Tag Archives: What is a garage sale
Tips On Choosing An Estate Sale Company – Editorial By Carol Madden
Editorial, by Carol Madden – Editor and Publisher of EstateSalesNews.com
Over the last two weeks Estate Sales News has published questions and responses from estate sale listing websites and from estate sale associations, societies, and others offering education and membership. We are very grateful for their participation to help you – the public.
It is time to address a growing problem with estate sale sellers. What is an estate sale? What are realistic expectations from an estate sale company and from an estate sale held for you? What should you be doing or not doing before and during the estate sale?
Let’s address these topics.
An estate sale is not a garage sale. A garage sale is 99.9% run by sellers/owners to shed items of little value (most of the time) that they want to rid themselves of. Often times for under $5 and in many instances for under $1. Most aren’t researched, staged, or advertised professionally. A garage sale can gross anywhere from $50 to $1000 on average although a lot depends on how much and what is in the sale. When finished whatever is left either is put out at the curb, or taken to Goodwill or the Salvation Army if acceptable by these organizations.
Realistic expectations in today’s estate sale market vary from town to town, city to city and state to state. In some areas where there aren’t a great many estate sales and the people in the community are willing to open their wallets and spend money, they can be very productive. When you are in an area where there are 50-200 estate sale companies this all changes. Competition is tough, what are they selling on behalf of their clients (today so many baby boomers – millions of them are downsizing, eliminating most of their belongings to either travel, get a fresh start, or in some cases selling off the contents of a relative’s effects).
If you are going to hire a professional estate sale company to handle the liquidation of your personal contents or a relatives’ make sure you are not just hiring an estate sale company without having done your due diligence. That means that although you have checked with any association, society, or membership organization you – the seller have researched on the internet for reviews, you have had an actual conversation with at least two (if possible) of their former clients, and you have satisfied yourself that all avenues have been checked. Just being a member of the BBB (Better Business Bureau) or Angies List and others is no guarantee. To better understand the BBB here is a link to Wikipedia. Please take the time to read and enlighten yourself. Here is the link to Angies List to read as well. If you are using an association or society of any type make sure that they have actually conducted estate sales. Just providing a list of estate sale companies without having worked in the business isn’t enough.
Downsizing or Moving? Estate Sale or Garage Sale – What’s The Difference?
Baby boomers are moving in record numbers and many are downsizing as retirement time has arrived. Knowing what the best answer is for you to liquidate your unwanted or no longer needed items depends on your understanding the difference between an estate sale and garage (yard) sale.
An estate sale sells the greater part of the contents of your home. Usually it involves selling the items within the home. Most estate (or sometimes called a tag) sales are conducted by professional personal property liquidators – an estate sale company. They sort, organize (or stage) the contents within the home, price, advertise, and conduct a sale lasting two, three, or four days. Many also offer clean out services as well for an additional fee. Estate liquidators are experienced with selling household items as well as antiques, art, etc., however, when in doubt they research and may call in an appraiser to assist them with the proper description and pricing.
A garage sale involves selling miscellaneous household and garden items, usually takes place in the garage, on the driveway, or on the yard and are held for one or two days. The sale is usually run by the owners and they set up the items, price, and sell them. The items being sold are generally low in value.
One key difference to mention is where they are advertised. Estate Sales are advertised on estate sale listing websites, estate liquidator websites, social media, and print media. Garage/yard sales are usually advertised by hand writing on poster board tacked up on poles, (where permitted), in a local newspaper, and on occasion on websites specifically for yard or garage sales.
Another difference that is often overlooked in articles and discussions is negotiating. Estate sales usually will not negotiate the first day of the sale and most have a policy for discounting while garage sales usually have people making offers from the time the sale starts. Estate liquidator also have policies in place for entering the estate sale (numbers, list, etc.) while folks waiting for a garage sale usually just walk up and start looking across tables of items and may even poke through items not yet unpacked.
If you aren’t sure which type of liquidation will meet your needs speak with a few estate liquidators and explain what you are doing and what you have to sell. Most will welcome your call and the result could generate financial gains more significant at an estate sale than you would have received had you chosen to go with a do it yourself garage sale.
What Is A Garage Sale – Estate Sales News Information
Today’s Estate Sales News what is series continues with what is a garage sale or yard sale. It is not a traditional estate liquidation process, though some do it yourself people use this to liquidate the leftover contents of an estate after the family or heirs have removed what they were left or wanted.
Garage Sales started out originally as just that. You conducted a sale within the confines of your garage. Usually it was odds and ends and items for the outdoors or no longer needed. People would set up card tables or saw horses with a sheet of plywood on the top. They would spread their items out on display. Occasionally they would have too much for just the garage so they would spread things out down the driveway as well. Many people have expanded this idea to spread their belongings out on the yard, hence the term yard sale.
Most people make up homemade signs on old cardboard or tag board and nail them up on telephone poles in the general vicinity. Today, however, you need to check with your local township as many towns now require permits for a garage sale. Some even limit the number of garage sales you can have. and some will not allow any signs except for one in front of the property.
Garage sales are for the most part conducted by the owners of the property. They do not usually involve professional liquidators, although there some companies and people that will stage and price your garage sale for a fee or hourly rate. They do not conduct the sale. If you look hard enough you might find one that will, however, today there are websites such as www.garagesaletracker.com, www.garagesales.com, www.gsalr.com, and www.yardsalesearch.com just to name a few that now will list your garage sale/yard sale online. These are the sites we found with a brief search. They also offer tips and most list your garage/yard sale for free. Of course, many people still like to use newspapers, local or community to get the word out.
The prices achieved a garage sale are usually significantly lower than those achieved at an estate sale.
