Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Vinca

(51,033 posts)
Mon Feb 27, 2012, 07:33 AM Feb 2012

An Estate Sale Made Me Angry

I know this is dumb, but yesterday I got so pissed off after going to an estate sale I stewed about it all day. The sale was being run by someone I know and I had a special invite to a "pre-sale sale" on Friday evening that I was unable to get to. I didn't get there on Saturday, either, so I assumed by Sunday when I arrived the place would be picked clean. What a surprise to walk in and find the place stuffed to the gills. It looked like a museum the items were so high end and it didn't take long to realize the price tags did more than reflect that fact. I didn't see one item priced below what I would consider a retail price and most were well above. One particular picture I had been interested in as a result of the flyer given out weeks before the sale was still on the wall. After getting over that shock I discovered why. The price was double the value of it. And, unlike other sales I've been to, there was only a very small discount on this, the last day of the sale. I can only assume the owners ignored appraisals and set their own prices. They must have set rules about discounts, too, since I heard a perfectly reasonable offer for a lower end item turned down. If the person running the sale makes a dime in profit off this I'll be amazed. Don't ask me why this made me so mad . . . I don't know. Maybe it's because sales are few and far between at this time of year and I was looking forward to it and actually had money to spend in my pocket.

2 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
An Estate Sale Made Me Angry (Original Post) Vinca Feb 2012 OP
Hard to know supernova Feb 2012 #1
+1 McCIoud Dec 2012 #2

supernova

(39,345 posts)
1. Hard to know
Wed Feb 29, 2012, 02:55 PM
Feb 2012

Two things could be going on here:

1) Your friend doesn't know anything about estate/tag sales, chiefly that they are for liquidating property And wildly overestimated the value of the items.

2) The owners are jerks who who put ridiculously high reserves on most of their items. In that case, I have a lot of sympathy for your friend who was put in a bad situation.

Latest Discussions»Culture Forums»EBay, Collectors, Flea Market & Antiques »An Estate Sale Made Me An...