I have spent the last 16 years selling and marketing Antiques and Collectibles for clients throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

In that time I have sold every conceivable kind of item that you can find in a home – endless stacks of Tupperware, dishes galore, burnt Teflon pots and pans, and especially treasures…

I have been fortunate to have had the wonderful opportunity to sell Quarter Million Dollar Paintings, Sterling Daggers for close to $100,000.00 and Coin Collections for as much as $358,000.00

I have found money, sometimes stacks of it, in the strangest and oddest places. I love a treasure. I expect to find them. I never doubt that I will.

I act solely on behalf of others, their big picture, their goals, what they want. I am a Professional Estate Liquidator; modern in every sense – the internet, and the myriad ways it can be used to further my clients goals is where I spend more time then I’d ever care to admit.

Whether To Sell at Auction Or In An Estate Sale Depends On What You Have

If You Have A Valuable Painting

Painting of Early Berlin by Eduard Gaertner ($243,000.00)

Then You Sell It Through An Auction

This is a painting we sold for a client in Antioch CA. We found it the most average of track homes, out in the suburbs, in one of the last places you might expect to find something so valuable…

But If You Have A Cabinet Of Sterling Silver

Sausalito Estate Sale (See Pictures)

Then You Sell It Through An Estate Sale

Of course there are some exceptions to this rule…but it is mostly better to sell your sterling through an estate sale rather than at an auction, unless that sterling is in a rare pattern, or by a significant maker.

Here Is What Auctioneers Won’t Tell You

1. Big and Prestigious Auction Houses Only Want Your Most Valuable Stuff.
2. Small and Medium Auction Houses Want Your Most Valuable Stuff Too, But Can’t Really Hope To Get The Big Bucks These Items Deserve!
3. Auction Houses Charge You To Sell Your Items and They Charge Buyers a “Buyers Premium” In Order To Buy From Them – This Could Mean That Buyers Are Willing, Only To Pay Less At Auction…

Auctions are best when you have an item that has so much hidden or not so hidden value that it needs a larger marketplace of buyers in order to generate that value. Most things in most houses don’t have that kind of value.

Use Caution: If your estate has a few items of high value and you consign those items to an auction house in order that that high value may be realized, then you may run the risk of devaluing the estate so much so, that the rest of what you have is not easily marketable, because your estate’s residual items will be too costly for a Estate Sales Professional to organize and stage an estate sale on your behalf.

Solution: Hire someone who knows how to separate Auction Items from Estate Sales Items.

Here Is What Estate Sales Professionals Won’t Tell You

1. That They Pick Or Pre Buy From Estates They Represent (Ask them, and if true never hire them)
2. That They Don’t Have Sound Accounting Practices.
3. That They Pre Sell To Dealer Friends.
4. That They Really Don’t Know How To Conduct Effective Research.

Estate Sales are best when the professional you are dealing with correctly knows the difference between something that belongs in an Estate Sale and something that belongs in an auction – when Estate Liquidators  can explain their research capacity, and can demonstrate with records their past successes combining estate sales with auction placement strategies.

Use Caution: The Estate Sales Business is Unregulated. There are almost no laws governing an Estate Liquidators activities. There are unscrupulous so called professionals out there.

Solution: Only use Estate Sales Professionals who can provide you with recent referrals. Only use professionals who can show evidence of their past estate sales.

All The Best To You,

Martin Codina

CEO Fine Estate Sales

415-235-7238

Most medium to large Auction Houses are Antiques and Collectibles Pickers who want only your best!

(Michigan Auction – June 1938 by William Vandivert From Life Magazine)

Question: What will you do with the rest?

When Skinners, Bonham’s and Christie’s come knocking on your door, make no mistake, they are looking for only certain kinds of antiques and collectibles. They want “Stuff Worth Lots of Money,” and once they get it, they will leave you to fend for yourself – trying to figure out what to do with the rest.

These Auctioneers will pick your estate: No doubt about this. Do they really care about what you are going to do with the rest of your inherited property, the dishes, the pots and pans – all the everyday books – your Mom or Dads furniture? No they don’t, at least not in ways that will be helpful to you.

So ask yourself, Do I want an Auctioneer who Picks only my best?

(Michigan Auction – June 1938 by William Vandivert From Life Magazine)

Large Auction Houses Want Only Your Best: They want – have to have, your big ticket items; without them, they loose prestige and income amongst their peers.

So make no mistake – Auctioneers, especially those who represent the medium to large auction houses pretty much only care about a handful of your heirlooms.

Auctioneers who are Exception to this, are the smaller regional auction houses: They will accept many more kinds of items to include in their upcoming estate auctions. A few, and I do mean a few will actually leave your home broom clean for you. This is what most average people need, an auction service which will leave the house empty.

When Contemplating Auctioneers, here are 3 Questions to think about:

1. Does the Auctioneer have a comprehensive plan to help you with all of your personal property?
2. Does the Auctioneer have a through understanding of your overall objectives?
3. Does the Auctioneer have a resourceful way for you to deal with your estates residuals or remainders?

Final Thought: If your estate has a vast array of medium valued items with a few items of exceptional value, then consider the following two suggestions:

1. Work with an Estate Sales Professional who understands how to properly meld an effective auction placement strategy in combination with the sale of your personal property at an on-site Estate Sale.
2. Work with one of the medium sized regional auction houses that understands their own limits – which has no objection to their placing of a few of your exceptional, and high valued items in one of the larger auction houses upcoming auctions; in this way helping you achieve maximum benefit for your high valued items while at the same time helping you with all of the rest of your personal property.

Good Luck,

Martin Codina
CEO Fine Estate Sales and Estate Liquidation, Inc.

