Estate Sales: What you need to know

About Our Estate Sale Services | Why Choose Us? | FAQs | Testimonials

About Our Estate Sale Services

At Aardvark Antiques & Estate Liquidations, we know that the loss of a loved one is never easy. Nor is the need to downsize your personal property. Therefore, it is our personal aim to help you manage your personal life event in the simplest and quickest way possible. We are sensitive to the many varied emotions you may experience and we help you by upholding honest and professional standards at all times. We are dedicated to making this time as comfortable as possible for you by removing the burden associated with estate liquidation.Ever mindful of our client's needs, we strive to offer the best service, tailor made to suit each particular situation that arises. Whether you need an appraisal, a sale conducted on-premises, brokerage of one piece or guidance in the market place; we are able to assist you to obtain maximum dollar in the Atlanta, Gainesville, North, Ga. Areas.

• 7 Days-A-Week!! • Free Consult & Estimate • Personal Property Appraisals • Estate Sales Promotion • Complete Pricing & Display • Crowd & Sales Control • Packing & Delivery of Items • Accurate Accounting

With our many years of experience as estate liquidators in Georgia, at Aardvark Antiques we take our estate liquidation and sales services very seriously. Our extensive experience results in the minimum risk of reduced revenues through under pricing or low sales due to overpricing. And, we strive to get the maximum return for your estate by effectively managing the entire process. An important component of our process is to aggressively promote estate sales to our extensive email list of customers and at our two antique stores. We our proud of our track record of 100% estate liquidations! In fact, crowds start lining up for hours at the door for our estate sales. Everyone wants a great deal!

Our list of services include:

• Research and appraisals for items like: antique furniture, books, fine art, collectibles, china, sterling, etc., as well as regular items.
• Advertising estate sale via flyers, at our two store locations, newspaper ads, web site, faxes, and e-mails to our extensive list of customers. We market your estate or individual heirloom worldwide through our online store, multiple online websites, auctions, and thousands of our retail paying customers. We are Atlanta area estate sales professionals. Also, preparation, posting (and later removal) of signs that attract and direct customers.
• Handling all work involved before, during, and after the estate sale.
• Pricing, displaying, and packing of items.
• Professional display and sales methods to achieve the best possible results in the least amount of time.
• Crowd and sales control to protect your property.
• Arrangements made for, and supervision of pickup or delivery for large items.
• Broom cleaning of any area of the house used in the estate sale.
• No worry about returns. All sales are final. All items sold "as is."
• No hidden costs. We don’t ask for money up front. Fees are based on commission and are clarified in advance in a written contract. The cost pays for itself many times over.
• Accurate accounting of all monies received.

Why Choose Us?

Our knowledge is your advantage. Again, we pride ourselves on our knowledge and experience, but we still have a lot to learn. That’s why we are active associate members of the International Society of Appraisers, (www.isa-appraisers.org), a federally-recognized organization dedicated to advancing the professionalism and effectiveness of personal property appraisers. We also attend seminars and training classes to enhance our professional skills. The more we learn, the better job we do for you.

We are ethical. Customers keep coming back to Aardvark because they know we are honest. When we give you an appraisal or information on a piece, you can be sure we have done a thorough research. If we don’t know, we will tell you. We won’t mislead you in any way. We conduct our business with honesty and integrity. We are committed to helping you. Is there any way other way to do business? We want your referrals! Your success is our business!

Still not convinced? Here’s a list of reasons as to why you should hire us:

• Professional Estate sales in Atlanta, Gainesville, and North Georgia areas are a full time business for us. Unlike some of our competitors who conduct estate sales on a part-time basis, at Aardvark Antiques and Estate Liquidations we conduct estate sales on a daily, ongoing basis. We either buy or sell as a service, using the sale as an extension of our retail stores.
• Crowds gather at our estate sales. Again, unlike some of our competitors, we don’t rely on dealers or wholesalers as customers. We aggressively promote our estate sales among the hundreds of retail customers that visit our two stores, through our extensive e-mail, fax and mailing list, and newspaper advertising. We know how to attract buyers.
• Our track record speaks for itself. We always meet, and usually exceed our estimates. We have a track record of 100% liquidations.
• We have buying power. We have the capital to purchase large estates and the capacity to handle the inventory.
• We have excellent contacts. Many times we spot a treasure that requires additional expertise. In these cases, we consult directly with our contacts in fine auction houses such as Sotheby’s.
• Business experience. Before he opened Aardvark Antiques and Estate Liquidations in 1997, Charles Pharr owned and operated a thrift store for three years. He knows how to get top dollar for any item.

