Estate Sale turned Auction - very aggravating

[randazzo1]

Stopped at a sale by my office this morning that's only running Thursday and Friday. Professional estate company - but not one I've worked with before. They did very little work preparing the sale and had only one staged area with jewelry that appeared to be their own stock. In my usual fashion, I found an empty box (actually the bottom of a broken suitcase) and went about collecting interesting things. It was one of those "this is awesome" type sales. Found two antique car clocks (nice jeweled American movements), an 1880's two volume set of surgeons texts, an old Esso desk display sealed in Lucite, a rubberband bundle of vintage pens, two unusual camera lenses and some more books. I took this load up to the front and asked the cashier to hold it while I continued the hunt for more treasures. I only came up with what I think was a WWII wool hat.

When I got back up to the cashier, there was a young woman digging through......my box! I told her it was mine and she said "well I'm interested in this stuff too".

The guy running the sale said -- looks like we'll have a "mini auction". Somewhere in the back of my head I remember either seeing this or at least hearing about it, but not in a long time. He said I'll take $50.00 for the box. I said fine with me. Then he turns to her, and say's "you want to pay more" she offers $75.00. I was completely disgusted and my blood pressure was approaching dangerous levels so I politely excused myself from the sale.

First - I don't like it.
Second - I think an auctioneer's license is required in NJ to do this.
Third - I don't like it.
Fourth - I really don't like it.

Anyone else ever seen this. I hope to god it's not a trend. Really takes all the fun out of the hunt.

 

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[Rodbuster209]

I could see how your blood pressure went up, it made me angry reading your post, I also have learned the hard way about having someone other than family member watch my goods.Goodluck!

 

[dieselram94]

Yup, that's enough to send someone into a rage. Glad you had good self control. One bad turn deserves another... MOON them! Lol!

sent from a potato...

 

[BamaBill]

I took this load up to the front and asked the cashier to hold it while I continued the hunt for more treasures. I only came up with what I think was a WWII wool hat.

The cashier is to be blamed for not honoring your request to hold the items, however, technically you gotta pay for stuff before you put it down and walk away. It's the only way stuff can't become fair game after you walk away from it. Not much sense of honor left in our world nowadays. Crying shame it happened that way.

 

[releventchair]

Yep never put what you want down till paying for it and then only if you must. If your interested in my finds we can talk after I pay for them,till then kiss my ... and get off it!
For a sale to become an auction? Wow,interesting. Should have got the gal up to a hundred and left. Or outbid her and not paid. Buy an item then auction it off there?
Yes I would have been riled too.

 

[Nickleanddime]

ha my wife read this over my shoulder and all she could say was "lucky he didn't do it to you". Theres one thing I wont deal with at all is bs. Sorry bout your luck bud, this is why I wont go to "pro" ran estate sales

 

[Paleo_joe]

Wow. Here there is a Hold table where things are considered sold. And everything is priced. Firm the first day, 20% off the second, 50% off the third. Written bids but no wheeling and dealing. I cannot imagine a mini-auction! I have had one thing go missing from the hold table, but that is it. The companies keep an eye on it to protect their clients.

 

[Oregon Viking]

That's load of crap!
Hey lady! Hands off!
Hey...start bringing your own box/bag.

 

[jamey]

i buy one at a time ,how much ,here thank you how much here thank you as many times as it takes

 

[steif]

I would have went up as much as it took to get the box, and then handed him the 50 bucks he originally priced it at. when he balked, I would have said "you agreed to 50, so thats what you are getting". and then asked to see his auctioneering license.

 

[clovis97]

Wow...I would have been TICKED.

The more I think about it, I believe that there should be a regulatory governing body by each state that oversees estate sale companies. Auctioneers in our state have a state sponsored governing body. Why don't estate companies?

 

[themarkd]

The cashier is to be blamed for not honoring your request to hold the items, however, technically you gotta pay for stuff before you put it down and walk away. It's the only way stuff can't become fair game after you walk away from it. Not much sense of honor left in our world nowadays. Crying shame it happened that way.

. yeah, without sounding like a jerk...none of the stuff was sold. Kinda crappy scenario but I'm not sure it's the cashiers responsibility to monitor "almost sold" stuff.

 

[diggummup]

. yeah, without sounding like a jerk...none of the stuff was sold. Kinda crappy scenario but I'm not sure it's the cashiers responsibility to monitor "almost sold" stuff.

Actually at a "professionally run" estate sale, it is very commonplace for buyers to make piles near the cashier and for the cashier to "keep an eye" on them. Several companies down here actually have someone that watches your stuff. That woman knew damn well that was someone's box of stuff. I can understand if the cashier was busy and he didn't catch her doing it, but this clown went above and beyond and turned auctioneer as if it was a big ass joke. Very unprofessional to say the least. I would have made a very vocal exit that included promises of flaming his ass, not only on the internet, but to every one of my large circle of professional buyers in the area too. Yeah, I wouldn't have bought a damn thing off of him after that. I don't care how cheap it was. I am fed up with stupid people.

