I noticed his negative Google reviews get washed out by fake 5 star reviews. So I figured posting…read morehere as well would be sufficient.
I run an estate sale company, and I've been shopping estate sales for 25 years. I understand the work, the responsibility to the client, and the need to make money. That is precisely why this sale was so frustrating.
Good estate sale pricing takes judgment. You need to understand value, know your buyers, and price for the setting you're selling in. You have a limited window to turn a home's contents into money for your client. With strategy, you can move inventory, keep pricing fair, and serve both the family and the customer. Getting that balance right is the craft.
I visited on day two and found prices that looked like top-dollar eBay asking prices. An online seller can research, photograph, store, and wait months for the right buyer. An estate sale operates on a different clock. Pricing should reflect that.
A casserole dish priced at $40 when comparable examples are listed on eBay for less gives shoppers little reason to buy it at your sale. They made the drive, showed up during your hours, and will carry it out themselves. There needs to be some value in doing that.
Then there were the calendars.
Under a shelf in the garage, I found a dusty stack of old calendars dating roughly from 2009 to 2021. I wanted them for collages and asked what he would take for the pile.
Four dollars each. Ninety dollars for the bundle.
I know old paper can have value. I buy it. But $90 for that particular stack, in that condition, at an estate sale? I put it back.
During the roughly 25 minutes I was there, I did not see a single purchase. I watched shoppers leave empty-handed while the operator complained loudly, within earshot of customers, that everyone wanted everything cheap and he refused to charge garage sale prices.
There is plenty of room between garage sale pricing and full online retail. Knowing how to work within that space is part of the job. Your customers are the people who empty your client's house. Treating them like an inconvenience for questioning a price does nothing for your client.
I came prepared to spend around $200, potentially $250 to $300 if I found enough at reasonable prices. I left having spent nothing.
That was one customer. I cannot tell you what everyone else would have spent, but I watched people leave with nothing while merchandise stayed on the shelves. Those were opportunities to make sales. Complaining about the customers did not bring any of them back.
You cannot price people out of buying and then stand there angry that they aren't buying. At some point, you have to reconsider the prices you set.
I had just come from a sale in Placerville where the operator worked with buyers, offered bundles, and moved hundreds of dollars in merchandise within minutes. She understood what people wanted and found prices that made the transactions happen. Her client benefited from that judgment.
That is what competent selling looks like.
And to anyone running estate sales: pay attention to what you say in front of your customers. People hear the complaints, notice the condescension, and remember how you made them feel. You never know who just walked through your door, what business they might bring you, or how far their experience might travel when they share it. Every shopper deserves basic courtesy, whether they buy a houseful or leave with nothing.
There are newer estate sale companies entering this business with real care for the people they serve. They treat a family's home and belongings with dignity and give clients the consideration they would hope to receive themselves. They put their clients' interests ahead of their own pride, preferences, or desire to squeeze the highest possible price out of every object. They use technology to reach buyers, organize the work, and run smarter, more efficient sales.
Those companies will earn the clients, customers, and repeat business that operators like this keep turning away. Continue treating people this way, and eventually the companies doing it better will overshadow you.
Experiences like this directly shape how I build my own company. I remember what made me put something back, what made me uncomfortable, and what made me decide never to return. Then I use those lessons to make better decisions about pricing, communication, and how I treat people.
My clients deserve to know I'm working in their best interest. My customers deserve to feel welcome, respected, and excited to return. Both matter to a successful sale.
I have attended this company's sales before and encountered the same pricing and attitude. This visit confirmed that I will spend my money elsewhere. It also reinforced exactly the kind of estate sale company I never want mine to become.
I will not be back, and I cannot recommend this company.
