An estate sale only reaches whoever drives by that weekend. So prices are set to empty the house fast, usually 50-70% off, with a half-price day at the end. Then the company keeps 35 to 50% of that. On a $100 item, you might see $15 to $25. Selling item by item to buyers across the country usually gets two to three times more for collectibles and designer things. The trade-off is time: a few months instead of a weekend. If you need the house empty next week, an estate sale is the right choice, and we'll tell you so.
No. Items stay in one room of your home until they sell. We pack and ship from your house, and local buyers pick up at the garage or front door with you or a family member there. After every visit you get a signed sheet of what left, and we photograph the room once a week.
You do. Sales run through an eBay account in your name, not ours. If you don't have one, we help you set it up, and you do the ID and bank steps yourself. We never see your Social Security number or bank login. eBay pays you directly. You can log in any time and see every listing, message and sale. Every two weeks you get a statement and pay us our share.
We look at what the same thing actually sold for recently, not what people are asking. We list at about 80% of that, which sells without giving it away, and only lower it if it sits. You approve the price on anything expensive, and you can set a "don't sell below" price on any item.
Before we tag anything, the family writes down what it's keeping and signs the list. You can add to it any time. Nothing on that list gets photographed or sold.
Anything that's illegal or against eBay's rules: ivory and some other animal products (illegal to sell in California, even antiques), guns, alcohol, recalled products, and fake designer goods. We'll tell you why and suggest what to do with it.
Up to three weeks to list everything, then steady selling. A house with 300 to 500 items usually takes 2-4 months. If you have a deadline, tell us and we'll plan the price drops around it.