R&D

Have you ever wondered upon some antique or vintage item at an Estate Sale and thought it was way over priced? … We have actually heard customers say “the price was to high” and “what a great price!” regarding the same exact item. Why is that? What could be the reason?

Let me tell you a little about how we go about pricing. When we find a vintage, antique, or rare items we do as much R&D as we can to substantiate a fair value. We scour the internet and compile as much history as we can.  We are members at multiple specialty websites that give us access to information and pricing of tens of thousands of items that have recently sold as well as sold in the past at Auction Houses, Brokers, Private Sales and Auction websites such as Etsy, eBay, Amazon, Ruby Lane, eBid, etc. You see, anyone can go home today and list anything they want at any price they want and that is done quite often on the internet selling websites. That is why we ALWAYS look first at recent sales of the same or similar items. Comping an item at recent SOLDS is the best and most (not all) of the time accurate. Sometimes we need to look back in history, especially for rare vintage and antique items to find the last actual selling price and adjust accordingly using a different set of factors to be able to come up with a fair market value justify the means for our price. We know we are all looking for bargains, but when an item is rare, vintage, or antique, we feel it deserves its value and to pass along its story. We walk the line and always make great deals while continuing to honor the previous owner and the item.

The next time you come to our sale, we hope you find something wonderful. If you feel it’s overpriced ask one of our Hosts for an explanation as to how that price was derived, I’ll bet you’ll understand the value of the item much better. Whether it’s a rarity, craftsmanship, or the age that the item gets its value from, that simple item now has a story and a reason for its value. That before, simple glass vase is now a Rare Vintage Hand Blown, Hand Painted Murano Glass Vase from the early1800’s in Italy … and now you LOVE it even more!

We take our position as Host to the Families Treasured items wholeheartedly and would love for you to join us at our next sale or contact us if you would like more information about having Sterling Estate Sales Host your Estate Sale.