Estate sales have been around since ancient times when they were held to settle property owners’ debts.
Tag and estate sales are as popular as ever today, a favorite for collectors and others looking for bargains or quality items. They also have become a favored place to mingle for retirees and young people looking for deals.
“For many people, shopping the sales is a social experience where they know us, each other, and they want to help out the seller. It is also for the savings,” said Keith Price of Kimbell-Brown, an estate and tag sale specialist based in North Canton. “On the first day, people are there to buy items they want, by the fourth day, they come for the bargains and the half-off pricing.”
David Schwarzwaelder of Jackson Township and his wife, Wanda, go to estate sales every few months looking for “good quality items at a decent price.”
They were standing in line waiting to get into a recent four-day sale in the Avondale neighborhood in Plain Township run by Jenior Appraisals & Liquidations.
The couple arrived more than two hours ahead of the 4 p.m. sale opening. They joined 30 to 40 people in line, some waiting since 9 a.m. to get first crack at what was inside.
“Today we are looking for furniture at this sale. I also like to look at tools at different sales. If I can get a $100 socket set for $25, I consider it a good deal,” Schwarzwaelder said.
Akron’s Carol Stuthers often hits estate sales for vintage items and jewelry. Stuthers has been to 10 to 20 this year.
“I have to go on the first day of the sale because jewelry items are popular and they sell quickly, usually on the first day,” Stuthers said. “I’m retired and going to the sales gives me something to do, plus it’s an opportunity to see and hold some really beautiful items.”
The joys of estate sales and bargain deals
In addition to the adventure of hunting for items, there is the mingling and camaraderie.
Many of those at the Avondale sale knew each other by name and their preferred targeted items. They discussed this sale and others they had been to over the years.
Scott Francis of Canal Fulton resells items online at eBay and was at the Avondale sale hoping to find good buys on vintage electronics and old board games. He has been to over 10 sales this year.
“I like to buy pop culture items from the 1970s and ’80s. Most people who come to the estate sales know what they are looking for before they get here,” Francis said.
A few of the shoppers in line mentioned how helpful it was to view the 900 photos Jenior Appraisals posted ahead of time.
The recent Avondale sale came amid the summer heat, so shoppers prepared for the waiting line with umbrellas, hats, and lawn chairs.
Jenior staff handed out numbered tickets as the line grew. As early-arriving shoppers left, more from the line could go inside.
Depending on the size of the house, there could be up to 40 people or so inside at a time.
Julie Hall, executive director of the American Society of Estate Liquidators, said estate sales have been gaining momentum steadily post-COVID.
“There has been a digital explosion of estate sales,” she said. “While people still love to come to the sales to see and touch the items, digital sales have become popular.
“We are seeing more young people attend sales for a number of reasons, including sustainability, pricing, and the quality of the items. You can’t just go to Amazon.com and find the type of items found at estate sales.”
Jenior Appraisals and Kimbell-Brown
Eric Jenior, who owns and operates the Canton-based Jenior, said estate sales have been going strong for years in the area. He predicted that by the end of the four days at the Avondale sale, there could be over 400 people walking through the home.
“I’ve owned my own appraisal and liquidation company for over 10 years and worked for other similar companies a few years before that,” he said. “I’ve seen people come to the sales for a number of reasons, including getting quality items at a great price, finding items to add to their collections, or resellers shopping for inventory, but people also come for the socialization factor.
“People get to visit with others they know or they meet new friends while at the sales.”
Jenior has a degree in architecture and is a certified personal property appraiser. He said his company manages one or two sales a month.
“The property owner has usually already moved out of the property, and we come in to do all of the prep work for the estate sale, which usually includes cleaning the items, evaluating items for pricing and organizing the displays in the home,” he said.
“Good pricing helps the selling rate. What doesn’t sell gets donated to a local charity such as shelters, Goodwill, and others. After the sale ends, we even groom and vacuum the house.”
Before buying Kimbell-Brown, Keith and Penny Price were frequent shoppers at estate sales. They average 12 to 15 sales a year; some years, they have managed as many 20.
“This is the kind of business you have to build a strong brand and develop relationships because we get many repeat shoppers,” Keith Price said.
“We have seen the number of people coming to sales increase over the past few years. But it was really good before COVID hit, and it hasn’t recovered entirely from that time. Instead, we have seen the number of people scheduling sales double in the past several years.”
Keith Price said sales are on the rise locally because of the aging population in Stark County and the U.S. Many sellers are retiring and downsizing.
“We have one couple who come on the fourth day of every sale we hold,” he said. “They have been married for over 70 years, and they come to the sales and buy items at the lowest price they can.”
The owners of both estate sale companies said the first thing they tell people considering holding a sale is to keep everything because you never know what people will buy. Some purchase laundry soap, shampoo, aluminum foil, and other everyday items for the savings.
“I come to many of Eric Jenior’s sales, and I always look at the photos he has online to see what we are interested in before we even get to the sale,” Schwarzwaelder said.
“Most of the sales we go to have good quality items, some you can’t find anywhere else, especially at a reasonable price. My wife and I sometimes come multiple times to one sale to get the last day pricing on certain items.”
Estate sales shopping tips
Eric Jenior of the Canton-based Jenior Appraisals & Liquidations offers these tips for estate and tags sales:
∎ If there is an item you really want, go early.
∎ Bring a lawn chair and an umbrella in case the line is long and you have to wait.
∎ Be prepared for all kinds of weather.
∎ Be an informed shopper and use smartphone apps to find similar items for sale to get a good idea of the pricing.
∎ Plan to pick up furniture and larger items at the end of the day.
∎ Spend time looking at sale photos online and research for pricing, size and condition.
∎ Respect the seller’s home and items.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Estate sales can be a paradise for bargain hunters to shop & socialize
Reporting by Patricia Faulhaber, Canton Repository / The Repository
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Patricia Faulhaber, Canton Repository | USA TODAY Network
