You may not be able to sell valuable items for all they are worth.  An experienced auctioneer has a wide network, and knows how to reach collectors, dealers, museums, and others who want what you have to sell.

What’s the difference between an auction and an estate sale?

At an auction, an auctioneer accepts bids from bidders who compete to own an item.  At an estate sale items are priced so buyers may purchase them from the estate or home.  The estate sale typically takes place over a weekend.

For items of higher value, the competitive bidding at an auction ensures that you receive fair market value for your items.  Items such as artwork by listed artists, gold, sterling silver, coin collections, 1960’s and earlier comic books, and baseball cards are just some examples of items that should be sold at auction.  A wider range of items can be offered at an estate sale.  More-contemporary home furnishings, power equipment, and vehicles can all be sold at an estate sale.

What is an online estate auction, and when is it the best option?

An online auction is good for large and valuable items.  We have online estate auctions to sell fine furnishings, boats, automobiles, motorcycles, the inventory of a large home-staging company, and even an aircraft engine.

We offer a preview at the estate, whenever possible.  By allowing prospective bidders the opportunity to view the items, we maximize selling prices for our sellers.  We also attract many local bidders because of targeted promotion in the area of the online auction (often here in New England).

We will research your items at no additional charge, after you consign them. That’s part of our service.  For an estate sale we use our experience and market research to price your items properly.  We have appraiser credentials and regularly sell and auction items.  That gives us plenty of knowledge on trends and current pricing.

Yes.  We find that is the fairest method for our clients.  We accept a percentage of the selling price as our fee for selling your items.  We act as the seller’s agent to ensure that his or her items sell for the highest amount possible.  Our commission is based on the selling price.

Estate personal representatives often clean out the estate prior to calling us.  Of course, it’s good to throw away old food and garbage, but most household items realistically can be sold in an estate sale.  I’ve often heard people say “I wish I didn’t throw that away” when they first meet with us and discover what we can sell for them.

We find that consignors split about 50/50 on whether they want to attend the auction.  On the one hand, many people like having as much involvement as possible.  On the other hand, many find it emotionally difficult to see items that were in a family home auctioned.

Many estate sale companies don’t allow sellers and estate personal representatives to attend estate sales.  We don’t prohibit clients from attending, but we recommend against it. A sale can be very emotional for the consignor – sometimes to the point that he or she interferes in the sale of an item.  Also, family members often think of objects in terms of sentimental value, and not in terms of what someone else realistically will pay.  We price items based on recent market research and on years of experience.

Most often we sell items from <a href=”https://centralmassauctions.com/service-areas/”>New England</a> estates.&nbsp; But consignors also have shipped auction items to us from the South, Midwest, West Coast, and Europe.&nbsp; For an estate sale, it is best to sell the items right in the estate.

That depends on the particular piece, collection, or estate.  We typically sell items that we’ve picked up throughout New England.  We’ve traveled to Ohio and Florida for estates of rare importance and for highly valuable pieces.

Our auctions draw bidders from all across the US, as well as international bidders from Canada, Europe, and even Asia.

How will you make sure I get the maximum return for them?</strong><br>On the rare occasions we’re not knowledgeable enough about your items, usually we’ll call in consultants and appraisers.

Just commonsense steps:

• Make certain you want or need to sell your items.
• Think about the alternatives and their drawbacks.
• Make sure the auctioneer you’re considering is licensed, if a license is required in your state.
• Read its clients’ online reviews.

Consignor: The person or estate hiring the auctioneer to sell items.

Auction preview: A period prior to the auction when bidders can examine items that they are interested in.

Specialty auction: An auction for one specific type of item.  For example, at a coin specialty auction only coins will be sold.

Hammer price: The price that the item brings when the last bid is cast.

Consignor: The person or estate hiring the auctioneer to sell items.

Auction preview: A period prior to the auction when bidders can examine items that they are interested in.

Specialty auction: An auction for one specific type of item.  For example, at a coin specialty auction only coins will be sold.

Hammer price: The price that the item brings when the last bid is cast.

