This is one of the first and most common questions ask of us that is virtually impossible to answer without reviewing the particular situation. Every estate or business liquidation is different and our fees vary depending upon the amount of labor required, the estimated value of the sale, the timing of the sale etc. Our original consultation is free of charge. You can be assured that you will know, IN WRITING, exactly what our fees are BEFORE the sale process is started.
FEES NOTE: From our extensive experience Epic Auctions and Estate Sales believes that the fee question is an important one but should be about the last question asked instead of the first. Hiring an estate sale company or an auctioneer is not like buying a TV set. Side by side dollar comparisons do not work when hiring a service such as ours. You trust your valuable possessions to a business that will market them for the highest proceeds with integrity, knowledge and experience. We believe that it is not as important what our firm earns as it is what you have in the end. You can always find someone to “do it cheaper” however the old adage, “you get what you pay for “ applies here. Simply, would you rather pay 10% of $10,000 or 5% of $6,000? (Fee percentages are for example only and do not necessarily represent possible charges.) The sales firm you hire does make a difference.
The most typical auction has little if anything left over. If there are items left unsold after and estate sale, by contract the person responsible for the estate is give several choices. This most common solution leaves the estate “broom Clean” at the conclusion of the sale.
Security is as important to our firm as it is to you. Since we work on a percentage of the sale we cannot be paid on an item that is stolen. With many employees working each sale, the use of shrink wrap, and the use of show cases, we make every effort to ensure the security of your items. Outside security is hired for special circumstance.
We accept cash, Visa and Master Card. Checks with appropriate identification are usually accepted as well.
Many people think of estate sales and auctions only in a situation when a friend or family member has passed away. Although this is a large portion of our business, you can have an estate sale or auction if you are simply downsizing, moving, or selling a collection!
Then you are the perfect client! Epic will completely handle the organization, pricing, and staging of your items. After completion, the home is left broom clean for your convenience. In extreme cases we can pick up your items and sell them at a different location or our auction gallery.
Epic has a team of professional, experienced employees to price your items. Using knowledge of recent sales, online research, and great judgment, you can be assured you will get a fair price for your items. And of course if you are using the auction method you receive the highest possible price through competitive bidding.
We design a marketing strategy for your specific sale. We keep up to date and informative listings of all our upcoming sales on our web site. We use several online sites with extensive reach that promote auctions and estate sales. We use local newspapers and neighborhood distributed flyers. We sometime do specific mailing and email blasts. Epic Auctions and Estate Sales has 36 years of experience marketing every type of sale possible and successfully achieving its advertising goals resulting in “Bigger Crowds and Better Prices.”
We work closely with the client when pricing items for both auctions and estate sales. That being said, we are very familiar with the market and will help the client understand how similar items have sold in the past. Reserves are frowned upon by the customers and are generally discouraged.
We prefer if clients leave the house completely as is. Sometimes, unknown to you, even the junkiest items can be worth a large amount of money! We will help you sort the items and determine what is junk and what is not after you agree to work with us.
Epic Auctions and Estate Sales is proud of its employees and its work. We have nothing to hide. We do however discourage attendance at our sales by owners. Experience has taught us that owners are usually emotionally attached in some way to the items being sold. They often have advice that is intended to be helpful or are discouraged with the price of a certain item while ignoring the fact that something else brought three times their expectations. Our clients are more often than not surprised that their net proceeds are much higher than expected.
Most definitely. We have experience working for our of state heirs, trustees, personal administrators, etc. All necessary arrangements can, be handled via telephone calls, faxes and e-mails. We work for many attorneys who just send us the keys.
1. An auction is one of the few ways that you can receive more than you may have asked for your items.
2. An auction gives you the opportunity to wrap up the sale of an entire estate in a matter of hours.
3. Putting items up for auction allows you to deal with many buyers, rather than just one buyer
Michigan Auctioneers Association (MAA) auctioneers are at the top of their field in the auction business. Members are professionals who are well versed in the psychology of selling. Their education, experience and networking capabilities stimulate competition among bidders, securing you the highest price.