posted on August 10, 2001 10:23:03 PM
I have recently moved home for a year because my husband is going to korea. My move coincided with my grandmothers deciding to move to another state so it was deicded by the family that I could have the fun job of sorting everything she didn't want and getting rid of it before she sells her house here.
When I arrived last month I almost died from the amount of stuff that was left behind. I found a large 4 bedroom house and 4 storage sheds full. So far I have found everything from toys from the 50 and 60's to old hand, held butter churns, thousands of old books dating back to over 100 years ago, antique farm equipment to lots of plain old junk. There is also quite a bit of solid wood furniture painted some of the most horrible colors you could imagine. My aunt helped my granmother sort out some items before she moved and they found land grant documents dating from before the civil war laying in a box in the basement.
I have spent almost a month getting myself settled in and starting to sort this mess out and still have no idea where to start. I am half tempted to just hold one huge yard sale and let some other lucky person bother with it.
posted on August 10, 2001 11:41:19 PM
It's a dream IF you get to keep the money! We have some relatives who moved to another state and they left behind a lot of nice things. They told us to sell it and use the money for our daughter's college expenses.
It's a dream IF you like sorting through old things and are interested in their historical value. I could spend days on end reading old documents and consider it time well spent.
Otherwise, we start getting into nightmare land.
My advice is to approach the task systematically. Either one room at a time, or one category of items at a time. My family makes fun of me because I clean each room counter-clockwise. I tell them they are free to do it for me if my method offends! Usually shuts them up.
I'm sure your family appreciates all your efforts. It is heart-warming to hear of someone willing to do so much for their grandmother. What a blessing you are!
posted on August 10, 2001 11:56:50 PM
Let me know when the yard sale is taking place.
But seriously, you should get some professional help. The damage you can do to the items may cost you. See if you can get several professionals onsite for a viewing. One for the documents, one for the toys, one for the furniture, etc... Also, if enough there, you may be able to get some auction houses interested in some of the material.
Afterwards, then you can deal with the leftovers.
I personally think it is great, once in a lifetime experience. Of course, you probably don't want to repeat it.
posted on August 11, 2001 12:11:52 AM
Start listing it on ebay
You'll get alot more than you would at a yard sale for sure.
If you don't want to bother with listing each item separate then group them together and list them. You will sell them faster that way but, get less per item.
posted on August 11, 2001 04:17:55 AM
One category at a time. You could call in professional help, but they will want either tp be paid for their services, or a piece of the action. I know I would, and I would be really pissed if I was brought in to look at things and then told thanks and shown the door at the end....
If you start with toys for example, you can go to the library, look the stuff up in antique seller guides, check out similar stuff on ebay and then list the toys on ebay using the correct terminology and better idea of dating etc.
DON'T TOUCH THE PAINTED FURNITURE! You may think they are yucky colours, but the buyer may not, and you could be ruining the value!
PS: Misscandle - I bet you got that tip of how to clean a room from Sue-ann Nivens!
posted on August 11, 2001 05:39:54 AM
Sweil: I forgot to mention earlier that if you are going to eBay the items, you should keep in mind which items sell best during what time of year. Figure out what would do best for the upcoming holiday season: toys, collectibles, etc.
If you have a huge garage sale, please LET ME KNOW! I want a butter churn. [email protected].
Fonthill: I don't know which is sadder...that I clean in a compulsive manner, or that I'm old enough to know who Sue-Ann Nivens is.......and how to use a butter churn!
posted on August 11, 2001 05:56:37 AM
OT misscandle - best Sue Ann Nivens tip was when packing shoes "remember dear, soles toward heaven..." I don't remember her churning butter though! Sounds more Martha to me! lol
posted on August 11, 2001 06:48:49 AM
If you have time try to find comp. sales for the items that are in better condition on E-Bay. Go into "search" then completed auctions with the title of the item.
Don't try to strip the paint off the furniture, if it is old enough it is most likely lead paint. Original condition is best. It's just shabby chic then!
The funds may be going to your older relative's care later on. You may be giving items away in a garage sale. It may not be the best way to go.
posted on August 11, 2001 07:03:46 AM
Hi Sweil, are you in the biz? Do you have a fair amount of knowledge of what is collectible, antique, or good usable merchandise? Asking because, if not, you really will have to hire some one to help you with this task of sorting.
