Most people you know have probably been to at least one garage sale in their lifetime. Although garage sales are a common experience for many, estate sales are are a less often experienced event. Much like garage sales, the fun in estate sales lies in the thrill of the hunt. One of the main differences between garage sales and estate sales is that the contents at garage sales are generally based on items that the owners wish to discard, while at an estate sale the items may be highly valued and sought after. The potential for collectibles and other high value items to be featured at estate sales is a driving factor for their popularity and often times help to create long lines of people eagerly waiting to get a first glimpse of all that is for sale. We’ve all seen or heard of a news story where a lucky or discerning person scores huge at an estate sale by making the purchase of a lifetime and usually at a price far below market value. For many people an estate sale can seem intimidating due to its’ perceived formality and attraction of professional estate sale buyers or collectors that often make a living buying items at garage and estate sales. Your Kansas City blog has compiled a short collection of tips to help you navigate your first estate sale adventure.
- You’ll need to remember that cash is king when it comes to estate sales. The sales are designed to sell as many items as possible and without any risk to the seller of the estate. They are typically not interested in taking risks like accepting checks or processing debit cards.
- You’ll want to take a quick tour of the estate to survey the areas you might be interested in.
- Bring a tape measure if you are interested in finding a piece for a specific room in your house.
- Consider looking in parts of the house that are less frequently trafficked like the attic, basement or garage. Sometimes hidden gems can be forgotten in these spaces.
- Don’t hesitate to make offers on things you see that are not priced like curtains or area rugs. Many times items will be overlooked when it comes to pricing and staging for the estate sale. Also consider making offers on bundles of items to help entice the sellers. The goal of any estate sale is to move volume in a short span of time.
- Estate sales facilitated by professionals will often times have more valuables and collectibles, but at an increased price. Family run estate sales can be more likely to have a higher quantity of lower valued items, but are more likely of the two to potentially have a hidden gems or treasures.
- The sales are many times staged in the residence of a recently deceased person. For many estate sale adventurers the process of going through a recently deceased person’s belongings can be emotionally intense. People can often times be filled with feelings of guilt when they consider buying a person’s belongings. Estate sale shoppers must remember that the sale helps lift a huge burden of the shoulders of the deceased person’s family as well as providing them a bit of closure. It must also be remembered that the family generally removes their favorite or most sentimental items before any estate sale.
- Estate Sales are typically held on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. If you can hold out until Sunday, you might be rewarded. On Sunday days, you can generally expect things to be heavily discounted.
We hope our quick tips will help get you on your way to becoming an estate sale pro or at least make your first experience memorable for all of the right reasons.
To find out about more tips, tricks and insights, stay posted to Blogger Local Kansas City.
