For some of us, long summer weekends are best spent picking through treasures at local estate sales. We may be experienced shoppers, but when it comes to hosting your own sale, it’s an entirely different ballgame. To make the process a little smoother—and a little less stressful—we asked Anne Wortham of Annie Rooney’s Antiques and Estate Sales in Cobbs Creek for her best advice.
Virginia Living: What’s the first thing homeowners should do when deciding to host a sale?
Anne Wortham: Get the opinion of a professional appraiser. Estate sellers will walk through the house and immediately evaluate if they see $10,000 worth of contents for sale, because the total value of the items will affect what percentage of commission they’ll take.
VL: Hosting a sale outside the home—yea or nay?
AW: Sales feel more authentic at home, and without any added items from somewhere else. This pure form is what we call “unsalted” in estate sale-speak.
VL: What are hot selling items right now? Perennial bestsellers?
AW: Unusual bar items like cool martini glasses, drinkware, and bar furniture are very popular, in addition to high end cookware or appliances like Le Creuset, food processors, or smoothie makers. Other enduring moneymakers: four-poster twin bed frames, first-edition or designer books, and smaller rugs.
VL: Any final insider secrets worth spilling?
AW: Remove items you want to keep out of the house before the sale, no matter how insignificant they seem. Inevitably, buyers always want those items!