And another good idea is that room by room idea. That way, it does not get too overwhelming! As one room is cleared or sorted-perhaps make one section, for example, the toy area. So as you move through the home, you can put others in that one location.
And if your Grandmother left alot of cool whip containers, old banged up pots and pans beyond saving and the like, a dumpster may be in your future.
Good Luck--it is a treasure hunt and fun when you have someone or two to help with the exploring!!
posted on August 12, 2001 03:24:44 PM
Thanks for the advice. I am not sure what I want to do. I may start doing some researching after my husband leaves next week and the oldest is back in school. I will probably start with the books as I think they will be the easiest to research.
I am in a remote part of idaho so don't think regular auction will do well. The biggest challenge will be finding the time to deal with all this stuff.
posted on August 12, 2001 03:38:44 PM
It's definitely a dream. But be careful when family is involved. Make sure everyone understands the terms before you sell anything. There's no way to know how Granny will react when she and the family find out you got $25,000 for that box of old papers. (Sell every document separately.)
Ask them up front, "if I sell this, what do you want me to do with the money?" They'll probably say, "keep it." Give them a small percentage anyway. A written contract is probably a good idea, and I'm not kidding. Once you start selling, don't brag about your sales.
Be careful or else find another family to visit at Christmas and Thanksgiving. The stuff is probably worth quite a bit.
posted on August 12, 2001 04:06:54 PM
I wouldn't dismiss the onsite auction idea too quickly. Remote or not, bidders will travel to a sale if there is enough quality merchandise.
Auctioneers will also (for a fee) box and move all the stuff to a more conveniently-located auction house if necessary.
Before deciding which route is best, I'd have at least a couple of local auctioneers take a look. It can't hurt.
The ebay alternative isn't a bad idea, *if* you plan to make it your full-time occupation for the next several months. Unloading a house and 4 storage sheds is not a short-term project!
posted on August 12, 2001 04:40:46 PM
I agree with those who suggest you use an on-site auction company. There are lots of good reasons for doing so. One, the auctioneer will clear out the contents of the house and all out-buildings in one day or one weekend, then clean-up the debris. Two, a good auctioneer has followers that attend all of the auctions: dealers and collectors. The auctioneers I follow around get prices higher than eBay.
The thing is, you might look at something and think it is junk, not worth a quarter. Someone else looks at it, says wow it is a such and such, the people who are regulars know that the person only bids on the real thing will bid just to try to get the item and figure out what it is for themselves. Or people bid up the price just to make their competition pay more. Lots of strategies going on at the live on-site auctions that lead to higher prices.
Also, if you are out in the country, that makes the site more desirable. The local farmers love to go to rural auctions, bid on old rusty stuff, piles of old lumber, tin cans of old nails, the kind of stuff that you can never sell on eBay. The antique shop owners and mall space vendors will drive out from the small towns, eBay vendors will show up, collectors will come for miles and the people who just like to go to auctions will show up and bid up the prices. Wait to you see how much they pay for a box of old towels, or the cruddy stuff under the kitchen sink, or the pantry full of Campbell soup.
Back before I became acquainted with estate auctoineers I had to sort and sell the contents of my mother-in-law's home. It is not a lot of fun. It consumes hours of your life, week and week. I held a yard sale, real dumb of me. There was too much stuff. I had to get rid of it so I could sell the home in order to pay for her Alzheimers care. Well not enough people attend a yard sale and though I sold everything for only a dime, or stuff a bag for fifty cents, then started giving it away for free, I was still left with over 50% of it.
If you try to sell that much stuff on eBay, you will be looking at it for years. It is impossible to sell that quantity of items in one year, much less dispose of the large, heavy items.
posted on August 13, 2001 12:51:18 AM
If you decide you want to sell it on eBay you might want a new eBay name if all your family knows your current one.
No use dealing with angry jealous relatives if you don't have to.
Also, you will find the people here on AW to be very knowledgeable in their areas. Post specific questions. You'll get quick, free answers.
posted on August 13, 2001 05:37:20 AM
The land grants are listed under ebaY as indentures.
I have sold hundreds of these over the years on ebay.In the 17 hundreds for about 25.00 to 35.00 each but mine where from England.
American ones maybe worth more if you can find the right buyer.Best thing is to look at the names as the names and signatures could be of some importance.
In some cases I have seen these bring much higher amounts at brick and mortar sites rather than ebay.
They are collectable but condition is important.
As to being worth 25,000 dollars possible but not likely.
