1. NOBODY WANTS MY (LOVED ONE’S) STUFF
Just because you don’t want it, doesn’t mean others do not. The estate sale industry is booming, for good reason. People LOVE them. “Clients often can’t see the forest for the trees. It is an overwhelming time,” says Donna Dumas, Founder and CEO of Team Louie, “I’m recalling one of my early sales. The client could only see her relative’s things as ‘old’ and out-of-style. It was one of the most successful sales to date,” said Donna, “Clients can have trouble seeing past the memories attached to objects; that’s what we’re here for.”
2. MY ANTIQUES, ART, FINE JEWELRY, AND RARE COLLECTIBLES WON’T SELL
You don’t need an auction house to sell rare items. In fact, collectors often say that estate sales are their preferred venue for finding these items. The key is appropriate valuation, well-researched pricing, and focused marketing. Understanding the difference between appraisal value and market value, as well as trends that vary with location and season, comes with experience. “Clients comes to me with a decade-old insurance appraisal or a family legend about the value of an item,” Donna commented, “and that can be very different from reality. It’s hard to be objective with your own things. We bring fact-based research and experience to manage client expectations. We all have the same goal; to sell the item.”
3. I DON’T HAVE ANY RARE OR HIGHLY VALUABLE ITEMS TO SELL SO MY ESTATE SALE WON’T DO WELL
The truth is, the estate sale market is always changing. What sold like crazy last year won’t be what is hot this year. While trends drive the market, estate sale shoppers are always looking for furniture, housewares, decor, clothing, and tools. The most salable items are more often not the most expensive. Presentation and staging are critical to estate sale success. Creating a visually pleasing shopping environment, clear pricing, and great service go a long way to boosting sales volume.
4. I NEED TO GO THROUGH EVERYTHING BEFORE I MOVE FORWARD WITH AN ESTATE SALE
What you think is trash, someone else thinks of as a treasure — when it doubt, DON’T throw it out. Full houses make the best sales. Your uncle’s shoe box of national park buttons gives personality to the sale. “Half of the battle is getting people to come out to the sale,” remarked Team Louie Founder Donna Dumas, “Our approach is to make the best sale from what you have. In our experience, prospective shoppers respond most to sales with lots of character. I understand the impulse to just start pitching things, but it’s better to let the pros sort it out.”
