Category Archives: Auction
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.
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, Online Auctions, Auctions, What Works For You!
Estate sales, online auctions and auctions are now in the national spotlight in print and on the internet.
Liquidations have become big business and which way you choose to sell your contents is now presenting sellers with decisions as to what will best work for their needs.
Many sellers with entire house contents choose an estate sale. The contents to be sold remain on site, with sorting, staging, pricing and selling all done within the home. Items have specific prices at the start of the sale and you have the ability to personally examine the items. The dates of the estate sale are fixed and hours set. Estate Sale companies advertise the estate sales with photos and the description on national estate sale advertising websites. The sale takes place within a two to four day time frame. It is usually impossible to live in the property once the set-up of the estate sale has started. As sales are made the articles are removed from the home. At the conclusion of the sale the commission or fee charged by the estate sale company will be deducted from the gross proceeds and you will receive the net amount from the sales within one to two weeks usually. Each estate sale company has their own payout time frame.
An online auction is conducted via the internet. They don’t usually contain the entire contents of a home. Most online auctions are suited for a limited number of items. They are removed from the property, photographed, posted online and the auction is run for a specific number of days. A decision is made by the seller and the company conducting the auction if any items will have a reserve (a minimum sale price) before the item is put up for sale on the internet. Most companies will charge a commission on the gross sales and pay you the net proceeds when all the contents have either sold or at a specified time (weekly, monthly, etc). They may also charge the buyer a commission or buyers premium. An online auction provides an internet audience and the major estate sale listing websites provide for online auction advertising for the items to be sold. The one major difference from an estate sale is you cannot handle the item. You see photographs and descriptions only.
Estate Sales And Auctions – Editorial By EstateSalesNews.com
Today with the internet connecting the world there are several ways to liquidate personal contents. There are of course estate sales, online auctions, and onsite auctions to name a few.
Here at EstateSalesNews.com we discuss the liquidation process by estate sales, but recognizing that in many instances an auction (either online or onsite) may be a better choice for some estates or some particular items. Whether it is an estate sale or auction each provides a needed service for a family, person, attorney, etc.
What we do not support is the inappropriate discussion by either auctioneers or estate sale companies that argue that only their way is correct in a public forum such as this on WorthPoint. A private opinion should be kept that way.
For an article on WorthPoint, written by a licensed Virginia Auctioneer, Wayne Jordan, called a Worthologist and writer for WorthPoint and blogger for Antique Trader Magazine, he wrote an article about the need for regulations for estate sales as the industry grows and he included information from EstateSalesNews.com along with link to our website. Estate Sales News has not written anything about the need for regulations and he took copyrighted material without permission and used it out of context.
This is unacceptable and we have contacted WorthPoint and await an answer and apology in writing from them and Mr. Jordan for copyright infringement. All the information we have presented here in this article is available to the public without requiring permission.
Virginia is one of the states that does regulate auctioneers by the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR).
However, there are many states that have no regulation in place for auctioneers or auctions. Click here to see a list of states and whether they do or do not regulate auctioneers.
We suggest he writes about the continuing need for auction regulations in states that don’t have any if he feels so strongly. An area he is very familiar with, instead of an area that he is unfamiliar with since we cannot find where he has ever conducted an estate sale, although Mr. Jordan’s bio on WorthPoint includes him being a Certified Personal Property Appraiser and Accredited Business Broker along with Accredited Auctioneer of Real Estate, Certified Estate Specialist, Certified Auction Specialist, Residential Real Estate and Accredited Business Broker. He obtained his auction credentials from the Mendenhall School of Auctioneering. According to his LinkedIn bio prior to receiving his auction license in 2006 he was involved in a music company, a claims service, and antiques. He has also authored several books ranging in topics from antique malls to real estate.
Mr. Jordan currently serves on the Virginia Auctioneer Board and the Cemetery Board. His auction license has reciprocity in several states including Florida, where your editor had her auctioneers license. I do not have it now.
Mr. Jordans’ article was derogatory about the estate sale industry. It was also disparaging about companies that provide education to estate liquidators because they are not accredited. Not an question for you Mr. Jordan to consider when so many auctions go unregulated without auction education in so many states.
To write a shock and awe piece about another industry is not in the best interest of any liquidation service or professional.
There are many estate sale companies that use online auctions in addition to estate sales to accomplish their goals and in September of 2014 we covered an estate sale company and an auction company working side by side to sell off the contents of an estate in Michigan.
Mr. Jordan you are not serving the auction industry well by your rhetoric about another industry. We are professionals and as such we need to respect one another and our chosen professions. We can agree to disagree, but not in the manner you chose. We also remind you about copyright laws. You may not use any part of EstateSalesNews.com in any future article.
Carol Madden, Editor, EstateSalesNews.com
Estate Sale Topics Past, Present, And Future on Estate Sales News
April 1, 2015 and with new additions and features. Estate Sales News offers topics we have written about in the past, present, and future. What you need to know. This list is for sellers, buyers, and estate sale companies. If you have a topic you would like us to report on just email us at support@estatesalesnews.com.
