Category Archives: Estate Sales Help & Tips
What’s Selling Today At Estate Sales
What’s selling today at estate sales?
Here are a few of the millions of items for sale at estate sales across the country.
This is just a sampling of the millions of items available today at estate sales. Please visit these websites to see what is selling at an estate sale in your area.
Estate Sales Summertime Review What’s Hot And Behavior
It is time for an estate sales summertime review of what’s hot and behavior.
Let us start with what’s hot in estate sales.
Recurring themes are fishing and hunting items, Pyrex (seems to be selling everywhere), military items and linens. Tools, mid-century decorative items, wood working items. Pyrex appears to be one of the hottest sellers.
Other hot sellers include good gold jewelry, great costume jewelry, purses, perfumes and inexpensive holiday decor.
The area of the country also helps determine what are hot sellers.
Behavior at summer estate sales is also hot.
Storage Unit Filled Estate Sale Or Auction
Storage unit filled, estate sale or auction. Questions to be answered.
EstateSalesNews.com has received many calls and emails from prospective sellers concerning the liquidation of personal property they have stored in storage units.
Sellers want to know what venue to use.
First question is how much is stored? What is stored? Have they asked the storage unit company if they could sell from the unit?
Many estate sale companies will not sell from a storage unit. The estate sale company has to look at what is going to be for sale, how can they display, will the storage company allow it and is it financially equitable for them?
Simply unpacking boxes to examine what is in the storage unit(s) can present a challenge.
Many estate sale companies are not set up to remove property from a storage facility to another location. On site estate sales are easier to look at and stage. They usually provide space for parking and traffic.
There are some estate sale companies that will provide the service, but usually at a much higher commission because of the work and restrictions involved. Some liquidators may offer to sell via online auction. Other estate sale companies offer both on site estate sales and auctions.
Auction companies may choose to pick up the contents of a storage unit and move it to a facility to be included with other partial contents in an auction.
If you are moving, downsizing or liquidating a loved one’s stored belongings, all of the above needs to be considered and investigated to determine what liquidation process will work best for you and if anyone in your area can assist.
Do not hesitate to consult with your local estate sale companies. If they cannot assist you, they may provide leads as to who can.
Knowing your local estate sale companies can provide you with knowledge to make wise, informed decisions.
Summer Time Estate Sales Are Everywhere
Summer time estate sales are everywhere.
Estate sale companies have extra concerns with summer estate sales.
If the property is not air conditioned with the high heat in some parts of the United States keeping customers and staff comfortable is important. Shoppers at estate sales will linger and shop more if they are not suffering from intense heat. The estate sale company staff will have more stamina when they are not working in a stuffy, hot environment.
Most estate sale companies will try to bring in fans to circulate the air if the property is not air conditioned. Some estate liquidators will even provide small bottles of water for their customers.
This is also a great time to buy window air conditioners. They are quick sellers at this time of the year. If purchasing one ask to have it plugged in to see if it works, but remember that the majority of estate sale companies sell items “as is”, but if you are looking to stick to a budget this is a good way to shop.
Patio furniture, garden tools, portable pools, swing sets, grills, and potted plants are also in summer estate sales. This is the season for downsizing, moving, and buying new.
If you are attending estate sales in the heat take water with you in your vehicle.
Some areas of the country are seeing severe downpours and heavy rain. A towel and an extra pair of shoes should be in your transport along with listening to the weather in case you need to detour around a flooded road.
The summer season of estate sales, like winter has weather considerations. Being prepared will make you a better and prepared shopper.
Check out these websites for estate sales in your area and let the estate sale company know you read EstateSalesNews.com. Happy shopping.
Reputable Estate Sale Companies Choose Wisely
There are thousands of reputable estate sale companies, but sellers must choose wisely and with knowledge.
Recently a reputable estate sale company was contacted by sellers who had contracted with another estate sale company to run their estate sale. With less than a week to the dates of the sale, the estate sale company hired by the sellers notified them that they were not going to conduct their estate sale because a better sale had come along.
Here at estate sales news we have many articles and a printable list to assist and help sellers, heirs and attorneys with their decisions. Click here for a printable list.
Choosing an experienced estate liquidation company, with a good verifiable reputation is paramount to deciding on the right company. Reviews on the internet, speaking with past sellers, recommendations from former clients, and perhaps a visit to a current sale are all good ways to help you find the estate sale company to handle your sale.
Look at their advertising, memberships (not always necessary) and ask how they became estate liquidators. Question how long they have been in business and be sure to ask about their staff and experience. You are looking for knowledgeable, experienced individuals.
Ask about how they setup and price. What kind of research do they do. If needed do they have specialists they can seek out information from.
When you sit down to review their contract ask questions. This is a contract. Ask what repercussions could take place if either party fails to meet the the contract’s conditions and clauses.
There are 16,000 plus estate sale companies and the majority are hardworking honest people who do their jobs well and represent this profession in the highest manner possible.
Do your due diligence and remember that you can make a wise choosing an estate sale company.
Estate Sales Friday
Estate sales Friday and the number of estate sales keeps increasing.
Just look at such websites as EstateSale.com. There are three major estate sale listing websites which now include estate sales, auctions, and online auctions.
Estate sale companies are looking for every way possible to reach the public.
Social media advertising on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Reddit, and Google + supplements estate sale company websites and their listings on estate sale company listing websites.
