5 More Estate Sale Tips: My Estate Liquidation Year in Review

It has been another busy year of estate liquidating for Expert Estates LLC. My team and I are so thankful to all of our shoppers and all of the folks who refer their friends, clients and family to us! 

I expanded our estate sale coverage area and am booking more sales in Santa Clarita, Lake Elizabeth, Lancaster and Palmdale while we are still working great sales in Tehachapi, Bakersfield and Kern County. This weekend we have our first sale in Llano and two weeks ago we had our first sale in San Luis Obispo. We had great feedback from one of our San Luis Obispo estate sale shoppers who told me:

“Let me tell you though, your estate sale went down in the history books. So unorthodox and so genius, my circle of resellers and estate sale people all state they’ve never been to one like this before. Pretty darn epic.”

— Estate Sale Buyer and Reseller

There is nothing that makes me happier than when we get feedback like that from our sales. It is always nerve-wracking breaking out into new territory, especially for a sale that is out of the ordinary. When things go great, we are always thrilled.

Some of my estate sale tips from this year:

1. Every sale is different, and every liquidator is different. Get to know us. If there is something you aren't used to as a shopper - just ask us about it. I am always more than happy to explain why I do things the way I do at my sales. I know not everyone does it the same way, but I have my reasons. Of course, I think my reasons set me apart in a good way! 
2. Negotiate before you pile. Please, don't expect to make a huge pile at my sale and then offer $10 or even $50 for it. I will expect to add up what you have and charge accordingly. Piling the items keeps other shoppers who might have paid full price from putting it into their pile. Please understand that if another shopper is paying $25 or so at my prices for a handful of things, they are going to be resentful if you walk out with a steal and they will probably never return to my sale. If you are a dealer or buying in bulk, do us both a favor and ask us before you stockpile about getting trade pricing on the things you buy.
3. Be discreet if you are negotiating. It might pay off. Or maybe I will tell you when I can give you a bulk sale price, etc. Communication is key in any negotiation, based on my experience, you and I are both going to be unhappy if your pile has to go back to the shopping area. I want to help you get good deals when I can, but I am obligated to get the most I can for the estate also. I would violate my contract if I didn't do that.
4. Don't interfere with our sales or hurt our bottom line. I overheard one of my shoppers telling another shopper, "Oh, she wants too much for that." And it was an item that both of the shoppers wanted to buy. If you want something and someone else wants it, don't try to turn the other shopper off, odds are pretty good that I will find out about it. Even if I didn't hear it, the other shopper will tell me later. I am less likely to work with this "sneaky" shopper on special deals, and I might even ban them from my sales if I feel they are hurting my bottom line. I usually give someone a chance to reform before I ban them from a sale, but there are times when I have done it on the spot with no warning.
5. If you want something big or expensive, let us know asap. I had a large, high priced item recently and at the end of the first day, I sold it to the last customer at the sale. The next morning, someone else came and wanted to buy it. He was upset that someone else bought it. But he never told me he was planning to come back to look at it again, or that he was researching it, or seeing if he could move it. Whatever it was, I didn't know and couldn't factor it in. If he had just told me that he had been thinking of buying it, he probably would have been able to. But when we haven't seen any interest yet at the end of the day, I closed a deal as soon as I could. So if you think you might want something, let us know because someone else - maybe even the person who told you the price was too high - might be negotiating for the same thing. Chances are, I only have one!
6. Lastly, estate sales are competitive businesses, we appreciate good word of mouth advertising. We always love good reviews online and your referrals. Let us know if you gave us a five star review, or if you told a friend who needs a sale to call us. Share our sale post with a friend. That makes our day and we will remember it! At the same time, if we did something that you didn't like, talk to us about it and give us a chance to make things right. We are all only human, after all, so far I haven't met anyone who is perfect!

My team and I are looking forward to another great year in 2018! We have a sale this weekend in Llano and one next weekend in Santa Clarita. Come see us soon!

Estate Sale DIY: The Estate Mama’s Liquidation Guide

Very happily announcing my new estate sale book is now available on Amazon. Grab your copy here.

Lisa Kroese, founder of Expert Estates LLC, an estate liquidation and personal property appraisal business announced her new book “Estate Sale DIY: The Estate Mama’’s Liquidation Guide” for anyone who needs guidance setting up and conducting their own moving or estate sale.

Step by step instructions, checklists, tips and resources are all included in “Estate Sale DIY”. Readers will learn how to quickly get their sale organized, priced and marketed so that they can get their house emptied out as soon as possible.

“When a family has to liquidate a lifetime of things, there are a lot of factors to consider. My goal is to outline everything we do as professionals and to make it easier on families that wants or needs to do it themselves,” said Lisa Kroese.

The liquidation industry is booming and this book gives anyone the confidence and guidance they need for a DIY sale.

 Book Details

No matter who we are at some point in our lives, we have to figure out what to do with a lifetime of belongings. If you are downsizing, relocating or dealing with the loss of a loved one, this book is for you. Estate Sale DIY is packed with clear steps and 27 tips for anyone who is doing the work that professional liquidators tackle every day.

You will learn what to do before, during and after your sale. Different liquidation options are reviewed to make sure you have all the information you need. Make sure your sale is priced right and runs smoothly. Market and manage a sale just like a professional does.

Available at http://amzn.com/1517088623

About Lisa Kroese
Author, Lisa Kroese, owns Expert Estates LLC, a consulting and estate liquidation company at 151 N Mill St in Tehachapi, CA. Lisa is a CAGA Certified Appraiser and a Member of the American Society of Estate Liquidators. She has appraised and sold millions of dollars worth of personal property.

She runs EstateFusion.com a membership site for estate liquidators. She consults for estate sale ups, momprenuers, families running their own estate sales, and those branding their own estate and antique businesses.

She is known as “The Estate Mama.” Lisa combines her love of researching family heirlooms with her drive to solve problems and help others. Lisa’s company, Expert Estates, has estate sales most weeks of the year. She sells vintage and home goods at her Expert Estates store in Tehachapi, CA and online at both eBay store AllMovedAround and on her Etsy shop: Eestates.

The estate liquidation business is growing and Lisa has no reservations about helping to train others to achieve the same success she enjoys as an estate liquidator.

She is a mompreneur balancing a small business with three daughters age 5, 2 and 2 months (that's why she is The Estate Mama).  She believes if she can do it, so can you.