Trace: • estate_sale

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Estate Sales

Steps for running a successful Estate Sale

1. Prepare the House
  • Remove any items from the house that you do not want to sell, or move such items to a secure room/storage area where they will not be seen by visitors
2. Price all items
  • Determine prices for the items you plan to sell in advance
  • For Antiques and other valuables, consider hiring an antique appraiser to help evaluate the true value of the item
    • ValueMyStuff will provide virtual appraisals
    • WorthPoint is a resource to find the value of more unique antique items, but requires you to create an account
    • eBay is another valuable resource to check on the market value of items. Key Tip: Filter items by SOLD Price for a more accurate idea of the market value
  • Create price tags and labels for all items
3. Scheduling
  • Hold the estate sale over the course of 2 days for best results
    • Estate Sales are most commonly held on Fridays and Saturdays
  • Start Estate early in the morning (7-8am)
  • Day 1 tends to attract the more serious buyers who frequent Estate Sales
  • List details of Estate Sale on relevant websites
    • EstateSales.Net is a site with a strong following in the Estate Sale community
  • Include pictures of items on the listing for best response
  • Post Estate Sales signs at major intersections in local neighborhood
    • Sign should include address and start and end time of sale
5. Manage the Crowd
  • Provide a sign-in sheet at the front door for people who arrive early
    • On the first day of our estate sale we arrived to the house 30 minutes early and there were already people lined up waiting to enter
  • Limit foot traffic to a single entry/exit point
  • Have family members or friends in each room of the house where items are for sale to monitor visitors
    • Theft is unfortunately very common at these events so this is a critical step
6. Manage Payments
  • Have someone stationed at the exit point to serve as cashier
    • This will allow you to confirm the payment for sold items as people are leaving
    • Having a single exit point will reduce the potential for theft
  • Be prepared with cash to provide change when items are sold

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