By Bertie Brouhard
The hands needing holding might be yours. You’ve finally realized that you’ve accumulated too much stuff. You for whatever reason have decided to downsize. Maybe because of your age, death of a partner, spouse or close relative, your financial situation – change of address, needing extra cash; whatever the reason. Or it could be as simple as a lifetime of collecting is now too overwhelming to manage, care for or enjoy? You’ve gifted family, friends and a charitable organization or two. You may have had a garage or yardsale. Listed items on Craigslist, Facebook’s Marketplace or taped “Free” signs to items in your front yard. But a mountain, large or small of “stuff” remains, and it needs to disappear.
In Cairo, Egypt. I was wowed by a long, shallow draft canoe filled with items a pharoah (those guys who built the pyramids) thought they could sail (with their cherished treasures) into the afterlife. They couldn’t and you can’t. After the memorial service, “funeral” if you will, the Pastor was asked, “How much did the ole boy (deceased) leave?”
The Pastor answered, “He left it all.” So will we.
But it’s human nature. Especially in our consumer driven culture to have our identity, our worth, our memories deeply embedded in things. Our dress (shoes, suits, handbags, jewelry, hats, coats, et al), our hobbies (goff clubs, bikes, books, cooking utensils, boats, fishing gear, ad nauseum), our household belonging (couches, chairs, lamps, tables, beds ad infinitum), our vocation needs (tools, instruments, gages, computers, phones ad mysterium) and those of your loved ones are cherished; your, their “Holy Grail of Stuff.”
And seeing it forever depart is a very difficult but a necessary decision to be made. You may have time to mull it over … maybe not. My mother, an incredibly organized, regimented woman, decided prior to one of my last cross country visits to stick PostIt Notes (blue ones for me and yellow ones for my sister) on each of their household items. Now twenty five plus years since their passing I have but a few things of theirs as memories. Our house was filled with what I called “Dead Relatives’ Furniture.” Having paid storage fees for more than ten years on more of the same we finally decided to give it away. Our offspring, maybe yours, doesn’t want that sagging sofa, worn arm chair and knicked, outdated dining room table.
Nevertheless it’s most trying, vexing to downsize, transition, divorce yourself from your beloved treasures or those of a loved one.
You might not need hand holding but you’ll want compassion and for peace of mind I recommend Vita Tihen of Vita Estate Sales.
I was fascinated listening to my friend, Lois, both of us having spent lifetimes in sales tell stories of estate sale hunting with her husband, Paul. She and I visited two sales. Then the following week I sat over coffee with Vita who patiently explained some of the “organism” of Estate Sales; the process with its many moving parts and the several different players in this weekly drama.
It’s a large, varied crowd of maybe six hundred or more shoppers. As for the motivation, the incentive, the goal for each incredibly varied; one might be that of the college student needing dishes, a bed, a chair, table and lamp. Their apartment needs furnishing. Another person who visits wants to upgrade most anything or everything in their house and having seen online a photo of the perfect dresser, cookware or floor lamp visits. There’s the antique shopper looking for a hidden gem (mistakenly priced, he/she hopes, much too low.) And Vita welcomes the re-seller. Undoubtedly there are items in Davis which would command higher prices in Palo Alto or Tiburon.
The most serious might have slept on Friday night before day one of the sale in their cars on the street of the estate sale. Rising at 4 AM on Saturday morning to get in line. Keeping your place in it requires checking in every 30 minutes to see that your bag, note, chair has not been pirated by another. Numbers (1-25) are passed out an hour before the door opens. Groups are admitted between maybe 10-3. Each item is individually priced and its full price is expected on day one. There’s no bartering, haggling that day. Come back on day two (Sunday) for half price purchases and that less than full price purchases (If your item is still there?) At the end of the day two thrift, second hand and recyclers are offered the remainder at no charge. At its close late Sunday afternoon sale success is measured by how little trash and recycling remain.
These estate sales are as Vita wisely voiced “Are the last everything store – ever.” Have you noticed the decline of brick and mortar retail? Yes … There’s Target, Home Depot, Walmart and Safeway, Nugget and Tractor Supply. But most do home delivery from their warehouse at a higher price. Like YouTube or AI it’s most difficult to stump Amazon with a desired purchase
Vita after hours of comparative shopping research does the pricing for each item. You don’t need to. However, the love, devotion, personal value you place in that 50’s Lionel Train Set, Syracuse China, Remington shotgun or supposed Winslow painting is not a pricing consideration for her. Your affection only falsely inflates the realistic sale price. Those Beanie Babies now are $1 each and those Barbies in their original boxes may demand but a few more. Of course there have been a few surprises such as the twelve panel silk painting that sold at Christy’s for $90,000 and the artist who had all of her 40,000 paintings sold by Vira in two days.
The home, estate owners have as many varied backgrounds, situations and desires. None to very few attend the actual two day open houses. Hovering by owners is not expected because hopefully they’ve said their last goodbyes.
Vita prices and photographs each item during long hours with maybe a 3 AM study the night before. The worth in dollars to someone else is simply what one person is willing to pay. And while admired, or drawing interest from hundreds online, it might be held by ten at the house and purchased by only one. Hot categories according to her are Mid Century Modern wooden furniture (that slick, straight design) and 60’s vintage clothing (bell bottoms, Nehru jackets) now popular with the 20 somethings.
And while you probably won’t replicate the owner who sold his silk panels for $90K or the artist who sold all 40,000 of her paintings, you’ll be very pleased with result of the work by Vita and her four employees
Your trust in her will yield great dividends. But you’ll need to make the switch, the transformation of knowing your prized possessions are leaving you. Don’t be like the owner who wanted to watch the whole process. He wasn’t happy from beginning to end. Your “things” might be de-valued but you are not. Let Vita’s team work its magic.
She told me the story of an elderly, demented widow who in her mind had no reason to continue living. She was found hunched over in her bed, smelling grody, surrounded by dog poop, owning and residing in one of Davis’s largest, oldest houses. Her son contacted Vita for help. A short time after the sale the woman remarkably, surprisingly pulled up to Vita’s in a new convertible, wearing a bright silk blouse with her hair, jewelry and makeup elegantly styled. She told Vita she was so happy in her new retirement community where she made “so many wonderful friends.” She beamed that “Life is again worth living.”
As for Vita I think she’s happy. Her life is coming back into balance. She is well paid, has as much business as she wants and enjoys human interaction with a vetted, deserving clientele.
When I asked her “What’s a win, a great day, a success ,,, the juice?
She replied, “A hug.” The customer is happy. The landfill’s been cheated, estate sale items have found pleased new owners, the former ones made some money and everyone’s self esteem has grown.
I encourage you to check out her website (vitaestatesales.com) and maybe the broader (estatesales.net)
Find time some weekend to drop by and browse one of her upcoming estate sales for that dopamine rush of purchasing a bobble, bangle or bead … when you’re “Out For A Walk.”
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