To our valued present and future clients

This notice is intended to give you a clearer understanding of how we will handle Estate Sales going forward in these unprecedented times. There are a lot of moving parts and estates will have different challenges to overcome. It is a changed world from it was in 2019. We believe that, after more than 40 years in this business, this is, and will be, the most comprehensive, and profitable (for our clients) approach, to estate liquidation in the post "Covid" future!

The contents of the estate will determine their most appropriate path to liquidation. Some items will attract a local audience. Other items will need to be advertised regionally to reach the appropriate market, while some items will require a national or international audience in order to achieve the highest price. Estate Consultants prides itself upon being sensitive to these differences and having the contacts to make this happen. 

It is ultimately important for a company handling any sale to be able to accurately identify the items that they are charged with selling.

Given the world conditions, as a result of covid-19, business must be conducted differently today.

Estate Consultants will continue its best practices but initiate the following processes.

We will take inventory and set the property up, so that the items being sold will be shown in their "best light". 

We will sort items, empty furniture, cupboards & storage areas; make minor repairs where necessary; clean and display the merchandise. 

We will photograph and write a description which may include age, origin, materials used in the construction of, size, provenance and condition of all items above a certain value ( say $30.00 ) . This process involves more details and a greater need for accuracy given the potential for absentee bidding.

One of our greatest tools for reaching the public is an on-line catalog on Estate Consultants website. Cataloged items are posted with a reasonable reserve price, below which the item will not sell. 

The catalog will be available for viewing AND pre-bidding for the week prior to the sale date

Estate Consultants will also write and place advertisements which will attract a passionate audience locally, nationally and internationally, to ensure the most competitive buyers. 

These advertisements may take several forms. Including, but not limited to: 

1) Estate Consultants proprietary email list with thousands of active buyers - Estate Consultants actively sells to the international, national, and local markets - Our buyers are made up of individuals, collectors, dealers, and institutions

- These are buyers who have attended an Estate Consultants event either Virtually or In Person

2)  Notification to thousands of buyers on the "HiBid" on-line auction platform

3) Paid Facebook ads, ads in Facebook groups amd notification on Estate Consultants Facebook page

4) Advertisements in appropriate locations on Craigslist

5) Ads placed on sites such as "estatesales.net", "garagesales.com", etc.

6) Advertisements in local papers and if needed, ads in specialty publications ( for collections of things ). 

These public notifications, along with a yard sign, will denote the type of merchandise being sold, the auction date, clear / easy direction to the online catalog, our telephone number to call with questions and to schedule a personal preview of the sale..

In addition we may create a video which will give the viewer a " walk-through" preview of the entire sale while highlighting various notable aspects

As the sale process continues, appointments will be made for those interested in personally inspecting the merchandise. These "previews" will be conducted in the safest manner and with precautions including one party previewing at a time, having hand sanitizer & masks available for those previewing, cleaning between appointments, etc.

Estate Consultants /  HiBid  will vet all bidders for their ability to pay for the items that they purchase.

During the actual auction, each item to be sold will be assigned a specific selling time separate from any other item ( approximately 15 to 30 seconds apart ).As the auction of an item is coming to a close there will be a "soft close". This means that if there is a bid within 3 minutes of the scheduled close of the item being auctioned, the closing time for that item will be extended for an additional 3 minutes. If there is another bid during that extended period, the auction gets extended for another 3 minutes........ and so on until a full 3 minutes pass without a bid. This will give bidders comfort in their decision-making process.

After the auction, Estate Consultants / HiBid will collect all necessary payments, fees and taxes within 24 hours of the sale on most items and will schedule pickups over the days / week following the sale, again following safe practices

Items not picked up in the allotted time frame will be considered abandoned and the payment will not be refunded. Abandoned items may be resold.

Residual items (items valued at less than $30.00) and those that fail to sell at auction will be made available, for outright sale, to the successful bidders in the auction when they come to pick up their auction winnings. This will be handled on a "first come first served" basis providing added benefit to buyers and give more incentive for folks to make a purchase at the auction.

Estate Consultants will make arrangements to ship any items that sell to a national or international buyer who is unable to make the trip personally to retrieve their purchases.

After the sales are complete, Estate Consultants will offer options for disposal of any items remaining after the sale / pickup time. This may include finding an "end Lot" buyer, donation to a charity or some other option that is suitable for the specific situation.

In closing and completing the sale and disposition of all items, as agreed upon, payment and settlement paperwork will be made within three weeks of the sale date.

In answering contract expectations, the whole process will take approximately four to six weeks from start to finish barring any unforeseen obstacles.

 Estate Consultants fee is 30% commission of the total sale. There are no added charges for advertising nor anything else regarding executing a typical sale. In the event of extraordinary circumstances, such as the need for a dumpster for use during the preparation process, we would discuss that and agree upon the cost in advance. We hope this clarifies the process.

We will gladly provide references upon request.

Please call  for any clarifications you may need or with questions that you may have. 

Respectfully,

Estate Consultants