The Find
Our blog is to provide some insight and humor with all things related to and not so related to estate sales
Reduce, recycle, reuse
Reduce, recycle reuse – there are a lot of ways to be environmentally friendly these days – recycling, organic gardening, buying products with less packaging, using your own shopping bags, hybrid vehicles all of which are great. One area that is sometimes overlooked is estate sales for everyday and unique items. When you shop an estate sale it is different from a yard or garage sale. These everyday items are not being sold because of wear or damage, these items are being sold because the house needs to be emptied. Do you have a college student going back to campus, getting you’re first place, creating a hangout spot for teens or maybe you’re the quirky type and can never find the things you like at the big box stores? Estate sales are the place to find items that fit your unique style and everyone loves a treasure hunt. Older furniture is usually well made and can be purchased for a fraction of what new would cost. With a fresh coat of paint, you have a unique show piece to add to your space.
For the DIYer estate sales are a great place to get materials and tools for projects. If you have watched flea market flip or any of the home remodel shows they go to antique shops and flea markets to get their unique décor or repurposed items. Estate sales are where those places restock merchandise to sell to you. If you cut out the middleman and go to the source you will save money and maybe find your own treasure.
Tools, Tools, Tools and did I mention tools. Every new homeowner knows that you need the right tool for the job. From taking care of the yard to doing repairs on your house you could spend a small fortune on just equipment. When you are shopping estate sales you can find some great bargains on everyday tools and some not so everyday tools. Antique and vintage tools were made to last, long before planned obsolescence came into play, that’s why these items are sought after and worth holding onto.
When you shop estate sales you are helping a small business thrive, families deal with a challenging time and giving life to items that might end up in a landfill. So, the next time you see a sign that says ESTATE SALE TODAY, stop in you never know what you are going to find.
No time like the present
We get asked a lot how soon should I look into estate sale companies to have my sale. We always answer “the sooner the better”, some companies are booked months in advance. You will want to secure a spot on their calendar, so when you’re ready to go so are they. Setting up an estate sale takes time, there is researching of items, cleaning and sorting the house, photographing and advertising the sale. Depending on the company you choose they could be booking out 3-6 months in advance.
The things you can do when contacting a company is to give them an idea of your time frame, any limitations with the site (hoa etc.), what items the family would like to keep and how full is the house. No matter what a visit to the site is always needed to see what is there and how best to utilize the space to set up the sale. Once you have secured a contract all you have to do sit back and let the liquidator do their job.