As a very busy estate sales company, we often get the question, “Will there be discounts tomorrow” or some question like that. The answer is usually, “Probably, but discounting decisions are driven by the individual contract with the client and their input.”
While there is a pattern to estate sale discounting, for most companies it is not a firm structure. Whether the company is making the decision themselves or it’s being driven by client input, it is likely that there will be discounting at some point during the course of an estate sale. Most companies will announce discounts via an email blast or social media. Other companies will predetermine discounts and print them in the newspaper. Every company has a slightly different mechanism but once they have a system that works for them, they are likely to stick to it but don’t get upset if they sometimes vary their approach.
What’s the biggest mistake an estate sale shopper can make with regards to discounting and making purchases? That’s simple – hesitate. Don’t wait too long to make a purchase. If the companies you follow are fairly priced, then waiting is usually a mistake because the item will be fairly priced on day one of the sale. The deal just gets better. The risk the shopper runs by not making the purchase is that someone else has realized that the marked price is a fair one and acquires the item first.
Some good guidance for shopping estate sales is (1) get to know the estate sales companies you frequent, (2) learn over time if their pricing is fair or not, (3) try to negotiate, and (4) if you know the company to be fair in their pricing then make the purchase. The number one regret we hear from shoppers during the weekend is, “I wish I hadn’t waited to buy that________ (sofa, table, pinball machine, silver, pottery, jewelry, china, etc.)!” Life is too short to have regrets. Some and shop an upcoming estate sale near you!