Advertising – From estate sale listing sites, SEO, social media, brochures, email lists, signs, & more
Animals – dealing with pet stains and odors etc.
Antiques – where to learn, how to know and understand (gesso for example)
Appraisals – It is more than USPAP, understand what it is, who they are, and the many associations
Art – A general discussion on where to learn more
Auctions – Online, on site, and the difference between an estate sale and how they can work together
Baby Boomers – companies that specialize in educating liquidators that work with those moving to assisted living, elderly parents, and downsizing
Bonding – what is it, the different types
Books – First additions to comics and where to find information
Buyers – Advertising for them, etiquette, number system, negotiating, working with them
Choosing an estate sale company it’s not so simple anymore (a printable list to assist you in the process)
Clients – Estate sellers, working with expectations and realities, a helping hand and more…
Clean outs – Who will and won’t, what to expect and fees
Clothing – Vintage or new
Conferences – 2013 and 2014 estate sale conferences
Consignments – what, why, and when they may be useful
Downsizing – decisions to be made including, don’t throw anything out until you talk to a liquidator
Education – Online eduction to apprenticing, society’s to belong to
Estate sales – Understanding what they are, and the process
Estate sale Contracts – What are the basics and what you should know.
Estate sale costs – commissions, fees, how and why what is charged
Estate sale listing websites – who, what they offer, where to find them on the internet
Ethics – Checking for reviews, doing your due diligence to choose an estate sale company
Growing your audience – so many sites that you can participate on to increase visibility on the internet
Insurance – Liability, why it is important, who needs it, where it can be found
Ivory – New United States rules and concerns in various states about the sale (will be updated as needed)
Jewelry – fine, vintage, costume, gold, silver, testing, weighing, and in general
Social Media – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, reddit, and Instagram, why it is important and how to use it effectively. This is a frequent topic on EstateSalesNews.com
Taxes – an on going topic about estate taxes and sales taxes in different states.
ThrowBack Thursdays – we look back at items of the past including photos
Videos – News worthy estate sales and video chats.
What’s selling at estate sales
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Spring Time Is Only Weeks Away – Estate Sale, Moving Sale, Consignment or Auction
Now that Ground Hog Day is past spring is approaching and with it come decisions about moving, downsizing, relocating, or just a clean out.
For those in our audience that are doing more than just a clean out it is time now to start deciding what you want to keep and what you don’t. Then comes the big decision, how to eliminate all the unwanted or unnecessary items.
Now is the time to start looking for estate sale companies if you have more to eliminate than keep. You might even consider finding an estate sale company that would conduct what they call a partial sale, where it is limited to just a few rooms. Not all estate sale companies perform this particular liquidation, but it is wise to ask.
Start asking your friends, relatives, Realtor or attorney if they can recommend an estate sale company. Also start looking at estate sale listing websites like EstateSales.Net, EstateSales.org and Estatesale.com to see who is working in your area. There are other listing sites as well to check out.
When speaking with liquidators ask them if you don’t have enough for a sale if they would consider buying out what you have, take on consignment or recommend a local auctioneer that may do consignment auctions for small lots.
You may also want to inquire with an estate sale company if they assist in a clean out. Many now perform this function for a fee as well. The estate liquidation business has many facets today.
With the last 6 or so weeks of winter left (hopefully less) now is the perfect time if you are going to relocate to get the chore of sorting through and making your key decisions, but remember – if you have a lot “don’t throw anything out” until you have interviewed some estate sale companies. You may be giving away money unknowingly.
Enjoy Winter Sports? Shop Estate Sales, Skis, Skates, Snowmobiles, Snowshoes
With snow falling in more areas of the country this is the time for those who want to enjoy winter sports with a limited budget to start looking shopping estate sales.
Families relocating or moving often don’t want to pay the extra cost of moving these items because of size or weight or a changing their climate.
With a three day weekend less than two weeks away take advantage now to shop at local estate sales, and if you don’t find any in your area try looking at a local auction or consignment shop.
Prices should reflect that the equipment is used and we are now into the winter sports season.
Another estate sales tip from EstateSalesNews.com.
Estate Sales News is Traveling Today to Michigan
Estate Sales News is flying to Michigan today to cover two fabulous and unique estate sales and an auction that is working along side an estate sale.
Known as the Wolverine state or Great Lake state we have an opportunity to interview three very experienced individuals in estate sales, one of whom is also an auctioneer and one is also an appraiser.
The estate sales are in two different areas of Michigan and one will be taking place this weekend, the other estate sale and auction will be next weekend.
These estates are very diverse. One is the estate of woman from a nationally known family and will feature collections that are seen once, maybe twice in a lifetime along with a classic car and the other is the estate of a well known sportsman and will have an estate sale starting on Friday with an auction of a taxidermy collection on Saturday.
We hope to have two videos for you for the sale this weekend and two for the estate sale and auction for next weekend.