What estate sale companies want to know is where do you find out about estate sales in your area?
Are you on an estate sale company mailing list? Do you receive email from estate sale listing websites?
When you attend an estate sale, let them know how you found out about their sale. Did you just happen to see their sign?
Estate sale companies want to hear from you so they utilize the most effective method of communicating with the public about their estate sales.
Here are a few items that area available at various estate sales across the country.
Moving And Downsizing And Estate Sale Companies Can Help
Recently my husband and I moved and although we have downsized and I was an estate liquidator in New Jersey I wish I had listened to my own advice and had an experienced estate liquidator help.
Moving, downsizing and estate sale companies all fit together.
Having an outside, detached individual or company can be so helpful.
Although we all want to keep those most important keepsakes, an estate liquidator can be of great service.
We wish now that had time and thought permitted we would have discussed our new digs and what we have.
Instead we have over 125 boxes and some furniture in our garage that don’t have a home, we aren’t sure what is in each box and we are both still working.
If you are getting ready to move, downsize call a reputable, knowledgeable and experienced estate sale company and explain your situation. Seek advice and then if you feel comfortable arrange for an interview.
We all have items we cannot part with, however, estate sale companies can be of great assistance to relieve stress and help.
Don’t be caught short and left in a state of “what do I do with it now”. Estate sales can be the answer to so many problems.
Cancelling An Estate Sale Contract Can Be Costly For Sellers
Cancelling an estate sale contract can be costly. It isn’t a simple matter of deciding to use another liquidator or do it yourself.
An estate sale contract is an agreement between owners, heirs or an estate attorney and an estate sale company. The estate sale contract details what is required of both parties in the transaction.
When an estate sale company has begun working on a sale they have many costs involved. This includes labor, possibly using dumpsters for trash, advertising, transportation, permits and more. They have given up their business time to conduct your sale while someone else needing an estate sale may have been turned down.
A cancellation clause in a contract protecting the estate sale company has become a necessity almost everywhere today.
This clause details as a seller you will be expected to pay for and how. Many estate liquidators now charge an upfront fee to begin work on your sale. Similar to an attorney’s retainer fee. This money is usually reflected and deducted on the final accounting of the sale.
It is becoming increasingly apparent that many sellers allow estate sale companies to come in sort, clean and prepare for a sale and then cancel leaving estate sale companies out thousands of dollars.
It would not be unusual for an estate sale company to take a seller to small claims court or further depending on the accountable amount of expenses incurred by the estate sale company.
If you have doubts or concerns about using an estate sale company, the time to ask and decide is before you sign the contract. If you want a less expensive company to handle your sale, hire them, not the more expensive one who does the work and then is cancelled.
Estate sale companies support themselves and their staffs. This is “not a hobby”. This is a profession and sellers should recognize this work as such.
If you are thinking of cancelling your estate sale contract, think twice. It could be a costly proposition and stressful experience for you. Estate liquidators work to lessen your stress and help you profit as the market will allow.
ISA Conference In Chicago On Estate Sales
The discussion of estate sales at the Chicago conference of the International Society of Appraisers was engaging and brought forth many views.
We discussed how ISA appraisers can be beneficial to estate liquidations. The degree of commitment that is required by an ISA appraiser to conduct estate sales. Estate sales are a business not a hobby.
Is an estate sale the right choice for the client. It isn’t just quantity. The best market for some items may be at auction and an ISA appraiser can assist with brokering this. As part of their training they are educated in the larger auction houses across the country.
We discussed how ISA appraisers can work in tandem with estate sale companies in a beneficial manner for both.
Our discussion included how estate sales work. Learning about staging, security, advertising, crowd control were just a few of the topics we touched on. How many hats does an ISA appraiser want to wear.
We also discussed online auctions and franchises. These are two hot topics.
It should be mentioned that online auctions and franchises have found a place for estate liquidators as well as considerations for appraisers.
We were booked for a 1 hour and 15 minute discussion and we ran over our time a bit.
Much information was covered and more will be discussed in greater detail.
Many thanks to the International Society of Appraisers for inviting me and giving me this platform to discuss the wonderful world of estate sales.
Estate Sales Information And Topics
Estate sales have so many topics to cover and information to be discussed.
This Sunday in Chicago I will be speaking at the International Society of Appraisers (ISA) Conference about estate sales. So many topics to cover in a short time, but I hope this will be informative and lead to an educational exchange of ideas and information. Appraisers are important to estate sales and estate liquidators, but the same can be said for the importance of estate sale companies and appraisers.
The estate sale business has grown into such a large small business industry, that the number of topics and information needed to be successful requires continuous reading and education.
Since I retired from the estate liquidation business in 2011 much has changed.
Todays’ estate liquidator has to be concerned with the sale of ivory, liability insurance, disposal of hazardous materials, permits, mold, better security, greater use of social media advertising, where best to research items of value or the unknown, and how to do time management and the list continues and grows.
There are many sources for information on estate sales available on the internet. We feel you should not, however, pay for that information. Buyers and sellers should be able to obtain reliable, knowledgeable and useful information for free. If you are obtaining it from any source that also collects fees from estate sale companies question what you are learning if you too pay for this information.
EstateSalesNews.com celebrated our 4th anniversary this month. Although we have a small variety of diverse companies paying for advertising, this is to help defray our cost for our website out to enable a free resource for buyers, sellers, estate sale companies and the estate sale information and the topics we cover.
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