Our first order of Country Chic paint is coming soon! This is a chalk and mineral based paint that is specifically designed for DIYers with a love for refinishing furniture and home decor. This fabulous paint is VOC FREE and contains no harmful solvents.
Read Moreby Julie Hall, ASEL
1. Prepare ahead of time. Get to know trusted local resources, ask questions, and have a Plan A and Plan B. Think about all you will need ahead of time. Start making a list of all the contact numbers and resources you will need. Plan ahead, so your loved ones won't have to do this during a time of crisis. Decisions made in the midst of a crisis are often hasty and flawed.
2. Enlist the help of siblings. Ideally all surviving adult children should participate if they are able and if they are helpful; it saves time and gives everyone a chance to be together and feel a part of the process.
3. Locate Important Documents. This could be a nightmare if you didn't discuss it with your parents or they didn't discuss it with you. That is why it is so important to have that conversation before infirmity sets in. Many older people keep important papers in a strong box or safe deposit box in the bank which you may or may not be able access once they pass. Make sure you know the location of all keys, passwords, etc.
Look for: Will/Trust, bank account information, insurance policies, retirement and investment accounts and contacts, titles/deeds to cars and the house, location of keys, contact information for all professionals they have worked with (attorney, financial advisor, CPA, Insurance company, etc.).
4. Get professional help. It's too daunting to go at it alone when there are skilled professionals to guide you through the process. Pick out good ones and listen to their advice. Most of the time, they are worth their weight in gold. Remember that you can enlist the help of a personal property appraiser to determine the worth of your personal property, and a trustworthy estate sale professional to sell the items for you. http://www.aselonline.com/find_asel_associates.html. This is the time to lighten the burden and ask for help from those who know how to do it.
5. Take inventory, take photos, but don't take the stuff until the process is understood. Walk around the house with a notebook/computer and list anything that has either financial or sentimental value. Make copies and send it to your siblings/children/heirs. If you have an appraisal done, you can share this as well.
6. Secure valuables until it is decided if they will be kept of sold. It is the executor's responsibility to protect the assets. Retrieve keys or change the locks. An empty home is a target. Never leave valuables such as estate jewelry, sterling flatware, cash, or rare art in an empty estate. The executor should remove them, keeping them at a safe location until such a time as they are to be divided among family or sold. Document what has been removed and where it is kept. This information should be shared with all immediate heirs with the understanding the executor is not keeping them, only keeping them safe for the time being. The estate process can be lengthy and estate items have a tendency to "walk" away over the course of time. Remember to choose professionals that will help guide you through.
7. Set a date to thin out the house, or if this is too daunting, enlist the help of an estate sale company to empty it for you by combining an estate sale and total clean out service. This would ensure it will be done correctly and relieve you of a heavy undertaking.
8. Establish 4 areas in the house. You may not always know what to keep, what to throw away, what to donate, and what to sell. This is where an estate consultant can really assist you.
9. Be fair and share. If there are disputes, turn to The Boomer Burden for solutions and remind those involved politely that it "isn't about you." It's about doing the right thing and honoring the loved one who is gone.
10. Start from the top and work down. When you begin the process of thinning out, always start from the top of the house and work your way down.
11. Be safe. Always have gloves, dust masks, insect spray, first aid supplies, hand tools, etc. Bomb attics and garages with insecticide 3 days prior to going in those dark places.
12. Be green. Recycle as much cardboard, paper, and plastic as you can. Consult local refuse haulers and environmental agencies for instructions on how to safely dispose of cleaning solvents, paint, etc.
13. Check the hideouts. If they lived during the Depression, they have things hidden. Favorite hiding places? Toilet tanks, ice cube trays, books (look for cash in pages), canister sets, mattresses, floorboards, drapery hems, wrapped in handkerchiefs.
14. When in doubt, don't throw it out. Make sure you have a professional look at everything first before you throw it out or give it away. It's natural to be tempted to keep everything, but you can't. It will drive your spouse crazy, not to mention your kids when it comes their time to clean out your house.
15. For each thing you bring in your home, let go of two things. Clean out your own closets, attics and garages. Statistically, we only use the same 20% of what we own anyway. Dress the less fortunate and help many people with your unwanted items.
©2014 American Society of Estate Liquidators® - reposted with permission
Our Hollywood Hills Sale is coming up May 27-29th, Tuesday-Thursday by appointment between 10am and 3pm daily.
Read MoreCome over to the store at 151 N Mill Street in Tehachapi whenever you want to do your own research on your collections. We have a free reference library available to anyone whenever we are open. We are always adding new books to our library. This week we are getting the current gun price guide, an estate jewelry book and a new book on elegant glass. We have price and history reference books on a wide variety of topics:
We always welcome customers, dealers, collectors and anyone who wants to come for a visit to stop in and take a look at our library. It is always fun learning a little history on the things you have in your home or in an estate! Come see us soon and discover something new.
