Carnaby Estate Sales

(716) 860-1550 Bonded and Insured Elite member since Oct 28, 2010 - 27 years in business

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About Carnaby Estate Sales

We offer complete estate sale packages to ensure that every item from your estate sells for the maximum amount. Our specialty is on-site estate sales. We can also use a combination of on-site sales, eBay consignment sales, referral to high quality auction houses, and clean-outs to get a house ready for showing and maximize the value of your estate. If you cannot have a sale because of condo or apartment regulations, we can have the sale at our own insured premises.
With more than 40 years in the business, we know how to handle your estate with care!

We're sure you have questions about having us hold an estate sale (and that makes us happy because it means we're dealing with a savvy consumer!). Here are some of the most common:

Q. What sets you apart from your competitors?
A. We are a family-run business, and we personally run all of our sales - your sale will have a Carnaby owner there at all times; we do not pass your sale over to staff to run.
We are also known for our friendliness and enthusiasm - our buyers love to shop with us and our clients love working with us! We go the extra mile to make each sale the best we have ever done, and it shows in our results. We've amassed a huge following this way; our customers know they are attending a top-notch sale, which translates to higher revenue for you.
Our set-ups are amazing - everything will be clean, neat and on shelves or tables; no confused jumbles of items at Carnaby sales!

Q. Unlike some competitors, you're very upfront about your commission rate.
A. We don't believe in being cagey about our fees or in you having to meet with us for a "fee reveal". You should base your final decision on a good personality fit and your confidence in us once we meet, but we're not going to leave you wondering about the business end before we even start.

Our commission structure is simple: 30%
Everything involved with running a normal sale is included in our commission: staffing for set-up and the sale itself, display units, online advertising and marketing, and leaving the house tidy at the end. (We also offer complete clean-out services - more on that below.)

Q. Are there situations where the commission or fees might be higher?
Yes. If we are dealing with a house where set-up hours exceed the norm there will be a charge for that (we have done houses where we have filled up several dumpsters before we even begin - and then had sales that greatly exceeded anyone's expectations with the treasures we uncovered). We include 50 man-hours of set-up time free in your contract.

We may also charge a higher commission for sales with long travel distances (we will do sales within a two hour radius and will service areas where there are no other companies, all the way down into Pennsylvania). These instances are rare, though, and we'll all know pretty much instantly at our consultation.

Q. Do I need to do anything before you start work?
A. The only thing you need to do is remove anything personal that won't be part of the sale (and in situations where stuff can't be moved out quickly, we're happy to designate a room or closet as "private" and store personal or family-reserved items in there). We take care of everything else! Above all, don't throw anything out - things like spices, half containers of laundry soap, clothing, cans of paint and oil, and other household items can add a surprising amount of value to your sale. We have sold bags of rocks, bricks, and old peat moss. We're happy to sort out and bag up the true trash for you on our time - so you can save yours!

Q. What kind of advertising do you do?
A. We have an extensive social media reach on multiple estate sale sites, our own website, facebook, instagram and more. And of course, we maximize our website coverage with a LOT of photos and have a huge email list (we have a huge following of happy customers).

Q. Do you do a 75% off day at the end of the sale?
A. We hear this question all the time from people who are new to our sales. The answer we give them is "no, we just price fairly to start with." Our goal is to bring in as much for every item in the estate as possible, while ensuring that the family is not left with a house full of unsold goods at the end. It's a delicate balancing act, and one at which we excel.

Q. But what happens if there are some things left over?
A. There will be. It is rare to sell 100% of a house's contents. Our primary goal is to make sure there is as little left as possible by pricing accurately for the local market, and actively selling - we don't just sit there at our sales!
That said, we offer a number of after-sale options for you, from trash removal and clean-outs, to dealers we work with who will buy flea market type items, all the way up to deep house cleaning to get the house realtor ready for sale. We are also happy to help with donations to local charities for unsold clothing and household goods. We work with you to make sure your house is as empty as you want it to be.

Q. I'm out of town - do I need to be there for this?
A. No - we have even had people send us keys from out of state. It's helpful if a relative or someone local can show us around the house the first time and show us the lights, thermostat controls, etc., but we have handled long-distance complete sale/clean-out situations with no problem at all. Obviously, if there are things the family is keeping, someone needs to deal with those first, but there is no need for anyone to be there while we are working or during the actual sale. We will sort out and set aside all personal paperwork, photographs, etc. for the family to take care of after the sale.
We are also happy to work directly with your estate lawyer or realtor.

Q. How much lead time do you need to do a sale?
A. The short answer is 7 days - this is the minimum to get the ad in the Buffalo News, photos done, the website updated and our mailing list clients contacted.
The longer answer is as much time as possible, especially if it is a large estate needing a lot of organizing and tagging. Our schedule is busier at some times of the year than others and all of our sales get our personal attention. Longer lead times also mean earlier advertising to our buyer mailing list - we have people who come from as far as Toronto and Pennsylvania for our sales, but they do need to schedule.

Q. How do you set your prices?
A. We set our prices based on many years of experience as antique dealers and appraisers, running on-site estate sales, and doing a huge business in on-line sales. Remember that because we work on commission, we are working to get you every dollar possible for each item. But we also have to be realistic about what things will actually sell for in our area.
We do offer the opportunity to use our eBay consignment business for items when we know they will go for far more in the international eBay market than in our local area. We work together with you to use every sales method possible to maximize results for you.
We also research heavily, especially for specialty items out of our area of expertise. Doing this ensures that nothing gets undersold.

Q. Are you insured?
A. Yes, we are insured for business liability. However, you are also expected to have homeowner's insurance in force on the premises during the sale period.

Q. Do you put out a lot of signs?
A. Yes, we have nice, bright directional signs. Although 90% of the people will come from our ads or mailing list, the signs are useful for attracting drive-by traffic - sometimes bringing in great impulse purchasers!

Q. Does it bother you if we interview a few more companies?
A. Not at all! We'd far rather you interviewed several of our competitors and then chose us knowing that we are absolutely the right choice for you.

Have a question we haven't covered here? Email us or give us a call at 860-1550!
Remember that our on-site consultations are always free - we look forward to hearing from you!