a specialized collector, or selling it through a specialized firm. We will pursue whichever route promises the best return for you, the client.

We then advertise the sale. Items are photographed and displayed on our website. An email is sent to our customers who have requested notification of upcoming sales with a link to the photos. We also advertise on estatesales.net and FaceBook.

Items that are left can be retained by the owner, donated to charity or discarded at the owner's discretion. We can assist in making that decision.

There is no up-front cost. Our fee is based on a percentage (commission) of the total value. The fee is deducted from the proceeds. There is an advertising fee.

A phone conversation can usually determine whether there are enough items to justify a sale; however, we prefer to look over the items to be sold to get a good idea of their value. There is never a charge for us to meet with you to look over a prospective sale.

Additional charges may be incurred to employ extra personnel that might be required during the sale to provide customer assistance and security. Clean-out of items and/or trash after the sale and cleaning of the house are not a part of our normal services. Typically, we are willing to help empty the house for an additional fee.  No charges of any kind are ever incurred without the client's prior approval. All charges are discussed and shown in the sale contract before any work is started.