How It Works

An estate sale is an on-premises sale of household items—the most efficient and financially rewarding way to liquidate personal property.

We act as your agent in the sale of personal property, much like a real estate company represents a homeowner in selling a house. Once the family has decided what to keep and those items have been removed, we transform the home into a well-organized boutique—carefully staging each room so it feels inviting to buyers. Every item, from precious antiques to everyday household goods, is displayed attractively and clearly priced to maximize interest and value.

What Sells?

Anything acquired at any time, from anywhere, can find a buyer at an estate sale. Whether it was purchased by your family a century ago or picked up just yesterday at the local shop, Past & Present Estate Sales knows how to market and sell it.

We handle the sale of virtually anything of value, including gold, cars, antiques, furniture, lamps, wall art, silver, china, furs, figurines, rugs, toys, books, records, stationery, playing cards, appliances, kitchenware, glassware, bath and table linens, clothing, accessories, purses, gloves, hats, scarves, precious and costume jewelry, workbenches, power tools, and garden tools—just to name a few.

If we believe certain unique items would perform better in a specialized market, such as a New York or European auction house, we explore those opportunities on your behalf.

On average, Past & Present Estate Sales successfully sells about 90% of all items in the home. Unsold items remain the property of the owner, who decides whether they should be removed, donated (with a tax receipt provided), or handled in another way. Upon request, we can arrange complete removal of any remaining items.

What We Do

Once the owner decides what will be sold, Past & Present Estate Sales manages the entire process right through to settlement.

Our services include:

Full set-up and professional staging

Accurate pricing and valuation (including appraisers’ fees when needed)

Targeted advertising to attract serious buyers

Conducting the sale with experienced staff

Coordinating cleanup and ensuring the premises are left broom clean

Our friendly, knowledgeable staff not only understand the value of the items for sale, but also know how to engage estate sale customers to create a welcoming and successful shopping experience.

Time Frame

Preparing a sale typically takes several days of set-up, which includes organizing, displaying, pricing, and advertising your items. The sale itself usually runs Thursday through Saturday or Friday through Sunday, and may extend longer depending on the size and quantity of the estate. Once the sale is complete, we allow for one day of cleanup, leaving the property in good order. Any unsold items at the end of the sale can be donated to a charitable organization at the owner’s request. We can arrange the donation and provide the owner with an itemized donation receipt.

Our Fees

When you choose Past & Present Estate Sales, we cover all staffing costs to professionally set up and run your sale from start to finish. There are no up-front fees—all advertising expenses are taken from the sale proceeds. Our commission is either a competitive percentage of gross sales or a set minimum, whichever benefits the situation, ensuring our interests align with yours.

We work solely for you, the property owner, and when the sale is complete, you receive your proceeds by check or in cash.