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Yes, an entire house is another whole story, especially when it's packed. We had to do that with a relatives home who had lived there since 1957. Started with a dumpster in the driveway and gave boxes and boxes of good books to the local library. Our salvation was an estate sale by the antique ladies I called asking about a couple pieces of furniture. They were wonderful. As all of us were from out of state and also getting the house ready to sell, they pulled it off on a two week notice. What didn't go at the sale, when we were back the next week I helped them put into box lots they took off for an auction. They then hauled all the junk out to the local landfill and clean sweeped the house. What $$$ we got after all that wasn't a lot but that wasn't the point. It was done, and done by someone else! There's another relatives house in the same town and they will be the first one we will call when the time comes to do the same there.
NoKudzu: Just sent you a PM about your doll collection.
Good luck with downsizing, and don't get rid of your very best stuff - though your kids may not be interested now, that may change as they mature - and granchhildren are well-known to share their grandparents' interests! So if you can stick it out with the best stuff for a few more years, you may wind up with the perfect new owner(s) for your treasures.
"Good luck with downsizing, and don't get rid of your very best stuff..."
Good advice... Once the pressure was off and the dust settled, I found I wish I'd kept more of the nice antique pieces and different ones. You can always sell it later, if you have to, on a piece by piece basis.
First of all, we ALL overestimate the value of our stuff. Yes, there are things that are worth money, but in my experience, no one wants old stuff anymore.
My mother had a house full of antique oak furniture, antique dolls, and collectible teddybears. I took two of the oak pieces and no one wanted to buy the rest. An antique dealer took them for pennies on the perceived dollar. The dolls went for a fraction of what we thought. And out of 23 cartons of collectible teddybears, I ended up donating all but 3 cartons, including some handmade bears for which she paid hundreds of dollars each -- and there is NO secondary market for it.
At some point, you need to ask yourself some questions:
1) Do my kids want this stuff? If yes, tell them to take it now, or box it up and label it. If no, don't hang onto it.
2) Do I love it? If no, get rid of it.
3) Am I realistic about its actual value? Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
4) Am I willing to give someone 1/2 to 1/3 of the proceeds? (This is what a dealer or tag sale person will charge)
and finally, if the answer to #4 is "No":
4) How much is my time worth?
Check into using local Facebook buy and sell pages.
never knew such things existed. How do I find them? I'm way too active on FB but never knew I could buy and sell. I get a bit pissed off when I see sell stuff on FB. Maybe every now and again but not every week or so. Had a FB friend who got reported for too much activity like that. and a Real Estate friend who posted every listing he got. Annoying.
First of all, we ALL overestimate the value of our stuff. Yes, there are things that are worth money, but in my experience, no one wants old stuff anymore.
My mother had a house full of antique oak furniture, antique dolls, and collectible teddybears. I took two of the oak pieces and no one wanted to buy the rest. An antique dealer took them for pennies on the perceived dollar. The dolls went for a fraction of what we thought. And out of 23 cartons of collectible teddybears, I ended up donating all but 3 cartons, including some handmade bears for which she paid hundreds of dollars each -- and there is NO secondary market for it.
At some point, you need to ask yourself some questions:
1) Do my kids want this stuff? If yes, tell them to take it now, or box it up and label it. If no, don't hang onto it.
2) Do I love it? If no, get rid of it.
3) Am I realistic about its actual value? Something is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
4) Am I willing to give someone 1/2 to 1/3 of the proceeds? (This is what a dealer or tag sale person will charge)
and finally, if the answer to #4 is "No":
4) How much is my time worth?
Okay, one of the things I just sent NK in a PM was to get in touch with a major, well-known auction company which specializes in antique dolls and toys. A general antiques dealer will not have the extensive knowledge of dolls and toys as will a specialist dealer or auction company, so selling to such dealers will produce only a fraction of these items' worth in most cases. Great for the dealer, pretty sad for the seller.
If anyone wants the names of such specialist dealers or auction companies, send me a PM. I am not in the employ of any of these individuals companies, but as an antique toy collector, I have done business with some of them, and they all have stellar reputations.
However, if you have or inherit a collection of the many, many "limited edition porcelain dolls" made in great numbers in the 1980s and 1990s, do not expect to get back what was paid for them. The market was flooded, and while many of these dolls are very pretty, their only current values are in getting children interested in doll collecting, and decorative value. So pass them along to young relatives, or enjoy them for their appearance - don't expect to get rich off of them. Ditto the "collectible" bears...Steiffs do well, as do a few other brands and makers - but far too many of them were made and tastes have changed. Older bears are another story, and in good or gently loved condition, do very well.
But if your dolls and toys are older - dolls from the 1960s and before, especially hard plastics from the 1950s, older Madame Alexanders (not the 1980s, they made too many and not very well then), or if you have genuine antiques - from the 1930s or before, and if they are in good condition (1950s+ need to be pristine and all-original to bring the best prices), you'll find a ready market for them, if you seek out that market via specialist dealers and auction companies.
We used an estate sales professional for mom's stuff. They charged us 40%* for a turn key job: pricing, advertising, prepping, security, and complete clean-up. We didn't have to pay them anything up front. They arranged for all unsold items to be picked up by two charities who provided us tax receipts for the donations.
It was a 3-day sale, 5 hours a day, and they had 2 people on hand at all times. Family members opted to provide oversight for the workshop and the garage rather than pay a surcharge for a 3rd person.
*They had a minimum fee and if 40% of sales had not met that minimum, we would have had to make up the difference.
Yes, if you have a limited amount of time or want it done and over with, the "bulk" method of estate sale, auction, wholesale donation etc is the way to go. I started a number of years before we had to realistically have it done, it was done is stages, area by area, room by room, making decisions about what to keep and what not to, then finally choosing the best method of moving it on. I did it this way because we had valuable/desirable home goods in near or mint condition and used home goods of this type actually were sought out and sold reasonably swiftly where we were in AK and finally I was realistic (did a lot of research) about wholesale pricing of what I had so reselling worked for me. You know that you have it right when dealers are hesitating but buying from you.
We had some temporary furnishings that we bought to camp out in this house bought cheaply second hand and sold most of it for what we paid for it as soon as our belongings arrived. Some things we just took to the thrifts rather than be bothered with it and we've advertised some freebies with good result. It all depends on temperament, how much time one has, how valuable the things might be from a resale perspective, how much risk tolerance one has etc. etc.
I love this conversation as it is right in my wheelhouse having done it successfully and being somewhat in the business.
I had an antiques dealer come in and was successful with that. Then my condo home was "open housed" to the neighbors to buy whatever they wanted. Sold some there. Then I called 1-800-GOT-JUNK and two strong men took all the rest away in one day. I had tagged the items I wanted to keep. Those items were put into storage until we found permanent housing about 10 months later. I have not missed any of the "junk."
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