Many of our readers have asked for a follow-up to the story I wrote in May about the Mesa estate that was jam-packed with collectibles.
Well, I’m happy to tell you everything has sold, including the house which we sold for top dollar during the estate sale.
The house turned out to be so full of collectibles that it took three full weekends of sales to dispose of everything! The bottom line is: the value of the estate was maximized for the family.
Some highlights from the estate sales include:
- A two-level vintage glass front doll house filled with Victorian era furniture and antique European small dolls. It sold for a whopping $950!
- A pair of vintage Singer Featherweight sewing machines (very popular with quilters) sold for $500.
- An autographed print of championship boxer Jack Dempsey written to his favorite sparring partner, Bill Miller, brought $400.
- A vintage 22” Shirley Temple doll in good condition made by the Ideal Novelty & Toy Company sold for $350.
As I’ve said before, situations like this can be overwhelming for the people left to deal with the estate. The goal in these situations is to maximize the value of the estate for the beneficiaries. By having the personal property carefully reviewed by someone knowledgeable to determine value, and then taking the right steps to harvest that value, the Executor’s fiduciary responsibility can be met.
Perhaps you, or someone you know, will be faced with this situation soon. My best advice is to be pro-active and have the situation assessed while time is on your side. The alternative is a reactive response which usually leads to hasty decisions that work out poorly and have a costly impact on the value of the estate. We’re here to help, so please don’t keep us a secret!
Jon Englund has more than 32 years of experience in appraising and liquidating personal property, jewelry, art, collectibles, antiques, furniture, printed items and more, as well as more than 17 years of experience in real estate. Jon, a Midwest transplant, trained at New York University in appraisal studies.
Donna Luger has assisted during that time and is a veteran Associate Broker and Realtor with HomeSmart Realty – Elite Group.
For more information, call Jon direct at (480) 650-1422, or email Jon@KnowBeforeYouThrow.INFO.