Expert Estates is in the current issue of both Tehachapi Lifestyle Magazine and The Tehachapi News! Plus we have a great line up of fun estates for your shopping pleasure from Mother's Day to Father's day, we got you covered!
We have so much going on, we have to stop unpacking treasures for a few minutes to update you!
1. Our store will be closed tomorrow (Thursday) so we can finish unpacking three different estates from Santa Clarita to Stallion Springs. We will reopen Friday with fresh inventory and discounts on our last group of estates.
Shop this weekend Fri-Sat from 10am-6pm; Sun 11am-5pm; and Monday 1oam-6pm
At 151 N Mill Street in Tehachapi
2. Dealers and wholesale buyers are invited to shop a closeout of our Van Nuys estate
Monday, May 12th between 11am and 3pm
On Valerio St in Van Nuys
3. We have another nice full estate in a client's beautiful spacious home and garage in Stallion Springs, Tehachapi
Friday-Sunday May 16-18th, 9am-3pm daily.
4. We also have a by appointment only sale in LA May 27-29th. There are lots of fabulous custom and high end designer pieces here, so call us at 661-823-1635 to get your appointment scheduled.
5. Save the date for a great mantique estate at the workshop of an inventor. We are doing this sale in Agua Dulce June 12-14th so you can bring dad along for a peak or just in time for a cool father's day gift hunt!
http://expertestates.com/events/
Our Etsy shop, we are adding more of our fantastic inventory all the time, check it out!
(Tehachapi, CA) November 16, 2013 - Expert Estate Sales by LA Kroese is holding an estate sale for their newest client, Elaine Palance, at Cielo Ranch. The ranch is located in Cummings Valley and was purchased by Jack and Elaine Palance in 1986 as their main ranch and private retreat. The Palance family also owned another ranch near Stallion Springs for entertaining, which was sold after the actor passed away. An auction of the personal property at the Stallion Springs ranch was held at that time.
The Palance Estate sale includes furnishings at the fabulous home, contents of an enormous working barn, and two additional outbuildings. Everything and anything from a John Deere 4100 tractor to a great collection of western gear, saddles, European and American antiques, china, pottery, bronze dore clocks, a beautiful art deco bedroom set, a Victrola, lighting, and more. Additional furnishings include a gorgeous king size poster bed, a three antique armoires, there is also a collection of commercial sewing equipment, fabrics and notions which belonged to Elaine for her professional interior decor and design studio. There are lots of wonderful items, a collection of iron cut out horse garden statues, antique wagon wheels, tractors, cutters and garden benches, outdoor furnishings, and very tasteful collectables. Sale highlights includes a gigantic outdoor Rooster sculpture, a Mazarati, and a pair of child sized English riding horse figures.
The three-day event will begin on Friday, December 6, 2013 and run through Sunday the 8th. There will be an invitation only preview sale on Thursday, December 5th, contact Expert Estates to request your invitation.
In 1957, Palance won an Emmy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Mountain McClintock in the Playhouse 90 production of Rod Serling's Requiem for a Heavyweight. While still busy making movies, in the 1980s, Palance also co-hosted (with his daughter Holly Palance), the television series Ripley's Believe It or Not. Four decades after his film debut, Palance finally won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on March 30, 1992, for his performance as cowboy Curly Washburn in the 1991 comedy City Slickers.
Palance's first wife was Virginia Baker. They had three children: Holly, Brooke and Cody. In May 1987, Jack married Elaine Rogers. Palance painted and sold landscape art with a poem included on the back of each picture. He is also the author of The Forest of Love, a book of poems, published October 1, 1996, by Summerhouse Press. During their worldwide travels the family acquired many of the great antiques you will find at the estate sale.
Lisa Kroese, owner of Expert Estate Sales by LA Kroese, said, "We are very happy to be working on this special local estate. This is a great event that you will not want to miss. Local shoppers and visitors from Los Angeles, Las Vegas and even San Francisco frequently shop at our high end estate sales. There will be something for everyone at this sale so it will draw a big crowd from near and far. Come and choose a piece of Hollywood and Tehachapi history for your home. In most cases when there are famous estates, property is moved off site, in this case, you will have the chance to come and see how things looked as they were at the private ranch retreat of Elaine and Jack Palance.”
Expert Estate Sales by LA Kroese is a member in good standing of the Better Business Bureau, The American Society of Estate Liquidators and the Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce. Lisa adds "Hosting high end sales at exceptional homes is an exciting part of our business. Our showroom at 151 North Mill Street is also open daily. I am also certified CAGA appraiser with a growing base of appraisal clients."
