Image from here.
I've often said that Kansas City has to be close to estate sale heaven. I've written on my blog about sales that have made me giddy, saying silent "thank yous" to the people that saved everything, giving me the chance to buy it 40 or 50 years later.
Kansas City has lots of great estate sale companies. They also have plenty of bad estate sale companies. When I say bad, that is, of course just my opinion, but I'm talking about companies that don't do what I think the main purpose of an estate sale is; namely, to clear goods out of a house or apartment because of moving, downsizing or death.
Image from here.
So, even though there is a dearth of estate sales right now, in the dead of winter, there are some sales that I won't be going to.
So Mr & Mrs Estate Sale Company owner, here is why you won't be seeing me:
- Your prices are too high for new stuff.
This seems kind of obvious in any buying and selling situation, but there are some companies that consistently price items at amounts that bear no relationship to real life. For example, the price of a set of 20 brand new small size Rubbermaid plastic storage containers at Target is $9.99. That's $.50 a piece. How can you charge $1.00 a piece for USED containers?
- Your prices are too high for OLD stuff.
If you're going to run an estate sale company, you should have at least a passing knowledge of what's currently popular and what prices the market will bear. Jadeite, German rose plates and Hummels used to be super hot and could command a good price. The prices have come down, you need to reflect this in your pricing.
Another thing to keep in mind- even if your prices are exorbitant and you still manage to sell a grossly over priced item, it doesn't mean you priced the item correctly, it means you were lucky. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Image from here.
- You limit entry to your sales when it isn't necessary.
There are very legitimate reasons to only let a certain number of people in to a sale at one time. Namely, crowd control, theft prevention and fire and safety issues.
But, when you make me and other shoppers wait outside in the rain while 10 or 15 people leisurely browse through a 2 story house with a basement that has plenty of room to safely hold three or four times as many people, you're not practicing crowd control; you're on a power trip.
If you can't handle a sale with 30-40 people in an average house, you probably shouldn't be holding sales.
Image from here.
- You don't start on time.
If you say you're going to open at 9 am, open at 9 am, not 9:10. I know that things come up and sometimes a delay can't be helped. However, regularlyopening late is unprofessional and shows disrespect for the people waiting in line for your sale.
Wow, this has gotten to be kind of a long rant and I'm only about half way through with my list. If you'd like to hear more of my list let me know.
I recognize that anyone has a right to run their business however they want, these are just my observations and opinions.
AND ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SUBJECT:
I've started a Facebook page for my business. If you'd like to know when I've listed new items in my Etsy store or if you're local to Kansas City and would like to know when I've brought new things to my antique booth, please "Like" my page on Facebook.
Here's the link.
Of course, all this assumes that I won't get kicked out of estate sales for what I've written and will still have stuff to sell!
