Quick Questions and Answers For Our New Customers
What is an Estate Sale?
Our definition is the selling of the majority of one’s possessions. There are many reasons for needing an estate sale: a death in the family, moving to assisted living, retiring to Florida, selling the contents of one home when there is a new marriage and two households, financial hardship, or moving to another country.
What we do NOT do: We do not BUYOUT sales, we do not do Hoarding situations, or storage unite. We also do not COMBINE sales.
What sets you apart from other estate sale companies?
- Colorado Estate Sales does not have antique stores. Therefore, all your items remain on the premises until the public sale. No pre-sales.
- We have a fabulous following of buyers who frequent our sales.
- We do our best to price everything.
- For 32 years, we have had a personal ethical policy of not buying any collectibles from your sale.
- We collect and remit sales tax from the shoppers.
- We give you your cash immediately following the sale. If you are out of town, we send you a cashier’s check by Priority Mail.
How do you decide whether to take a sale or not?
Many years ago we designed the three V’s: Value, Variety, Volume. A sale we take must have at least two of the three. Also, we like lots of PRETTIES! A successful sale usually contains a lot of smalls, which we call “pretties”. Collectibles, costume and fine jewelry, vintage clothes-purses-hats, power tools, sterling, vintage toys, vintage electronics, Danish woods, vintage bar items, sterling, colored glass, yard art, musical instruments, cameras, knives… just to give you an idea.
What if we want to do the sale ourselves…can you just price it for us?
Sometimes. It depends on if we are already busy doing a sale.
What if you find important personal items?
Rest assured, we set aside any family items we think you may have missed, such as photographs, vital records, love letters, safe deposit keys, wedding rings, etc.
How much notice do you need?
Approximately 2 weeks. Sometimes less, sometimes more.
What do I need to do?
Please remove the items you wish to keep. Maintain trash service. Do not dispose of anything, except obvious trash, until we can meet with you.
What do you charge?
We work on a percentage of the total sale of 40%. We have a minimum of $3,500 fee, or 40%, whichever is greater.
Do you have a minimum size sale you will take?
Yes. We will have an idea after we chat on the phone, and then see your home.
How do you advertise?
- We email our loyal long-time buyers.
- We hang fluorescent posters and arrows on the street corners — and we remove them after the sale!
- We advertise your sale right here on the website at Our Next Sale.
- Out front of the home we place a sign announcing the time of sale.
- We announce your sale on our very popular Facebook page with 1,400 followers.
- The night before, we also post your sale on Craigslist.
- We post your sale on estatesales.net, which sends out 1,000s of emails. We take the $99 off the top of the sale.
What do you do with the leftover items that didn't sell?
That is your choice. You can leave those items to be picked up by your favorite charity, left in the home or garage, or if possible, we will provide a “clear out” person who will remove what didn’t sell. In most cases this takes an additional day or two. There are also professional companies who clean out everything. We can discuss.
Do you sell cars?
Yes. We have been very successful selling cars, trucks, and boats.
What other conditions are there?
Our contract specifies that everything that you are keeping MUST be out of the home by the Sunday before we begin work. It also specifies that you are not to sell or remove any of the items designated for sale. You are responsible for maintaining or scheduling trash removal until after the sale is complete.
Do we need to be there?
No. We work hard and fast, and it is easier for us to do that without conversation and interruptions.
Do you enjoy your job?
Yes, we absolutely do!