8 Antique Derringers You Should Look For…in your attic or basement…

In the wonderful world of Fine Estate Liquidation and Estate Sales as professionals, we as well as executors, or heirs are likely to come across vintage or rare firearms.

Great care should be taken with firearms found in an estate:

While at times the firearms found in the home of a client or family member have extraordinary value, great care should always be taken with them. Remember even an “Old Gun” is potentially dangerous.

If you are unfamiliar with handling firearms, do not handle them. Call an expert. Treat all firearms as if they are loaded. If you are a professional Estate Liquidator, check all local and federal laws before ever proceeding with the sale of a firearm.

Sometimes these firearms are extraordinarily valuable:

It is always better to first seek the consul and advice of an Estate Sales Professional who has contacts to the national arena of major auction houses.

These professionals will act as your advocate, and help you identify whether or not you have a very valuable firearm needing this type of exposure.

I never sell firearms privately. I just don’t and you shouldn’t either!!!

However, I do facilitate their sale from time to time through the proper channels.

I have learned how to do this in a way that is safe, and in a way that generates greater income for the heirs of the estates I represent.

The Photo Gallery of Derringers above shows how much a few types of derringers can be worth.

If you are a professional Estate liquidator or an heir, and you have need of my “Inherited Firearms Placement Service please send me an email.

Thank You

Martin Codina

Send Martin Codina an Email For Assistance

There are just so many things you might find in a house that have incredible value. Here is one that’s coming up for auction mid January.

This is the lot description: The Lone Ranger – Brace Beemer – Documented Double Hand-Tooled and Silver-Mounted Holster Rig and Cartridge Belt, with Pair of Engraved Colt Single Action Army Revolvers. Auction Estimate – $20,000.00 – $30,000.00

If you have a rare or unusual firearm that you want to sell, or have appraised, click here, and go to Inherited Firearms.com

Saturday Mornings, I also watched the Cisco Kid…

This is the lot description: Spectacular Engraved Colt Single Action Army Revolver with Silver-Mounted Grips, with Mexican Silver-Mounted Holster Rig, Saddle, Sword and Decorated Spurs, Revolver with a Factory Letter. Auction Estimate: $40,000.00 – $60,000.00

Note: The above silver mounted and engraved Colt pistol, did not belong to the Cisco Kid, however, I am sure he would have wanted it.

Again, it may surprise you to know that an inherited firearm has this kind of value…Check with us here at Inherited Firearms.com

Fine Estate Liquidation, Inc.

The Do It Yourself Estate Sales Guide

Martin Codina

This is the question many people have to answer when dealing with the personal property of a decedent…

Let’s take a look at these two options:

Estate Sale

Estate Sales are a fairly new societal phenomenon. True, in some areas they have been going on for years, but overall, in many communities of the country, estate sales are a relatively new option for selling a households contents.

Good news about Estate Sales:

Estate Liquidation has become an industry, and the conducting of estate sales as a liquidation tool, has become professionalized. In every major city, estate sale signs can be seen on street corners, or hanging from utility poles.

This is a growing industry, fresher and educationally more savvy people are taking up the reins of existing estate liquidation companies, or are starting new ones.

To find an Estate Liquidator:

Look in your local phone book under Estate Liquidation, or go on line, and enter either of these keywords, Estate Sales, or Estate Liquidation. Also make sure to include the name of your city in your keyword search e.g. Estate Sales San Francisco, Estate Liquidation Los Angeles.

Estate Sales Pro’s and Con’s.

Pros:

1. Everything can take place in one central location.
2. There are no moving charges.
3. All items can be individually priced, which creates larger incomes.
4. Professionals are there to do this for you.
5. Commissions and other fees are usually lower.
6. Estate Sales take place over a 2 or 3 day period so more buyers can attend.
7. Prices are set, all items are marked.
8. Better and more highly effective advertising strategies are used.

Cons:

1. There will be strangers in the decedent’s house.
2. Potential liabilities: Ask your estate sales company for a copy of their insurance policy.

Auction House Sales

Auctions have been taking place for centuries. You can find Auction Houses all over the country; from out of the way farm auctions, to high end big city antiques auctions. In many parts of the country, there is simply no other way to liquidate personal property than an auction.

Auction House Pro’s and Con’s.

Pros:

1. High value items will realize higher prices.
2. Household contents are immediately removed from the house, so that the house can be listed for sale.
3. When valuable surprises are found, the right auction house can better market those items.
4. Many auction houses put their entire auction catalogs on line, this can have a high income impact; especially for collectibles.
5. Competitive bidding acts as an imperative.
6. High level auction houses have in-house research staffs with access to important “Price Realized” data bases.
7. Property can be consigned with a sale price reserve.
8. Auction houses are located all over the country, even in rural areas.

Cons

1. Because auctions have to sell all items found in a home during a one day sale they use “Box Lots” in order to move large volumes of personal property. This tends to dilute the prices your items will sell for.
2. Auction House processes can drag on for many months.

My analysis of the Estate Sale or Auction Placement question is that both have positive strengths…

To successfully liquidate an estates personal property, my recommendation is to adopt a two tier approach.

1. Consign your highest value items to the largest auction house in your area.
2. Engage the services of a local estate liquidation company to stage an estate sale.

Many estate liquidation companies are starting to adopt this two tier approach.

Call an Estate Sales Professional in your area, and ask them if they already adopt this two tire approach, or if they are able to do so.

If you are able to find one that does, it will generally be to your advantage to engage the services of that estate liquidation company to handle all of your estate sales, and auction needs.

My name is Martin Codina and I am an Estate Liquidator who loves his job.