 

[2ndisbest]

Wow...I would have been TICKED. The more I think about it, I believe that there should be a regulatory governing body by each state that oversees estate sale companies. Auctioneers in our state have a state sponsored governing body. Why don't estate companies?

This would be a great idea if you want to pay more for items at estate sales and or use their service. Government regulation will never fix the problem of bad companies. For one, they don't care, just like all government agencies. The idea that the government can come in and run an industry is a complete fallacy. You have to understand the people that right the regulations for any industry are the people who have a vested interest in making money money and eliminating the competition. What does some lawyer from New York know about running an estate sale in Florida? Next thing you know if you have an estate sale you need a handicap ramp and working bathrooms.

A clear example is E cigarettes. All the big tobacco companies wrote all those regulations years ago to force out their competition. Now that E cigs are catching on they are trying to use the FDA as muscle to get them banned with no proof they are anymore harmful than smoking real cigs. For the past two decades all you hear about is how cigs should be called cancer sticks with a skull and crossbones on the label. But now that e cigs have popped up and are a threat to established cig companies because they don't control the market, we hear E cigs "might" be harmful.

Why do you need a license to cut hair? Is the government really so necessary that we need them to ensure we get a good haircut?

The entire regulation scam is a way to keep competition out and rake in revenue for those in the industry and government. I could go on for hours about it, but if you want the same people who deliver your packages to be in charge of how an estate sale is run, you are just asking for trouble.

 

[jochart]

Quote by Henry Ford, "If you think that you will be happy and prosperous by having the Federal Government take care of you, you might want to take a closer look at the American Indian"

 

[trdhrdr007]

Actually at a "professionally run" estate sale, it is very commonplace for buyers to make piles near the cashier and for the cashier to "keep an eye" on them. Several companies down here actually have someone that watches your stuff. That woman knew damn well that was someone's box of stuff. I can understand if the cashier was busy and he didn't catch her doing it, but this clown went above and beyond and turned auctioneer as if it was a big ass joke. Very unprofessional to say the least. I would have made a very vocal exit that included promises of flaming his ass, not only on the internet, but to every one of my large circle of professional buyers in the area too. Yeah, I wouldn't have bought a damn thing off of him after that. I don't care how cheap it was. I am fed up with stupid people.

The company I help out on a part time basis sets up holding tables & has runners throughout the sale to take customers items to the area. It makes good business sense even if it is a constant pain in the ass to keep idiots from trying to shop from the holding area....despite the fact that there are big signs clearly marking out the holding area.

 

[clovis97]

The company I help out on a part time basis sets up holding tables & has runners throughout the sale to take customers items to the area. It makes good business sense even if it is a constant pain in the ass to keep idiots from trying to shop from the holding area....despite the fact that there are big signs clearly marking out the holding area.

How do you do this?

The local estate company is a mess when it comes to this. Sure, they are generally very cramped for space, so I start making a pile. I have lost more stuff over the past few years to people rifling through my pile, sometimes after I have paid for it.

I typically buy large quantities, and quite often, I buy more than I can get into a Chevy truck, and a Chevy sedan too. It still ticks me off when Suzy Homemaker is digging through my piles, and starts being mouthy about what she wants, even though I was there three hours before the sale started. It is my #1 gripe with going to estate sales.

If you have any suggestions on how you set up the holding areas, I'd love to hear them, and make suggestions to the estate company I attend.

 

[trdhrdr007]

Whenever possible we set aside a room or the garage. If we can't do that we use the carport, driveway or yard. The owners of the company have accumulated a butt pile of folding tables over the years & we use those. The holding area is behind the cashier & we tape off any access points. When a runner brings in items they are stacked on/under the tables. Each pile is labeled with the customers name. We know who the big buyers are & they get a bigger area set aside for them. Furniture stays in the house & the runner marks the item sold with customers name & brings the price tag to the holding area. A worker is stationed in the area to keep out the idiots & help the cashier box/bag items unless things have slowed down enough that the cashier isn't swamped.

 

[wotdlois]

"Rue" didnt realize this post was yours. Not sure how you didnt blow your wig on this one. This is the kind of scenario that keeps you up at night, going over every possible outcome over and over again, including the one where you slug the guy and shove the old bag out of the way running with goods in hand. I would have not handled it as well as you. Between the self proclaimed auctioneer and the LADY, who just decided to throw out the window, all the unwritten garage and estate sale rules of conduct, to suit her greedy little purposes, i would have lost it. A normal person, not some mouth breather, would have said, "oh iam sorry didnt realize this was taken". Ugggh bummer.

 

[clovis97]

I've been thinking about your incident, and I can just imagine the smug little attitude that the cashier had when he was pulling this stunt.

I'd bet $10,000 that if someone asked him today about that incident, he would pump up his chest, along with his ego, and brag about how he wisely used two people, in auction style, to benefit the family.

I've found that some people in this world are too immature to see past the end of their nose. Most of these people will do well for a short while, mostly because they are new to the scene, but won't last long. If they are willing to treat you that way, there is an outstanding chance that they'll be using the family of the estate to benefit themselves, too. It won't be long before he is cheating the family as well.