BUYERS & SELLERS

Frequently Asked Questions

What services do you offer?

We are primarily an auction company.  We specialize in estate (living or deceased) liquidations.  We also accept consignment items, space and time permitting.  

Our services can be as simple as auctioning items brought to us ready for sale to our customers.  More often though, we find ourselves cleaning, researching, and making minor repairs to items we are preparing for sale.  

We offer pick up (additional time, therefore higher rate) when necessary, and if a customer desires, will pretty much do an entire house clean out.  This means we will go through the home, barn, etc. and take most anything of value right down to the cleaning supplies under the sink and bring them to auction.  When we finish, all our clients will have left to do is haul of the unwanted items to donate or trash and do the final cleaning.  We do not do deep cleaning but certainly relieve our clients from that overwhelming feeling of "what am I going to do with all of this stuff?"  Every client we have done a clean out for has been extremely satisfied and expressed their gratitude for taking a burden off of the mind.

In addition to the above, we are also available for onsite estate sales, business liquidations, storage unit auctions and more.

What kind of stuff do you sell?

We sell all kind of items including antiques, furniture, household items, collectibles, tools, coins, lawn and garden equipment, local interest historical pieces, advertising and much more.  

Large items include automobiles, boats, trailers, farm equipment, etc.  

We avoid items normally found at yard sales: Clothes (some exceptions), upholstered furniture, particle board furniture, etc. It never hurts to ask about your particular items.


What do you charge to sell?

This is also a very common yet difficult question to answer.  Basically we work on commission, and the price we charge is directly related to the time and energy we devote in order to bring your items to auction and ensure that they bring top prices.  Factors we consider are quality of items, cleanliness (how much of our time do we have to devote to cleaning and making it presentable), condition, sell-ability, are you delivering or do we have to pick up, and amount of time we have to spend packing for safe delivery.  Every situation is different.

One other thing which warrants mention here is comparing rates charged by different auctioneers.  For example:  Auctioneer A charges 20% to sell a vintage Tiger Oak Bedroom Suite but does nothing except put it on the block, resulting in a selling price of $400 with a net to you of $320 after commission.  Auctioneer B charges you 30% but spends considerable time cleaning and maybe even making minor repairs.  This auctioneer researches historical facts about the suite, creating interest beyond the obvious intrinsic values while also spending time and money obtaining nice pictures and advertising.  All of this brings a larger crowd and more excited buyers, bringing $600 with a net of $400 to you after commission.

We generally will not quote a price until we have seen what is involved in your particular situation.  This is in your best interest as well as ours. 
I just inherited all of these items, what am I going to do?  I have an old barn full of stuff I want to get rid of, can you help? I want to downsize, what should I do?

First and foremost, you should call us immediately!  We will gladly come out and look at your situation and offer you professional advice free-of-charge.

We've witnessed many occasions where friends and family give bad advice and low-ball offers.  Absolutely do not have a yard sale or haul off "the junk" first.

We've also seen cases where people practically gave away or threw away some of the most valuable items.  We will gladly tell you if certain items are worthless so that you can make the decision on what to do with them at that time.

What can I expect my items to bring at auction?

This is probably the most common question we get and one that is almost impossible to answer.  Auctions are a perfect example of the economic theory of "supply and demand."  Th usual reply is "depends on who is there and how bad they want it."

If pressed for an answer on this, our standard operating procedure is to under-promise and over-deliver.  The condition of the item, the rarity, local interest, seasonality, and many other factors affect the price on any given sale.  An identical item could bring several times more or less at a subsequent sale.  That is the nature of an auction and part of what makes them so interesting.

We do our best to ensure top prices for your items as it is mutually beneficial, and we have a reputation for obtaining some of the best prices in this area.

I don't want to give my stuff away, can I place a reserve on my items?

The short answer is yes; however, auctions are generally conducted with the item up for sale going to the highest bidder.  While all auctions in NC are by law considered to be with reserve unless advertised as "absolute," the guaranteed way to kill an auction is to fill it with reserves.  In most auctions, if you sell many items, some will sell for somewhat less than expected while others will exceed expectations.  

This dynamic often creates an average price that is more than satisfactory for both the client and the auctioneer.  We recommend to our clients to never get too hung up on what a particular item brings. 

There is nothing wrong with placing a reserve on a very small number of items of higher value in order to bring peace of mind to a client.

How long before you can sell my stuff?

We typically stay booked up several weeks ahead, so if you have a specific timetable where you need things sold, you need to get in touch with us as soon as possible.
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