FAQs

1. Why can't I just do my own sale?
   
   You could but we don't recommend it. When an individual conducts a sale, the valuable items often sell at give away prices and the less desirable items do not sell. We are experienced. We know what items are worth. We know how to sort and organize property. We know how to attract buyers. We know how to manage a crowd. We know how to comply with local and state ordinances and laws.
2. What should I throw away and what should I keep?
   
   Please do not throw anything away without talking to us first. The old saying that "one man's trash is another man's treasure" is very true. Practically everything has some value, and we can find a buyer for almost anything.
3. What are some of the things you sell?
   
   We have extensive experience selling antiques, furniture, jewelry, artwork, household items, tools, automobiles, and collections of all kinds. We have sold just about everything!
4. What if I only have a few things I want to sell?
   
   We accept good items on consignment.
5. What does your commission include?
   
   When you hire us to conduct your Estate Sale you are getting... our experience and expertise, our ability to attract buyers, our ability to sell your property for top dollar, our ability to solve problems for you, all necessary supplies and equipment, trained personnel, advertising, and removal of ordinary household trash. We apply our management experience, business experience, product knowledge, people skills, and knowledge of the market to conduct a successful Estate Sale for you.
6. May I attend the Estate Sale?
   
   We are very comfortable having you attend the Estate Sale. However, most people find it emotionally difficult and prefer to do something else.
7. When do we have to pay you? When will you pay me?
   
   There are two options. If the estate representative is present, we ask that he or she pays our commission in cash at the end of each sale day. If it is more convenient, we can mail you a final sale summary with our business check less our commission, no later than 5 days after the Estate Sale is over.
8. Do you allow dealers to come in early to buy?
   
   No. We want to make sure that our customers have an equal purchasing opportunity. Some of our appraiser associates are dealers. We don’t feel it is ethical to allow them to price and buy before the sale. We would like to point out, however, that in some specific cases, there may be items that are too delicate and valuable to be displayed at a public sale. These items may be sent directly to fine auction houses such as Sotheby’s.
9. How do I know you are honest?
   
   We have established an outstanding reputation for uncompromising honesty, integrity, professionalism, and service. We have many satisfied customers, and will be happy to provide you with references.
10. What do you do with the things that do not sell?
    
    Again, most items will sell. You have two choices. We will arrange for the leftover property to be picked up by a reputable auctioneer to be sold. Once we receive payment from the auctioneer, we will send you a business check less our commission. Or, we will pay you a fair market price for it.
11. Isn't it a conflict of interest for Aardvark Antiques to buy leftover items?
    
    We don't consider it a conflict of interest in any way. Often there are not many leftover items, and in most cases, these items are the most difficult to sell. We feel it is a service and a convenience to you for Aardvark to buy out any leftover property.
12. What do I need to do to help?
    
    You do not have to do a thing! We do all the work. Just don't trash anything until we have a chance to see it.
13. How will you organize and display my property?
    
    We work with our experienced employees and auctioneer associates to organize and arrange your property in the most attractive manner possible. We pay close attention to cleaning and displaying your property so that it will be appealing to potential buyers.
14. What about clean up after the Estate Sale?
    
    The house and property will be completely empty of all merchandise that has value after the Estate Sale. We will dispose of the remaining ordinary household trash at no additional cost to you, provided that you maintain your trash service. If there is excessive trash, or if you have discontinued your trash service, we can arrange to have it removed at an additional cost to you. We will not discard any chemicals, paints, or hazardous materials.
15. How do you know so much about the Estate Sale business?
    
    We have extensive experience selling personal property using the Estate Sale method. Our experience ranges from estate jewelry to fine art, antique furniture to modern furniture, books to musical instruments, household items to tools, scientific instruments to glassware, ceramics to automobiles. We are active members in local, state and national organizations. We attend seminars and training classes to enhance our professional skills. We pride ourselves on our knowledge and experience. However, no one can know everything about a field as extensive as antiques and personal property. Therefore, we have a wide variety of skilled experts we can call if we discover an area in which we need assistance. Charles Pharr is an Accredited Member of the International Society of Appraisers. (ISA)
16. Every business claims to be the best, and you are no exception. Convince me.
    
    First and foremost, our customers tell us so! We will be glad to provide you with references.

Testimonials

"I appreciate your professionalism and expertise...notably, by using your detail-knowledge of antiques to help my brother and me better appreciate the value and pedigree of our family heirlooms, you selfessly sacrified potential income in deference to our satisfaction. And is was this, your uncompromising integrity, I appreciated above all else.”

- Raleigh Rogers

“...The sale attracted hundreds of people, and the best pieces were sold, including a car. I feel very confident and pleased to recommend Aardvark Estate Liquidations to my clients”

- Jerry A. Williams, Attorney at Law