The Palance Estate Sale will be held at Elaine and Jack Palance’s Cielo Ranch, 26816 Cummings Valley Road, Tehachapi Ca, 93561 on December 6th-8th 2013 opening daily at 10am. For more details and photos of this exciting event visit the Expert Estates Website www.ExpertEstates.com
Expert Estates is located at 151 N Mill Street, Suite A, 661-823-1635.
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About Lisa Kroese
Lisa has over 15 years of personal property, art and antique appraisal experience. Her current and past estate sale clients include Don Hall of Bakersfield, Dr. Valentine and Marilyn Birds of Bakersfield, Dr. Fortonberry of Bakersfield, Mrs. Lyndee Richmond of Tehachapi and Elaine Palance. Her appraisal clients include art collectors on ArtNews’ list of Top 200 Collectors, the Estate of Gianni Versace, and the Lowe Art Museum. To sign up for her estate sale newsletter, go here.
Check out our Flickr album with images of what we have on sale, amazing deals with items at all price points and for all kinds of decorating, from recycled, to shabby to country classic and Oriental. Come see us and shop smart. You can't beat these deals we have almost everything on sale between 25 and 75% off!
Don't miss out, come see us at 151 N Mill Street, Sunday 11am-5pm.
We have a group of eBay lots closing tomorrow, check them out. As
always, our auctions are no reserve and start as low as 99 cents. Bid and pick up at the store or we can ship worldwide!
We have new listings coming online in our Etsy shop all week. Our
first group just went on today. We will ship worldwide, or you can pick
up in the store. Check them out!
The Expert Estates' Vintage Boutique by EEstates on Etsy.
We always get buyers and sellers who love cameos, here is nice post on dating your cameos from Janvier Road's blog:
Cameo appearance: How to tell if yours is vintage.There are a lot of things you can do to protect your family heirlooms, Forbes recently published a list of six things to do. After being in the business of art and antiques since I graduated from college, I have to add my advice - if you want to keep your heirlooms in your family, then use them and create memories of seeing, and even actually using them with your family.
Thanksgiving is going to be here soon, if you
have your Mom's china packed up because it is too good to use, my
advice to you is to take it out and enjoy it. Then your family really
will treasure and protect it for generations.
6 Steps To Protect Your Family Heirlooms, Antiques And Treasures - Forbes.
We have a nice collection of antique English Flow Blue in our current set of iGavel Auction lots. These close tomorrow, so bid now!
If you start a collection of Flow Blue, here is a fantastic resource for Flow Blue collectors, you can date your English Flow Blue by the registration numbers on this chart
Here is a video from Martha Stewart about collecting flow blue and its history.
Flow Blue Pitcher and Wash Basin from a California Estate
Expert Estates is selling on iGavel Auctions
We have a nice group of 24 lots for our first iGavel Auction set. Go take a look at the photos and bid on the best stuff from Expert Estates. This group includes: Antique Flow Blue, Books, Collectibles, Vintage games, Asian pottery and porcelain, and Oil paintings by listed Russian artist Eunice Martchenko.
Expert Estate Sales by L.A. Kroese recently opened a fun and fabulous 2200 square foot showroom at 151 N Mill Street. At the store, local and out of town shoppers will find new and vintage furniture, retro treasures, household goods, heirlooms and even appliances from families who need an estate liquidation but can’t have an estate sale at their home. If you like shopping the smart way, stop by frequently - we are always getting fresh estates. Plus we have lots of great services for people just like you. We offer one stop shopping for appraisals, estate sales, online auctions, consulting and consignments.
As a certified appraiser, I know the true value of the goods I am selling and marketing. That means you can consign and shop with confidence. I prepare written USPAP compliant personal property appraisals for insurance, estate, donation and other purposes.
We also sell property for our clients online and we are authorized sellers with iGavel auctions. This grants our clients access to an established national auction venue far better than eBay for antiques, art and high end family heirlooms.
Expert Estates also does popular traditional tag sales at client’s homes. If you are downsizing or dealing with circumstances that require estate sale services, hiring Expert Estates gets you a careful and trustworthy team who will clean, sort, stage, appraise, price, professionally photograph, market and sell your home's entire contents. Whether in the store or in your home, we bring in shoppers from near and far to clear the entire estate: house, garage, and yard. We can leave your home clean and ready for marketing, rental or residence. Our goal is to eliminate your burden - we do as much or as little as you need.
We provide free estate sale and appraisal consultations to develop the best plan for your situation. Each family and each estate is unique and we understand that. My team and I have been conducting estate sales throughout Kern and Los Angeles counties since shortly after I relocated to Tehachapi in 2010 when my husband, Stephen, was hired by Scaled Composites. In a very short time I’ve been blessed with new friends and a loyal customer base.
At Expert Estates, we do things differently and we like it that way. We have a unique 14 point customer guarantee for our estate sale clients. My staff and I never buy from our estates until after the public has been able to shop, that keeps our sales fresh and can draw in shoppers from Sacramento to San Diego. I offer valuable resources for people who need estate and appraisal services, like a free Estate Sale Checklist that you can download at our website. And a free Home Inventory sheet for insurance and estate planning purposes. These are just a few of the things that set us apart.
