Most every estate sale is conducted through the same process. There’s typically an initial walk-through of the estate after an individual has passed away, moved or began the process of downsizing. If having an estate sale makes sense for both parties, the prospective sale dates are arranged and a contract is signed. Next, the liquidation team will begin the process of staging the home and advertising the sale. They will sort through what is often, but not always, a lifetime of items.

When the sale begins, you will find a lineup of frequent shoppers and resellers who are eager to find popular items that have been advertised for the sale. It can get pretty intense while people hold their place in line and hunt for their treasure inside. As the sale days continue, discounts are made to get remaining items out. When the show is over, the clean-out begins. Less items remaining makes for a greater cash return as well as a smooth clean-out process. Some companies, like Ginny’s Girls Estate Services, have their own clean-out team to get the final steps done.

For every sale I have personally been a part of conducting, this process has remained seemingly unchanged. What is always different and keeps people so interested is what’s inside. There are stories uncovered within these sales. Of course, the vintage Pyrex, Mid-Century teak furniture, name-brand clothing, power tools, and other big-hit items are a huge score at estate sale price. Sure enough, a bargain alone is incentive to come inside and shop around. That’s when magic really happens for so many shoppers, where I believe everyday bargain hunters become estate sale lovers. Once they step inside a home filled with a lifetime’s accumulation of anything and everything.

Each room tells its own story, and the contents inside tell their unique story. For the hour or so you are shopping, you can take in so many little pieces of another person’s lifetime. That saying of “living vicariously through you” is practically an understatement.

From the clothes they had worn and collected, to the furniture they once sat in. The books they read, some with those little handwritten notes inside. Prized art pieces hanging on the walls, and music collections that take you back to different times and styles. While one home may have a collection of tools and garage equipment, others may have kitchens packed at the seams with vintage cookware and family recipes. You might find clues of children or grandchildren who once marked their heights on the wall or played on a tire swing outside. Or perhaps an old dog whose leash still hangs in the closet, was once the home’s proud protector. I often find myself wondering, if I had one, what would an estate sale tell about me?

Ginny’s Girls Estate Services takes a large amount of pride in providing quality estate sales to both our clients and shoppers. It is our priority to represent our clients and their “story” respectfully and in an essence that gives back to everybody. Please call us today to talk about your project.

— By Jamie Roberts, Ginny’s Girls Estate Services 

Ginnysestates.com
425-239-8746