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How It Works – Clients

Don’t Throw Anything Away!

Let us determine if an item has value. We have countless stories of items tossed that would have brought good money at the sale
Please do not have a garage sale before the Estate Sale.
The more items we have in the sale, the better the attendance will be.
There needs to be SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!

How Does It Work? 

Before The Sale

We begin by meeting with you and "walking through" the home determining what is for sale and getting some "history" on some of the items.
We ask that the family members remove anything that they are keeping, or that is "not for sale". Sometimes this is hard to do before we start organizing for the sale.
At this time, we will determine the best date for the sale, secure a contract and pick up a key.
We will need to access the home 5-10 days before the sale to start organizing. We bring in our own supplies, tables, table draping, cash register and pricing equipment.
We spend the first 2 days sorting, throwing out trash and bringing everything out of the cupboards, drawers & cabinets.
We move furniture and items around for a "better flow" for customers and display.
We start tagging and pricing 1-2 days before the sale. We have many years of experience and know on most things what the DSW market is bringing.
If we have an item that needs further research, we will bring our computer to the site and research these items on site. Sometimes, we will need to consult with an appraiser that works with our company often.
All jewelry will be removed to be taken and sorted and tagged at home, fine jewelry will be taken to a jeweler for appraisal. It will be brought back into the home the morning of the sale, fine jewelry will be secured in closed cases.
Sometimes we will bring in a few items to sell at your sale for another client. We make sure these items ENHANCE your sale. FSES does not operate or own an Antique Store, Resale Store etc., this can sometimes cause a conflict of interest. Any items we may bring in will be from actual clients that simply have a few items to sell and not enough for an estate sale.
We have several workers on our staff that work with us all the time. They are friendly, well trained and professional at all times.

Advertising & Marketing

We also advertise on Craigslist, Facebook, Estatesales.net and our website fsestatesales.com
FSES also has an email list with over 1,000 email addresses of buyers who frequent our sales.
Email reminders are sent weekly announcing our featured sales.
We place signs in the yard of the home and on corners in accordance with the city code and restrictions.
Sale details and 25-100 photos are posted on the website 2-3 days before the sale and an email blast is sent out the day before the sale as a reminder.

The Sale

Most sales last 1-2 days and sometimes 3 days if we think its necessary. We will determine this at the time of our "walk through".
FAMILY MEMBERS WILL BE ASKED NOT TO BE AT THE SALE. It is very emotional and can hurts sales. Customers sometimes "feel bad" purchasing someones belongings and the sentiment they have.
After the sale, we can clear the house for a small fee. This usually runs between $100 - $400, depending on how much is left and how much trash and debris there is. We use the same clean up crew for all our sales and they will let us know after the sale how much it will be. They will donate items to charity and bring the receipt to give to you.
We do not CLEAN the home, only clear it. If you have chosen to have everything left in the home, we will remove our items, tidy up and place leftovers on counters, etc.
Cost To You
Our fee to run the sale is 40%. If we must go out of town, our fee is 50%.
We pay for all the workers, advertising, supplies and setup out of our part.
We deposit the proceeds on Monday and Tuesdays and your percentage will be sent to you directly from the bank on Thursday. It usually takes 5 working days for you to receive it. We can also discuss other options if this does not work for you.

WE GO OUT OF OUR WAY TO MAKE YOUR SALE SAFE, PROFESSIONAL, SUCCESSFUL AND FUN FOR EVERYONE WHO ATTENDS!

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