Author Archives: Roanoke Antiques
Roanoke VA Estate Sale Services
Have an Estate Sale in Roanoke VA!
What is an Estate Sale?
An Estate Sale, also called a Tag Sale in some parts of the country, is a way of liquidating the belongings of a family or estate. These are usually much more than garage or yard sales. They are used when someone is in need of a way to sell items due to downsizing, moving, divorce, bankruptcy, or death.
The Estate Sale Option:
Estate sales are a great option when our clients wish to make the most out of their assets. It has proven to be a very efficient way to generate cash and maximize profit. We are committed to offering the finest and most reliable Estate Sale services. We have strong standards and believe in ethics and professionalism.
We understand that the process of a sale is often difficult for the heirs, homeowners and family members. We combine integrity, dedication, and compassion with hard work and organization. Our goal is to make the process of an Estate Liquidation as easy and as palatable as possible. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Call: 540-632-1755
Pricing Your Items for Ebay Vs. Craigslist – Get Real
Ebay Vs. Craigslist Pricing Advice
I have been frustrated lately by all of the EXTREMELY overpriced items listed on craigslist. Listen folks I understand that you saw your item on Ebay and someone was asking $100.00 for it and that led you to believe your item is worth $100.00. This is 905 of the time NOT the case. People can ask whatever they want on ebay and if you want to get pricing guidelines from ebay you need to look at sold listings only and then you need to go with the middle price not the highest price unless your item is mint in box or NOS (NEW OLD STOCK). HOWEVER, in my opinion as a professional buyer and seller that has been doing this 15 years and actually made a lot of money doing it, you should not use ebay process on craigslist. People shop on craigslist to find local deals and steals! They want that item dirt cheap and with room to resell the item for a profit in the future (in most cases). I am talking about vintage items, antiques, and collectibles here… Not TVs, Electronics, Furniture, and Game Consoles. You can sell stuff for more on ebay because you are selling to a MUCH larger global market Vs. Craigslist where you are dealing with a small local market. If you see an item on ebay that is $200.00 you can expect to get $80.00-$100.00 for it on craigslist if you are lucky.
I see so many items that are listed on craigslist for literally 10x’s the price on ebay, and to these people I say WTF are you thinking!?? I also see that your item has been on craigslist for over 6 months and you keep renewing your ad like it is going to magically sell to the same people that have seen it for the past 6 months without a price decrease. 90% of craigslist shoppers are “regulars” there is a very low “new shopper” increase each month on craigslist.
If you want global market value sell on ebay. If you want a fast sell to your local market sell on craigslist. But to get that fast sell you need to price your items accordingly.
Example of Antique Clarks Spool Cabinet over priced on Craigslist Vs. Ebay
Seller is asking $550.00 for the cabinet above in a local market, the same item in better condition can be purchased on ebay (the global market) cheaper. As seen below the same item SOLD (completed auction search) for Approx. $200.00 – The one on Craigslist is priced $350.00 above what the global market will pay. Ebay dictates the true value of this item. Value is what someone is willing to pay for an item, in this case ebay is the larger market and has pricing/value authority over craigslist.
A special note to jewelry sellers – I hate to break the bad news to you but that Silver or Gold necklace you paid $300.00 for retail is REALLY only worth scrap prices and maybe 10% over scrap value on craigslist. Also diamonds are worth very little unless they are name brand and/or BIG. Asking $125.00 for a 1 oz made in Italy silver (925) chain is not a good idea. The scrap value is about $14.00 at the time of me writing this. Unless it is Tiffany/Hardy/Yurman – Just keep it!
Also it does not matter how much something was worth or what you paid for it in 1996 – antiques, collectibles, and vintage item prices have dropped more than 70% in most cases since the 1990’s
Roanoke VA Junk Removal
We offer junk removal, basement Clean-outs, attic clean-outs, foreclosed property clean-outs and more. Do you have old junk or items around the house you need removed to clear space or do you need a house cleared out and cleaned out of debris and items?
We offer property cleanouts for residential and commercial customers. In some cases we except the items we remove his part of the payment. We love to get paid in vintage items and Antiques that we can resell we have cleaned out dozens of properties in the area purely for the items inside.
We clean out old barns sheds garages attics basements and more.
call today 540-632-1755
Vintage Minut-Bun counter top BBQ
Clover Creamery Bucket
Vintage PHILCO Radio wooden shipping crate side – sign
Clover Creamery Wooden Ice cream Spade Roanoke VA
Roanoke VA Estate Auctioneer & Auctions
When you have a house full of antiques, collections, old items, and more that you need to sell in Roanoke, Bedford, Salem, Vinton, or surrounding areas, you may be thinking about hiring an Auctioneer or having an estate sale.
We have been buying estates and liquidating estates privately for over 15 years in the area and here are some options and tips to consider when deciding who to hire to help you liquidate your estate in Roanoke VA.
Hire A Roanoke VA Auctioneer – Have an auction!? Meh?
Estate Content Auctions are a great way to sell all your items in 2-3 days – You will have to wait 1-3 months for an auctioneer to become available to have your auction so consider this time when you want to sell your items. Also remember you will have one hundred or more local buyers come to your property to bid on the items and will need enough parking and space to have the event. Check with your Home Owner Association also to make sure it is ok to have an onsite auction.
Auctioneers are there to get as much money as possible because they work on a commission based pay scale. Most auctioneer charge 40% so if your auction brings in $10,000 in sales you will get $6000.00 after any other fees they charge. There are other options other than hiring an auctioneer. In the state of VA you are allowed to auction off your own items yourself if you want! I will warn that it is not easy to organize, advertise, and hold an auction on your own.
So what else can you do? Have an Estate Sale! (Thumbs Up!)
Estate sales advertised and organized and managed by an expert in the area are a more profitable way to liquidate your property! Having an estate sale involves a few steps and there are fees involved if you want it done right. Estate sale services make money when you do, so we always price items strategically in an effort to get the most money out of your items. The fees are normally a lot lower than an auctioneer or auction house, ranging from 10%-15% for coins and firearms to 20%-30% for vintage items and regular household items and furniture.
Steps To Having An Estate Sale:
1. Select a date for the sale.
2. Price All Items and Box Lots
3. Take Photos of Key items and content to be sold
4. Advertise the sale online and other places
5. Have a 1-3 day onsite sale.
Usually we will have a sale on Friday-Sunday – Fridays are a very good day to have a sale and you will get a lot of buyer and re-seller traffic on Fridays. On Friday all items are sold at the price marked on the item 100%. On Saturday Items are 25% off and on Sunday items are 50% off price marked. This scaled discount model is industry standard and insures everything sells at a fair market value for you! Anything left over after the sale is usually sold to one bulk junk buyer that will remove any unwanted items from the property.
The estate sale is managed by the estate liquidation or estate sale service (Like Ours) – We handle all aspects of the sale for you. You can sit back relax and let us do all the work. We are there to earn our money and get you top dollar! We price, organize, advertise, manage, and track all sales with electronic and hand written receipt systems. We accept credit cards and checks for you and pay you cash! We have a full staff that will insure all items are accounted for and safe from theft or damage. Organization is key! There are usually 1 or 2 check-out locations located at an exit of the home or property so we can keep an eye on the inventory leaving the site. We have an average of 4-5 employees running the sale with us.
Get top dollar for your items – We have over 200 contacts in the area that frequent our sales in search of certain vintage and antique items – We know how to sell your contents fast and without a big headache or worry!