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Would you hold an estate sale yourself vs. hiring a company?

18 years ago

I posted a longer question under the organizing a home forum, but generally am wondering pros and cons of holding estate sale yourself with a savvy friend or two vs. hiring a company? (For a 3-bed home with no antiques.)

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Comments (8)

toomuchglass
18 years ago
I know how much work a plain old rummage sale is ! My opinion is , if you have no antiques and a couple friends , do it yourselves. I have heard alot of bad things about those people that do it for you . More bad than good. I don't know what they charge , but for me - I'd rather be in charge than a stranger.

***On a funny note *** When DH & I decide it's time to downsize ... I told him I'm going to hold my OWN estate sale while I'm still alive ...a " You can't take it with you sale " LOL
cinnamonsworld
Original Author
18 years ago
LOL... I was trying to figure out how to phrase this and had to consciously think not to say "Should I hold my own estate sale?"

Your thinking is along the lines of mine, thanks. :)
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Most basic things already said. My own experience? Some are wonderful and will not only get your adrenalin up and send you home with some things not available anywhere else, but will also give you the chance to see the insides of beautiful old homes in your area. I have bought lovely old mirrors, patio furniture, prints, dishes, and even basic pots & pans at estate sales. These can be put on by the family and friends, or by an antique store or company. And even though some complain about higher prices by a company-run sale, they are usually very well organized, with numbers given out at the door one hour before sale begins and orderly entry. They have change and they have 'docents' in each room to facilitate your purchase, as well as to answer questions. On the flip side, as some Californios already mentioned, anyone can put in an ad and call it an estate sale. If I decide to move and sell a lot of my furniture to cut down on having to move it, I might list it as an estate sale. I see nothing wrong with that. If I go to a sale and I find a great old chair or a dresser or even some yard equipment that the seller doesn't want to take with them, I don't care what they call it. Here's my check/I'll go pull up my truck! But also, they can be way over-priced, ill-run, and a free-for-all that can be frightening, as the lady with the Coach handbag and diamond earrings starts fighting with the lady in the sweats and athletic shoes over the crystal chandelier. People sometimes lose their decency in their lust to get a deal. Come early, wear comfortable clothes, put your money in your pocket (so you don't struggle with your purse or worse--knock something off a table with your purse as someone bumps you) and maybe carry a cloth tote for small items. Keep your sense of humor, be prepared to make a quick decision, have a plan for pick-up if you find something big, and have checks as well as enough cash to do what you need to do. If you find something you want, pick it up. Or pull the tag and take it straight to the cashier so no one else gets that antique lamp while you are wandering around. But do go. Try it. Make your own decision about whether it's fun or infuriating. Red
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I see this posting is now 3 years old however it is still coming up quite high on google rankings so I'll throw my two cents in. I own an estate sale company in Long Island, New York. Henry Laurent Estate Sales. I'm happy that you were able to post your concerns and then follow up with the results. As one poster said you usually read the question - which rarely paints us in a good light - and never hear the outcome. If people stumble upon this post in the future there are some things to keep in mind. Companies should provide you an itemized list. Always. My staff will write "Sheet $1". It is the only way to accurately account for every dollar in and every item out. Also we always have questions of " how much did xyz sell for?". It could have only been a $10 item but it was sentimental so they are curious. Secondly, for a normal household mixed with small and furniture the average sale is around $6k - $10k for a 2 day sale. Lower end for higher amount of smalls, high end with several nice pieces of furniture, jewelry (over $500 a piece). 35% is just around the national average right now and is what we charge. About 80% of that spent towards advertising. While one poster said that you should do it yourself because Craigslist is free ... that is true but only one site out of the 12 that we use and I'm sure others do as well. Out of the 12, 3 are free the others are subscription based with additional fees to highlight or bump your sale to the top spot. Local papers also cost around $300 - $1,000 for a proper 7 day run depending on amount of lines, bolding, placement ..etc. Finally, there is always the concern that we will under price things. Believe me we put the price at the high end of estate sale prices because we know that there will be haggling and bundling. We also know what the market will bare. While chairs might be selling on ebay for $300, it doesn't mean they sold for $300. You are seeing them because they are still available. Average dining room and bedroom sets go for around $500. All in all I'm happy that you posted and that you had a good experience. A good review for one estate sale company is always good for the industry.
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bud_wi
18 years ago
You don't have to be deceased to hold an estate sale. A lot of people dispose of their household goods in order to spend their later years traveling or merely just to downsize considerably to move to another state.

I would do it myself. I have gone to estate sales and was never impressed with the professionalism of these estate sale arrangers.

I also have known people who used them and there was always> a problem with *missing items*.
jannie
18 years ago
I don't know about estate sales, but garage sales are a ton of work. All the lifting, arranging,pricing. Then you have to sit there all day and deal with hagglers and thieves. You have to have plenty of change. I did better off advertising things privately in a local newspaper. For example, I sold an Electrolux vacuum cleaner and a portable clothes washer after they were ignored during a garage sale. I would leave the sales to the professionals in the future. My 84 year old mother already has a contract to sell the contents of her house after she dies. I'm a little sad. There are some things I would like ,for sentimental reasons, photos and knick-knacks, not like I want to grab all her jewelry.
Chemocurl zn5b/6a Indiana
18 years ago
Are you thinking of holding it like a 'tag' sale as Martha always calls them. You have all the stuff priced and folks come, browse, dicker (probably) and buy? If that is the case, I'd think it would be a lot of work, and that you would end up with quite a bit of leftovers at the end of the day.

I'd suggest talking to some auction houses and see what they say. Possibly they could have the auction at the house...and they are good at advertising, and getting the word out. They want to get the best prices they can because that will determine their profit as well.

Estate sales held at the actual residence really draw the crowds in around here in Indiana....all hoping to find/get something really special.

Anything that is small and/or more special, I would however either pay attention to, or ask the auctioneer to hold aside someway to protect said items from walking off. Even if you do it yourselves, chances are there would be some things pilfered behind your back(s).

Sue...who loves a good auction on a nice fall day.
sudiepav
18 years ago
In our neck of the woods, professional sellers take a healthy cut, but if that's the only way to go, they have their place. I also know how much work sales are, having had a couple myself. But if you have friends to help, I would recommend this avenue. You need 3-4 just to monitor all the stuff, if the sale is being held all thru the house. I went to a sad one last fall. A lady was moving to assisted living and her children were holding the sale. She was present and visibly disturbed at the prices that things were going for. We all think our treasures are worth more than they really are, for the simple reason that to some people, our things are valuable because they are ours. I'd steel myself to get rid of the stuff at a fair price and then maybe donate the rest and take a tax deduction.
jannie
18 years ago
Even sadder than an estate sale is when people just throw stuff away. A few months ago, I drove past a house and saw an electric sewing machine and rocking chair in the street with the trash. I was in a hurry and didn't stop. But they looked okay.
Jonesy
18 years ago
I have had so many garage sales I would do my own. I don't have any antiques, but know how to check prices. I do have some collectible dolls and clocks, so I would check the values on those.

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