Tag Archives: estate liquidations

Choose An Estate Sale Company By Reputation Not %
Today there are more than 15,000 estate sale companies working across America. Choosing an estate sale company should be about experience, reputation, reliability and integrity. The very last consideration should be commission or a fee.
Speaking with an estate sale company, asking to see referrals and conversing with them, reviewing their experience.
Seek out reviews on the internet and don’t hesitate to ask the estate liquidator about the reviews, especially those in question.
So many companies have come on line that it is now more important than ever to ask about their experience in the business, how they got into the business and why estate liquidations.
The very last question should be about commission and in the end this is not that important. If an estate sale company does a poor job a low commission won’t help you.
Like any other specialist, estate liquidators consider all their costs, plus the profit they need to make their living and the commission is usually based on that.
When choosing an estate sale company, choose by previous results with others, not what they want you to pay and make sure you sign an estate sale contract that covers everything. Success doesn’t just happened, it is earned and comes from knowledge. Be a savy consumer and choose wisely.

Understanding The Estate Sale Process
Understanding the estate sale process is very important as the liquidation business continues to grow.
Estate sale companies cannot commit until they have seen everything you are selling. The company needs to decide if there is enough in the sale to make it profitable for them.
Estate liquidators have many expenses such as insurance, staff, supplies, security and the time needed to prepare the sale. Liquidators have to include their advertising costs to compete with the growing number of estate sales.
Sellers hiring an estate sale company should recognize that they have a multitude of expenses. Working to create a successful sale for you to the best of their ability requires knowledge and marketing experience.
Estate liquidators also need empathy in many cases for clients.
A strong estate sale contract that protects and explains the estate sale company obligations and the sellers obligations is very important in the process. Many estate sale companies have their contracts prepared by attorneys.
The estate sale company may have a membership in associations such as the NAOEL. These associations and societies charge a fee to join and a yearly fee for membership. They also provide education that they charge the estate liquidator for.
The estate sale company incurs the cost of excepting charge cards. Fees are accessed and each company decides whether to charge them to a seller or absorb them. This may be part of their commission. Each estate sale company is different.
Sellers should understand what is required to prepare and conduct a sale. Reviewing the estate sale process with any estate sale company you are interviewing is important to avoid future misunderstandings.

Items That Can Be Sold At Estate Sales Are Often Overlooked
Items that can be sold at estate sales are often overlooked. Consider some of these suggestions.
Stair lifts, walkers, crutches, canes, and home health aides (that are sanitary) may be missed opportunities to be included in an estate sale.
Estates being settled for heirs may include refrigerators, or unattached appliances. New or almost new washers and dryers are appliances that can be sold at an estate liquidation.
Customers at estate sales will usually purchase cleansers (used or partially used), draperies and curtains. Gardens are also a great source with decorative ornamentation, and plants. Especially in warmer climates where plants grow year round.
Buyers that enjoy crafts and hand work items such as knitting needles, yarn, needlepoint patterns (still packaged or partially worked on), and sewing items will look to see if any are included in the estate sale.
Partial sets of towels, sheets, and blankets are also marketable.
Lawn tools, snowblowers, leaf blowers, lawn mowers, and grills are other items for sellers to decide on. Sellers relocating to areas that do not require these lawn items will probably sell. Each situation for a seller is different.
Consulting with an estate sale company before anything is thrown out or given away is important. Sellers or heirs want to assure that none of the items mentioned above and other personal property are not discarded.
People disposing of estates or moving are not always aware of items that can be sold. Every item sold at an estate sale counts financially.

Information On The Estate Sale Business?
During the last three years EstateSalesNews.com has been writing and providing information on the estate sale business. We have report news and information on a wide range of topics for buyers, sellers, and estate sale companies.
We share our news and information on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. We have created 49 boards on Pinterest up to now to focus on news worthy estate sales, videos, and of course the great things found at estate sales from vintage to antique and new to repurposed.
For buyers we have discussed estate sale etiquette, the different types of entry estate sale companies use (sign up sheets, numbers, a well formed first come line), how to approach a liquidator about a discount, where to find estate sales, forms of payment accepted at sales, what to look for in signage such as all sales final, no exchanges or no refunds. We have discussed what to take with you to sales such as packing material, flashlight, magnifier, and even how to organize your route.
Sellers we have provided a printable step by step sheet for how to find, interview and hire an estate sale company that provides you with a feeling of trust, honesty, and integrity. Here is the link (also at the top of our front page) to answer the questions of sellers looking to hire an estate sale company.

Estate Sales Costs Evolve Over Time
One of the largest generations in our history, the baby boomer generation, has helped to create a boom in the estate sale industry, changed the way estate sales work, and the costs associated with estate sales.
Ten years ago holding an estate sale you payed a commission to an estate liquidation company or a flat fee and possibly paying an outside source to provide a clean out after the sale. The commission or fee was set by the estate sale company and was the same for almost every sale they conducted.
Not so today. The majority of estate sale companies now carry liability insurance, important for them and sellers. Workman’s compensation is also an expense for hundreds of estate sale companies. Estate sale companies that hold more than one estate sale per week or handle large content sales have had to add staff to handle the volume of sales they are working, advertising has gone from placing an ad in the local paper and hand made signs to marketing with estate sale advertising websites such as EstateSale.com (including featuring large or unusual sales an extra cost. Each estate sale adverting website is different and has varying costs), Facebook (and boosting the post for the sale) professional signage, brochures, memberships in associations, email targeting lists, and clean out costs either by the liquidation company or a company that specializes in clean outs of property.