Estate Sale Etiquette: Please Don’t Make Us Chase You
Our recent Palm Springs estate sale was invitation-only, which meant shoppers had to contact me before coming. We made that easy: text, email, phone—even WhatsApp.
Most messages were simple:
“Where is the sale?”
“What time can I come?”
Perfect. That is all we need.
Some shoppers asked about particular items:
“Does the clock work?”
“Do you have DVDs, CDs or videotapes?”
Yes, we did. For younger readers, these are prehistoric forms of entertainment storage that your ancestors once enjoyed in their groovy caves.
“Do you have computer games?”
No—although we did have computers and games. Just not computer games.
And then there were the treasure hunters:
“Do you have any gold?”
“Is there sterling silver?”
There are always people hoping to discover the Crown Jewels hiding in a Palm Springs condo. Occasionally, there really is gold or sterling silver. But most of the time, Queen Elizabeth did not leave her tiara in the guest-bedroom closet.
Ask Questions—but Keep Them Reasonable
It is perfectly fine to ask whether an item is still available, whether an appliance works or for the dimensions of a large piece of furniture. We want you to have enough information to decide whether it is worth making the trip.
What we cannot do is give you a private, item-by-item video tour of the entire estate.
One person wanted me to walk through the sale, describe everything and send photographs of anything that might be interesting. I sent a few pictures, but eventually had to explain: you really need to come to the sale.
This is an estate sale—not the Shopping Channel.
Pictures are helpful, but they do not replace seeing an item in person. Color, condition, scale and quality can look very different on a phone screen. If you are seriously interested, make an appointment and come take a look.
If You Say You Are Coming, Please Come
The most frustrating messages are the ones that go like this:
“I’m interested in the desk and chair. I’ll come over today.”
Then—nothing.
Later: “Sorry, I got busy. I’ll come tomorrow.”
Tomorrow arrives. Still nothing.
Estate-sale companies organize appointments, manage access and sometimes hold an item based on what a shopper tells us. When you disappear, you may have wasted our time and prevented another interested buyer from seeing the piece.
Plans change. We understand. Just send a quick message:
“I’m sorry, but I can’t make it.”
That takes ten seconds and allows us to offer the appointment—or the item—to someone else.
The Basics of Contacting an Estate Sale Company
A good first message includes:
- Your name
- The item or type of item that interests you
- When you would like to visit
- One or two relevant questions
- A message if your plans change
For example:
“Hi, this is Susan. I’m interested in the mid-century desk. Could I come by around 2:00 today? Also, can you tell me its approximate dimensions?”
Clear, polite and easy to answer.
We Want to Help You Shop
Estate-sale companies want buyers to attend, ask sensible questions and find things they love. We enjoy connecting interesting possessions with their next owners—whether that is a valuable piece of art, a vintage clock, a box of CDs or something wonderfully strange that nobody knew they needed.
Contact us. Ask where and when. Ask whether the clock works. You can even ask about the Crown Jewels.
Just don’t ask us to produce a private television shopping program—and please don’t tell us you are coming and then vanish into the desert.