Pricing an estate sale is part art, part market data, part local wisdom. Here is how we approach it — and how you can sanity-check any company’s pricing before a sale.
The three pricing lenses
- Recent comparable sales — sold listings on eBay, LiveAuctioneers, Replacements Ltd., and similar databases. Asking prices mean very little; sold prices mean everything.
- Local St. Louis market — an antique that sells for $400 in a Chicago suburb may only fetch $275 in Florissant, and vice versa. Two decades of St. Louis sales have trained our eye.
- Sale context — a pristine, single-owner home with matching 1960s furniture draws a different buyer than a packed hoarder cleanout. We price to the crowd we expect.
Common mispricing mistakes
- Anchoring to original retail. A $4,000 dining set from 1992 is worth whatever someone will pay today — usually a small fraction, regardless of quality.
- Sentimental math. “My mother loved this” does not add value to a stranger. We handle these conversations gently but honestly.
- Under-pricing rarities. The opposite problem. We have seen careless sales lose $3,000 on a single mis-tagged item. Appraiser training matters.
- Flat-rate “everything $5” thinking. It moves volume but leaves real money on the table.
How our sale progresses
A typical 3-day sale is priced so that:
- Friday: Items at full price. Serious buyers and collectors arrive early. We hold firm on prices in the morning.
- Saturday: Prices remain full, but we begin taking reasonable offers on larger furniture.
- Sunday: Half-price day on most tagged items (specified exclusions apply). Volume day.
This tiered approach maximizes revenue while ensuring the home is emptied.
Reality check: Any company quoting wildly higher numbers than three comparable competitors is either inexperienced or telling you what you want to hear. Ask for documented recent sales.
Research we do on every sale
- Maker marks, hallmarks, silver stamps photographed and verified
- Recent sold comps on items over $100 estimated value
- Signature verification on art (consultation with specialists when warranted)
- Coin and precious-metal spot pricing the day before the sale
- Provenance captured from family stories when available