What does "estate sale" imply as opposed to an average tag or garage sale?

Question

After my mother passed, I put together some things from her house that I could bear to part with and advertised an estate sale. I set up some tables in the front living room and put these items on them. Bright and early, two 50-something women showed up, walked right past the items for sale and started pulling down pictures hanging in the wall and taking dishes and glassware out of the china cabinets. I told them the items for sale were in the front room on the tables. They said that they didn't want that "junk" and asked if I was having an estate sale or not. I said it was an estate sale, but not everything in the house was for sale. One responded saying that if that were the case, it wasn't really an estate sale and I shouldn't have advertised it as such. So is it an estate sale if only certain items from an estate are offered?

Answer 1

The other ladies are correct. An "estate" sale is usually conducted by a professional estate liquidator and implies that the contents of the whole house are up for "grabs" so to speak. An executor hires an estate liquidator to sell the contents and sometimes even the house to settle an estate. This is what you did by advertising and "estate" sale. You were just having a tag sale by only offering certain items and conducting the sale by yourself. If you are still trying to sell off these things, in the future, set it up outside or in the garage, if one is available, so people stopping to look do not see what is not being offered for sale and do not refer to it as an "estate" sale.

Answer 2

Most people get the impression that everything in the house is up for sale and they were just helping themselves to what they found. I would not call it an estate sale the next time but a yard or garage sale to avoid any future confusion or confrontation. Just clearly mark any future items. Sorry for the loss of your Mom

Answer 3

Bless your heart, I am going to have to do the same thing and how RUDE it was of those ladies to do that! To my understanding an Estate sale is when you ask someone who is knowledgable about this type of thing and you also pay them to sell what you can bear to part with. I dread the thought. They keep a percentage of the sale and give you monies for the rest. Hang in there friend.

Answer 4

Usually, an estate sale is all or most of the items within the house. There may be a few items that might not be included, and they would be marked as "reserved" or "not for sale" and the rest is usually understood to be part of the sale.

I double checked with a quick search and found

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estate_sale and that seems to back up what my understanding was as well.

I'm sorry for your loss, and that the sale was frustrating for you.

Answer 5

No, we do not need backyard revenue. We recall it as you mentioned as a few kind of embarrsment. I am Egyptian, dwelling in Egypt and feature by no means performed or purchased from backyard revenue. Huh, a purpose got here to my brain now that probably it's considering the fact that we do not need yards. We reside in cramped flats....... Hard existence in Egypt has taught men and women to preserve directly to the whole thing; jobs, autos and loved ones gadgets. It could be very not going that you simply uncover an Egyptian promoting a T.V that he does not want. Unless this T.V isn't running - By "no longer running" I imply that he took it to the repairman dozens of instances and the entire fixes and the patches aren't running to any extent further. I love the inspiration of backyard-revenue.But it's an American inspiration and we do not need it in Egypt. When I end up the president ofd Egypt, all people can be wealthy and there can be tons of matters that they are not looking for. Then we're going to have backyard-revenue.

Answer 6

I don't know if there are any statutes that regulate estate sales in you area. I would consider the actions of your customers as rude. God Bless