LET'S MAKE A DEAL - Bargaining at Estate Sales
Making offers and bargaining for better deals can be one of the most fun parts of shopping an estate sale. There are few things as satisfying as coming home with a unique and treasured find that was also a great bargain. As someone who has been on both sides of estate sale negotiations, I thought I’d offer some advice for the beginning bargain hunter below. BE BRAVE! Yes, asking for a better deal can be intimidating. If you weren’t graced with the gift of gab talking to strangers is tough enough, without feeling like you’re asking for special treatment. The important thing to keep in mind is that our Team Members expect you to ask for a deal. They’re used to it. Besides, the worst they can do is say “no,” in which case you can still buy the item for full price. BE POLITE Estate sale workers are people too. This may seem obvious to some, but you should never begin a negotiation on a negative note. Don’t criticize the pricing, don’t disparage the item for sale and don’t threaten the person you’re bargaining with or the organization or individual they’re working for. All you will do is ensure that the person you are working with doesn’t want to help you out. At all. PAY ATTENTION TO TIME At any estate sale, the goal is to earn as much money as possible for the owner of the items for sale, but also to clear out the house. At the beginning of a sale prices will be very firm, since there is a lot of time left to sell the item and still a lot of potential buyers to see it. When a multi-day sale reaches its final day or a one-day sale hits the afternoon, prices tend to become more flexible as sellers turn their focus to selling through the remaining items. That’s your opportunity to bargain for a better deal. CONSIDER "BUNDLING" You’ve seen those annoying cable/phone/internet ads. “Bundle and save!” It can apply to estate sales too. For example, if you’re interested in buying a coffee table and you like the matching end tables too, let the person you’re bargaining with know. They may be able to offer you a better deal in order to sell all three pieces instead of just one. THINK IN PERCENTAGES I know – high school math. Yuck. That said, thinking in terms of percentages can be a helpful tool. At SIMMONS - SELLING THE SOUTH Estate Sales, percentage discounts off the sticker price are a big part of how we communicate what bargains the sales associates may allow and also what kind of bargaining our client – who after all OWNS all of the items for sale – will allow. If you consider the item, the time of day and what you consider to be a reasonable discount, it may help you get inside the head of the person you’re bargaining with. WHAT TO DO IF THE ANSWER IS "NO" It’s going to happen. Sorry, but no matter how reasonable and time sensitive your offer, no matter how politely you make it, sometimes the answer will still be “no.” Which brings us to the next point. DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY There are a lot of reasons that sales associates have to say no to offers. None of them are because we don’t like you. Your offer may be below a minimum price set by the home-owner or an offer that was already rejected by them. Or we could be waiting to hear back from someone with a higher offer. It may be early in the day and we’re pretty sure that we can still get a better price. Whatever the reason, please do not be offended or upset if your offer is turned down. MAKE A COUNTER OFFER If the our Team Member couldn’t take $50, maybe they can take $75. If it’s in your budget to make a higher offer and the object in question is worth it to you, try raising your offer. It can’t hurt, right? After all, you’ve already heard “no” once. If that still doesn’t work, ask the person you’re bargaining with what the least they can take is. If it’s more than you’re hoping, now it’s your turn to say “no.” ASK TO LEAVE AN OFFER If it’s early in the day and you will be able to come back later or the next day, consider leaving an offer along with your name and phone number. Not all estate sale companies will take offers, but if they do, and no higher offers are made, they may call and accept your offer if the object hasn’t sold after a few more hours. KEEP LOOKING If there’s one thing I’ve realized from shopping and working so many estate sales, it’s that very few items (with the possible exception of artwork) are completely unique. If you are willing to keep an eye peeled and have a little patience, you may find your treasure at another estate sale weeks or even months later. Plus every estate sale is different. Prices and minimums may be higher or lower depending on the house, the neighborhood, the type of sale, the number of items for sale and the homeowner. With a little persistence and luck, you can find what you’re looking for again. HAPPY SHOPPING [email protected]
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