Expert Estates is owned and operated by a CAGA certified appraiser, is BBB Accredited, is licensed, bonded and insured, and is a member of The American Society of Estate Liquidators® (ASEL). I am proud to say, we are the only estate sale company in the county with those combined credentials.
I hope you will come over and shop the smart way with us at 151 N Mill Street. And for more information on having an estate sale or hiring an appraiser, visit the Services page at www.ExpertEstates.com, come by or give us a call at 661-823-1635.
Always something new at the estate store!
Day full of blessings: Expert Estate Sales owners celebrate ... - TehachapiNews.com.
Lisa Kroese knew it would be a close call and she was right!
She and husband Stephen Kroese planned the opening of their new store, Expert Estate Sales, at 151 N. Mill St. for Wednesday, July 24 knowing these events could coincide with the birth of their second baby girl. On July 22 at 10:30 p.m., three-week early 6 lbs. 5 oz. Mira Serena Kroese arrived on the same day as the royal baby in England. Sister Vivian is as excited as her parents that her little sister is healthy and happy.
Employees Elizabeth Henderson and Nikki Kasch oversaw the grand opening at the store while Lisa enjoyed her new daughter's arrival. The event went smoothly with well wishes and welcoming greetings from local business owners and Chamber of Commerce members. Drawings and refreshments enticed attendees to acquaint themselves with the wide variety of household goods and antiques. The store phone is 238-3999. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Unique to Expert Estate Sales is the bidding process. Each item is priced and a customer may place a bid on the item by filling out a bid sheet. They will be contacted on Saturday if the bid has been accepted.
Owner Lisa, a Certified Appraisers Guild of America certified appraiser, has done appraisals for the last 15 years prior to relocating to Tehachapi. As an estate seller, Lisa combined her passion for researching and preserving heirlooms with her passion for helping people and finding solutions.
Lisa's past California estate liquidation clients include the Estate of Dr. Birds; Don Hall, the founder of Don Hall Jewelers; and the owner of Denny Refrigeration Company. Her appraisal clients include art collectors on ArtNews' list of Top 200 Collectors, the Estate of Gianni Versace, and the Lowe Art Museum.
Early in her career, Lisa worked for one of the country's oldest auction houses. Her fine art services firm in South Florida was a Sothebys.com authorized seller. She has a degree in fine art from The Maryland Institute, College of Art.
I just set up an album with details on some of the great Chinese, Japanese and Korean ceramics and art at our upcoming sale. Check the set out here:
Oriental Porcelain and Art - a set on Flickr.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2013 -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Lisa Kroese, Expert Estates
Phone: 661-238-3999
Expert Estates announces its Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting
(Tehachapi, CA) July 16, 2013 - Expert Estates is opening Tehachapi’s newest hip vintage hotspot. The store, located at 151 N Mill Street, will be a special venue where shoppers can find vintage furniture and treasures, everyday home goods, and home consignments. The store has great inventory from families who need an estate liquidation but can’t hold their estate sale at their home. The store will offer fresh estate sales on a regular basis. In addition, there will be consignments, online auctions and appraisals by the owner, Lisa Kroese, a CAGA certified appraiser.
The opening event will start at 3pm with a ribbon cutting at 3:30pm on Wednesday, July 24, 2013 and the doors will remain open until 5pm. The newly remodeled space is full to bursting with previously treasured items that have never before been available to the public. There will be catered platters from Tehachapi Culinary Studio, drinks, door prizes and a raffle. After opening, regular hours will be Monday-Saturday from 10am-6pm and Sunday 11am-5pm. Appraisals are offered by appointment only.
Owner, Lisa Kroese, said, “We have been conducting estate sales throughout Kern and Los Angeles counties since shortly after relocating to Tehachapi in 2010 when my husband, Stephen, was hired by Scaled Composites. In a very short time I’ve been blessed with new friends and a loyal customer base. I love the chance to use my knowledge of art, auctions, appraising and marketing to help people.”
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About Expert Estates: Expert Estates is BBB Accredited,
is licensed, bonded and insured, and is a member of The American Society
of Estate Liquidators® (ASEL) .
About Lisa Kroese: Lisa is one
of the areas only certified personal property appraisers. Her past
clients include art collectors on ArtNews’ list of Top 200 Collectors,
the Estate of Gianni Versace, and the Lowe Art Museum.
For more information, visit www.ExpertEstates.com.
Summer time is peak season for cleaning out with an annual garage sale. We help clients who want us to stage, price, and even run a garage or moving sale.
Read about our Moving and Garage Sale services here.
If you want to have your own garage sale, here are 20 yard sale tips from Gslar:
