Estate sales have changed! In the past, companies would come to your home, catalog and price the items for sale, stage the home, bring in workers to run the sale and then take a percentage of the proceeds. Your home was opened to strangers in this model. Sales depended on traffic and the weather. Poor weather or attendance usually meant there would be many unsold items. If traffic and weather were not enough, more HOAS’, condos and neighborhoods now restrict this practice.
Enter the digital age of Estate Sales.
The new trend for estate sales is the online auction format that removes the friction points of the traditional model. Many things can affect the outcome of an in-home ”tag” sale. If the weather is suspect, the sale may have poor attendance, which translates to fewer sales. Poor attendance not only means fewer sales but reduced prices on the sales made. Utilizing an estate sale company that offers online auctions eliminates many friction points and statistically means more money in your pocket.
Here is how online auctions work:
- The company does an inventory of the contents. The items are cleaned, and all trash and unsalable items are removed.
- The items will be photographed and cataloged. They are then uploaded to the digital platform hosting the online auction.
- The items are then moved to a viewing and staging area controlled by the company.
- NOTE: Some items may be left at the home until the completion of the auction.
- Once the items are ready for bidding, notices go out to the auction audience that the company continuously markets to.
- When the auction is complete, the winning bidders have two days to collect their items or make delivery arrangements.
Dunn’s Attic is entering this new digital age with the launch of its online auction platform to increase sales for its customers and improve the estate sale experience for all. This new trend dramatically increases the customer base and eliminates holding the sale in the home. Items are limited for local pick up, but buyers can contact large moving and shippers if needed.