The Case for Estate Sales
Estate sales can be intimidating for the uninitiated, but they’re also a treasure trove of goodies.
Estate sales can be…complicated to say the least. For the families holding these sales, there are quite often a lot of difficult emotions involved. The death of a loved one is always hard-add in the stress of purging a lifetime’s worth of treasured belongings…let’s just say it’s a lot.
My grandma had A LOT of stuff. She loved nothing more than decorating and then redecorating. I suspect she never actually got rid of the decorations she jettisoned-I assume they were always holding court in the innumerable and mysterious plastic bins in her garage. A few years back, we had to move my grandmother into an assisted living facility where she was limited to a small, one-room apartment. We had to downsize a MASSIVE amount of stuff. After we moved her into her tiny apartment, her close family members (about five of us) went to the house and picked out the things we wanted that were leftover. I took all her towels because mine were about 20 years old and needed to be replaced, about 20 yardsticks because I do a lot of DIY and a shovel. I’m a practical individual. My aunt kept holding up stuff to me and saying, “Isn’t this cute? Don’t you want to take it?” Yes it’s cute; no I don’t want it. I’m sure someone at the estate sale will be thrilled to buy it.
It’s cute, but that doesn’t mean I want it.
Families usually have two options-hold the sale themselves or contract an estate sale service to do the work for them. Either way, the family has almost certainly taken for themselves the things they truly value. And now they want you to take the rest.
Buying treasures from estate sales will help bring families joy
It’s easy to feel uncomfortable sifting through the tangible remnants of a life left behind-and it’s not for everyone. Rest assured though, when you shop an estate sale, that bereaved family wants you there. If they’re holding the sale themselves, seeing you walk away with a smile and something you’ll treasure WILL bring them joy in a difficult time. If the family isn’t there, well, they probably still need your money. Long-term care and funerals ain’t cheap.
Estate sales are paradoxical in that they are both very organized and not organized at all. It is organized in the sense that (if they didn’t move items around the home) everything is exactly where you’d expect it to be.
Looking for towels? They’re in the bathroom. Need dishes? They’re in the kitchen. Shopping for tools? Go directly to the garage, do not pass Go and do not collect $100. Want to update your wardrobe? Well, you get the idea.
On the other hand, prices can be all over the map. If things are priced at all. Often, families will either price things too high because of perceived value or emotional attachment or worse, not price them at all and just entertain offers. The latter is uncomfortable for even the boldest among us and an absolute horror show for those of us with even the slightest hint of social anxiety.
At the end of the sale, the family (or company) is probably just going to have anyone with a truck haul off what didn’t sell. Sometimes it’s a worthy charity. Sometimes it’s someone’s cousin’s friend’s landscaper who has a big truck and doesn’t mind hauling (and probably sifting through) garbage. It might go to charity and it might get resold by that friend’s cousin’s friend’s landscaper, but it’s a safe bet that a lot of it is probably going to a landfill. Either way, rest assured that the (possibly uncomfortable) act of digging through-and buying-someone’s abandoned belongings is actually a service and a blessing to those left behind.
Tips for shopping estate sales:
-Have some product categories in mind and start your shopping in targeted rooms. If you are looking for clothes, visit closets first. If it’s tools you want, head to the garage.
-Bring cash. Most people have caught on to the idea of mobile payment methods and are probably set up to take Venmo, PayPal or a credit card. Having cash as a backup just in case is always a good plan though.
-Be prepared to make offers. As stated above, this can be intimidating, but try to remind yourself that the family wants you there and they want you to buy things. Offers are almost always welcome.
-Know how long the sale will run for. You’re more likely to find treasures on Day 1, but the sellers are probably less likely to haggle. If it’s a 3 day sale and you show up on day 3, the sellers are going to be a lot more willing to accept any offer you make.
-If you’re in the market for smaller items, bring a bag and packing material. Remember, this isn’t a department store-they’re not going to have branded shopping bags and bubble wrap.