Buyer’s premium: An additional amount (typically 15%) that the buyer pays above the hammer price at an auction.  Typically the buyer’s premium helps with promotion, labor, and the auctioneer’s other expenses.

Bid calling: The process used by the auctioneer to solicit bids from the audience

As-is: How auctioneers typically describe an item they are selling in its current condition, with any inherent flaws or in less-than-mint condition.

Yes; please see this page.

See this.

He or she gets paid a commission on the item(s) sold in the auction.

No. We don’t charge additional fees for cataloging, photography, etc.  If you need additional services, such as a clean-out, we have plenty of contacts who can help you.  (They will charge for their services, of course.)

A referral from a friend, attorney, financial planner, or other trusted source is the best way to find a good auctioneer.  Also, check reviews.  In Massachusetts an auctioneer is required to be licensed and bonded.  Insurance isn’t required, but we carry additional insurance.

Attend one of the auctioneer’s auctions before you consign, to see whether he or she is a good fit for you.

Gauge the auctioneer’s knowledge in the things you plan to sell.  Ask him or her to tell you a little about a few of the items you bring.

There are many different auctioneers, and many specialize in different areas.  Some of the major, most-known auction houses may only handle objects worth $10,000 or more.  Some auctioneers auction household goods that may sell for a few dollars.  Your specific situation and needs strongly influence which auctioneer(s) you can or should work with. 

Live auctions usually run for one evening or one day.  A large collection may require a couple of days.

An estate sale company works off of commission, as an auctioneer does.

Only additional services (like cleanouts) require additional fees.

Experience is paramount. You want a company that knows how to price your objects correctly. If you overprice your items you will be left with a house full of unsold items. If you underprice your items the sale will bring in less than it might have. We use certified appraisers with many years of experience. We have run estate sales for over 30 years.

• Ask someone who has had an estate sale about his or her experience with a particular company.
• Check reviews.
• Meet with 3 owners of estate sale companies before deciding on one.
• Don’t judge a company only the percentage they charge.  If a company with more experience can get you $15,000 and another company only gets you $10,000, a 5% higher percentage is worth it.

An online estate sale can work well in many situations.  For example:

• If you have larger items, like boats, cars, or machinery, an online auction is a good fit.  (Large items may be sold in place, and the winning bidder removes them.)
• Sometimes condo rules don’t allow for an on-site estate sale.  Items can be auctioned online and only the winning bidders will pick up the items.  That minimizes the disruption to neighbors.
• A remote location may call for an online auction.  Bidders from outside the area will have an opportunity to bid on your items.

At estate sales, people often ask about the home. We work closely with realtors, and we ask realtors to leave brochures that we can hand out to prospective buyers.

Also, we have worked with auctioneers who have auctioned homes. While we ran the estate sale, they auctioned the home on the same day.

Usually for one day or two days

Clients may decide to keep many of the unsold items. We can also advise clients on donating items. We have a long list of referrals for other services, including cleanouts.

Some estate sale companies offer a cleanout service for free. The catch is that they get to keep the unsold items, which in some cases may give them a motive not to sell all the items they might have been able to sell for you.

Yes, we are insured and bonded, even though neither is required of estate sale companies.

• Firearms, if not antique (pre-1899).
• Hazardous items.
• Ivory, because of recently enacted federal laws.
• Taxidermy, because of regulations.
• Reproductions, at least at our auctions.  We can sell them at estate sales, though.

1. We typically run live auctions every 3 or 4 months, only when there are enough quality items to attract bidders who specialize in more-valuable objects. We wait until there are enough valuable items to attract bidders from throughout the area.

2. We attract bidders from Boston, Providence, Hartford, Springfield, and all of New England. We also have absentee bidders and telephone bidders who bid throughout the United States and foreign countries.

3. We offer several ways to sell objects for our clients, and figure out the best one. Sometimes all of the items are sold at a live auction, estate sale, or online auction. Often some items will sell better at auction and others at an estate sale.

We focus on homes that, in our opinion, will result in $10,000 or more in sales for an estate sale. For auctions, we can sell a few items, or can sell even one very valuable object.

Just meet us when we pick up items, or provide us access to the estate. We handle everything from there.