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Estate-sale maven's tips

A behind-the-scenes look at the estate sale business.

March 1, 2016 at 5:50PM

Estate sales clear out a family home or prepare for downsizing. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

For collectors, antique dealers and garden-variety bargain hunters, there are few happier ways to spend an hour or two than hitting an estate sale.

For more than 20 years, St. Petersburg-based Interbay Estate Sales has been helping homeowners and heirs of the deceased unload furniture, antiques and other items they don't want or don't have room for. Founder Carol Cadden shares tips and stories from the front lines.

Q: How do you price items?

A: A lot of it is just experience knowing what the public will pay. If it's something unusual, we do some research, look online, check auction results or eBay. In my experience, something can sell one day for a price and the next day, if the same item came up again, it would sell for a different price. If we have to negotiate or reduce on Saturday we do — our job is to liquidate, not be looking at something on Sunday and thinking, "What are we going to do with that?"

Q: What are people looking for at estate sales these days?

A: We know what they're not looking for. Victorian furniture is pretty much out, mahogany pieces from the '30s and '40s are just not selling. You get a lot of people from all age groups, all socioeconomic backgrounds who come to these sales. They're looking for certain things that are useful — towels, sheets, cookware. Jewelry is a big seller, doesn't matter if it's junky or costume, it's really big.

Q: How about clothing?

A: Men's clothing does not sell well at all because of all the variety of sizes, sleeve lengths and pant lengths and neck sizes. Women's clothing sells pretty well but just doesn't bring very much compared to other things like jewelry. We do much better with large-size clothes than small clothes. Why? Look around.

Q: What about midcentury modern furniture and accessories?

A: That's a pretty hot area, but we don't see too much of it. A lot of people move down and bring antiques and '30s and '40s furniture with them, but the '50s and '60s is what's really selling right now.

Q: Do you typically have hordes waiting to get in each morning?

A: It can be more than 50. They know I won't let them in early. I don't give numbers because if you give a number, half of them will leave. I open the door and in they come and in the first hour it's just a madhouse.

Q: Are there ever any fights?

A: Not really fights, maybe some arguments. We had a perfume bottle collection and two women got into it over who was the first to get to the perfume bottles. People that are anxious to be the first one in the door can be very aggressive, and some are dealers. We don't get that many dealers, though, because we don't price things at a dealer price point. It's more people that have been coming to our sales. I've had them say to me, 'One of these days I'm going to have you liquidate my estate.' I wonder where they put it all.

Q: What happens to things that don't sell?

A: It's up to the family. Sometimes they'll keep them, sometimes they'll give us the authority to donate, but we make sure that the charity is one that they like. Our deal with people is that when we sign the contracts we assure them that the house will be swept clean. We charge 35 percent but if there's a lot of stuff that needs to be hauled away we ask the family to pay for a dumpster.