The Catalyst Group Logo



  • Unadvertised private sales reduce the risk of burglary or vandalism

  • Professionals usually buy multiple items or items in lots, while the general public often buys only one or two items at a time

  •  Public sales entail the added expense of advertising, longer lead time and additional labor to supervise the sale
However, if the client prefers holding a general estate sale open to the public, we will:
  • Bring in a professional cleaning crew to clean the residence and items in preparation for a 3-day onsite estate sale.

  • Professionally stage the sale items in attractive displays and make sure each item is priced appropriately

  • Advertise the estate sale through classified ads, the internet, and our own personal list of contacts

  • Hold the estate sale on a consecutive Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and arrange for delivery of larger items such as furniture, if needed, at the buyer's expense.
Valuable items such as jewelry, rare antiques, coin and stamp collections, and high-value collectibles may be put up for auction through a reputable auction house such as Bonham & Butterfield's or Sotheby's.


Other collectibles and valuable small items may be put up for auction on eBay or other online auction sites. Antiques and valuable items that might not be accepted for sale by an auction house can be placed for consignment sale in appropriate stores.

The remaining items of the estate will be offered for sale to various local second hand shops. Items not sold through auction, eBay, onsite sales, or to second hand stores will be inventoried in detail and donated to a recognized charity for a tax deduction for the estate.

Residence:
Finally, we will dispose of remaining rubbish and clean the residence thoroughly, leaving the property ready for sale or rent. We will arrange for bids by three competing California licensed contractors to make any needed major repairs or paint the interior or exterior of the building. For minor repairs we will call upon a qualified local handyman.

Final Accounting:
Upon the conclusion of our services, we will present the appropriate party with an itemized hardcopy and electronic copy of all transactions performed, including original receipts of sales and expenses as well as the photos taken during the performance of our services, so that a complete record is available for legal purposes pertaining to the estate.

Auction Gavel
Security:
We will tour the estate with members of the family, the Executor, Conservator, or a designated Trusted Witness to change the locks if necessary, turn off all appliances and secure and document family heirlooms, keepsakes, cash, bonds, valuable jewelry, business papers, and legal documents.

 Inventory & Appraisal:
The next step is to take a comprehensive inventory of all items in the residence, have them evaluated by a Certified Appraiser, if appropriate, and submit the list with recommended pricing in both hard copy and electronic form to the Executor or Conservator. We will also take digital photographs of all the rooms and selected individual items for insurance, security, and liquidation purposes.

Liquidation:
Our preference is to call upon our extensive network of dealers and buyers throughout our service areas. The advantages of selling to dealers and private buyers rather than staging public sales are several fold:
  • They know the resale or collectible value of the items they want, and are usually willing to pay more than the general public, who are generally just looking for bargains.

  • Liability and the possibility of accident, breakage, and theft are lowered