EstateSales.net is launching a new marketplace for estate sale junkies and will include some interesting pricing models. In addition to offering fixed price listings, sellers can use a declining-price model and an auction format.
EstateSales.net is currently a way for estate sale companies to advertise their local sales – regular people holding garage sales are not allowed to advertise.
For those unfamiliar with real-life estate sales, they generally offer much more in the way of goods than yard sales, since as the name implies, it’s generally the liquidation of a person’s estate due to death or a radical downsizing, with estate sale companies handling the sale and often allowing attendees to roam throughout the home.
The same restriction will apply to the marketplace when it launches on April 10th – it’s an exclusive service for estate sale companies, and only companies with a Gold, Silver, or Bronze package on EstateSales.NET will be allowed to list items on the Marketplace:
“The Marketplace is exclusive to estate sale companies on EstateSales.NET and incorporates elements of a traditional estate sale into the online buying process. You can sell your items using an auction format, firm pricing format, or – new to online buying – a dynamic estate sale pricing model where the items are discounted over time.”
When an item sells on the marketplace, EstateSales.net will charge a fee on the final selling price, not including tax and shipping costs.
The commission fee will be based on the estate sale company’s subscription level:
Gold: 6.29%
Silver: 7.29%
Bronze: 8.29%
Sellers must set up a Stripe account for payment processing before they can list their sales. They have the option of either offering local pickup only, or setting up an account with Shippo to ship with their preferred carriers.
A new page on the site describes the new marketplace opening on April 10, 2018:
Shop Estate Sales from Coast to Coast!
EstateSales.NET is proud to bring you the Marketplace, where you can shop for your favorite items from estate sales across the country. Hard-to-find collectibles, one-of-a-kind items, and undiscovered treasures – they’re all waiting for you on the Marketplace
And in a FAQ for estate sale companies, EstateSales.net explains why it decided to launche the marketplace: “Companies have expressed several issues they have encountered when running an estate sale. First, it’s not uncommon for things like HOA restrictions, safety restrictions, and parking issues to make it difficult or impossible to hold estate sales on-site. Secondly, some markets simply don’t command the best prices for certain items. We hope to solve these problems with the Marketplace. You can now sell your items to an audience of 2.5 million estate sale enthusiasts.”
Except all those estate sale junkies go precisely because items don’t fetch the highest prices
I do not forsee this getting very far
So what you have is a glorified auction site limited to a few people. Call it anything you want but all it is is a auction side limited to special people……HEY EBAY SEE ANYTHING FAMILIAR.
Exactly what Monkposty noted. Most people who frequent estate sales are seeking things for resale, or bargains. They are not looking to pay “retail”.
Also great deal of these money-hungry estate sale companies will either run the bids up themselves, or hire shills to increase the auction prices. There is a definite possibility of scams here, just like on Goodwill.com- most of their items are relisted because they are not paid for after the auction closes. Why? Because the high bidder is a shill, not an actual buyer.
I will just stick to going to tag and estate sales in person, and hunt for treasures myself.
Just checked out. Not missing anything but some overpriced items that can bought online at any of the sites for much cheaper.