How much does it cost to have an estate sale?
Q&A Time! This one is pretty common: What’s the cost of having an estate sale? Most companies charge a percentage of sales. You can generally expect that to be right around 40%, with lower commission rates for vehicles, fine jewelry or high-value art, and higher commission rates for small sales. We consider anything under $4000…
Keep reading
Why An Online Auction is the Best Way to Downsize
With four years of auction experience and more than 200 completed auctions, I can safely assert that for most people, an online auction is the best, easiest and most fun way to liquidate an estate. Yes, I said fun. I mean, moving and downsizing and selling property is a lot of hard work, no question.…
Keep reading
Ready to meet with an estate liquidator? Here’s everything I want you to know.
The first step of working with any client is to have an initial on-site meeting. This is where I come by to see what you are looking to sell. It does not have to be organized or all in one place – it doesn’t even need to be unboxed or unearthed from the attic. I…
Keep reading
New to Auction Ninja? Here’s what you need to know!
Welcome to the wild world of online auctions. For most people, once they dabble into their first auction, it turns into something of a hobby/obsession. I mean, the deals! The unique items! The excitement! It’s all here. First, pat yourself on the back for joining this semi-secret club of people who have broken up with…
Keep reading
Tips For Selling on Facebook Marketplace
If you’re looking to sell a few things on Facebook Marketplace, there are some things you can do to minimize the likelihood of spiraling into a depressive state. Selling things online always seems like a good idea – it’s easy, right? For reasons I do not entirely understand, Facebook Marketplace seems to attract super flaky…
Keep reading
When the Estate Sale Ship Has Sailed: Who We Can’t Help
If you’re looking to sell all or most of the contents of an estate, there’s a really good chance we can be of service. You don’t have to have to huge home or million dollar items. Most properties have a good mix of items that buyers are looking for. There are some exceptions, which I’ll…
Keep reading
The Best Way to Sell Furniture
One of the frequent calls I get is from clients who are looking to sell just furniture, usually a dining room set, sometimes a bedroom suite or living room furniture. While we absolutely do sell furniture at auction as part of the estate, we can’t take sales that are just furniture (we help people who…
Keep reading
These things are always hard to sell at an estate sale
I’ve done a lot of estate auctions over the last couple of years, and just about every one features some of the items below. Those floral couches and solid wood china cabinets were a staple in most homes for much of the 20th century. Tastes and home life is changing, so it follows that some…
Keep reading
Does Bidding Really Start at $1?
Clients are sometimes surprised to hear that all auction items start with $1 opening bids. Is this really the best strategy? While Auction Ninja does not support reserve pricing, you can put a minimum starting bid on items. For example, if you have a super fancy sofa that you would like to sell for no…
Keep reading
Most People Miss this Method for Finding Great Deals on Furniture
Finding quality furniture on a budget can seem like a tall order. I love Pottery Barn as much as the next person, but if I have thousands of dollars to burn, I’d rather put it in the travel budget, not the living room sofa. What’s a PB loving, budget conscious, semi-addicted Pinterest scroller to do?…
Keep reading
Preparing to Downsize: Tips for Senior Moves
Downsizing is one of those things that people like to talk about, but can be difficult to actually execute. It’s hard enough to declutter one room in a house, let alone an entire home filled with 30 years of stuff. There’s the furniture, fancy china, not-fancy china, boxes of inherited items, shelves of books, layers…
Keep reading
Secrets to Bidding Success
New to this whole auction thing? First of all, allow me to welcome you to the fun and excitement that is online auctions. You can score awesome deals on furniture and decorative items, not to mention discovering some very unique, one-of-a-kind items. And you don’t have to get up at 6 a.m. or even get…
Keep reading
Is An Auction a Good Fit For Me?
If you’re looking for estate liquidation services, you generally have three different options: A buyout, in-person estate sale or an online auction. Which one makes the most sense? I’m rather partial to auctions, so let’s start there. Auctions are scalable – you could auction off just a car or a specific collection of items, or…
Keep readingBest Practices for Not Losing Your Mind When Liquidating An Estate
Whether you’re facing 30 years worth of accumulated excess ahead of a move, or tasked with clearing out the home of a family member, it can feel super overwhelming. You’ve probably already invested untold hours trying to get it all organized. There are some simple things you can do to make the process much easier…
Keep reading
