PUBLIC AUCTION vs “tag sales”

There comes a time in everyone’s life when the question is asked, “How did I ever collect this much stuff?”  Sometimes the answer is “it belonged to my parents.”  Sometimes the answer is “it was a hobby.” Sometimes it was just because, “I liked it.”  Whatever the reason is, there also comes a time to determine the best way to liquidate a life’s collection.   Public Auction is often the answer and when compared to alternatives, Public Auction is without a doubt the only method that guarantees peace of mind and the best solution for the sale of your property. 

The peace of mind in hiring any auctioneer first comes with the fact that in the state of Pennsylvania, all auctioneers must be licensed and bonded.  In order to obtain an auction license, an auctioneer must either serve as an apprentice auctioneer for a minimum of two years under an established auctioneer or attend an accredited school offering public auction certification.  Both of these methods require the sacrifice of time and money.  Furthermore, all licensed auctioneers must carry a financial bond and all licensed auctioneers are monitored and held accountable by the state board of licensed auctioneers for fair and honest business practice. 

If we compare that to an Estate tag representative, the differences are night and day.  There is NO license, NO apprenticeship, NO school, NO bond, NO oversight, and NO guarantee of professional conduct with an estate tag representative.  Any individual could literary set up shop overnight and declare themselves an expert in appraisals and sales of personal property. 

In addition to the legal protections provided by a licensed auctioneer, Public Auction is the only way to guarantee the highest price for your personal property.  The competition between bidders is the driving force at a public auction.  The value of any item is what an entire audience deems it to be.  Often that audience is not limited to just the people in the crowd but instead the world as many auctioneers utilize internet bidding to get the highest prices.  All in an effort to get you the seller the highest price.  Again compare that to an estate representative who arbitrarily places their “Best guess” on the value of your items in nothing more than a yard sale setting.  The problem with that method is two-fold.  First, nobody on earth knows everything about everything.  There is no estate tag representative that can accurately place the best price on all the items you may be selling.  Second, estate tag sales are more or less a first come first serve business for buyers.  In other words, if one person comes in and sees an item with a tag and grabs it at that price (or less with haggling), then another person who sees the same item, who might be willing to pay more is unfortunately out of luck.  As a result, you the seller are also out of luck as you just lost money.  Competition guarantees the highest price, not arbitrarily assigning a best guess.

Finally, Public auction offers the liquidation of a few items, entire collections, or complete estates within one dedicated day.  Clients often ask if they should throw things out.  The answer is normally, “Never throw anything away until we can’t sell it.”  Almost everything has value.  Even if it only a dollar nic-nac, that is still a dollar you didn’t have before.  Again, compare that to the estate tag representative.  Have you ever seen a yard sale that has sold everything?  The answer is NO.  With an estate tag sale, there will be items left over for one reason or another and you will be the one trying to get rid of whatever is left.  Instead of getting a few bucks for the less desirable items, you will be spending time and money paying somebody else to clean up the remaining mess.  Sometimes the estate tag representative will offer to clean places out taking any remaining items billing you for the clean out and keeping any proceeds they eventually get for the sale of those same items.  Lastly, estate tag sales often are slated for several days or consecutive weekends.  Due to the fast pace of a public auction, complete estates can be liquidated in a single day.    

In conclusion, the best solution and peace of mind that comes with hiring an auctioneer should be clear.  It is the only choice the guarantees professional service and the best prices for your situation.