From Humble Beginnings
Based out of Dayton, Ohio, Principal Estate Sales is a local, family owned and operated business serving clients in Ohio. Our company was founded by Matthew and Rachel Johnson. Matthew has 12 years of customer service experience under his belt, along with seven years of selling and restoring antique furniture. Rachel has 18 years of customer service background, six years of accounting and financial experience, and a Bachelor’s of Science in English/Language Arts from Miami University.
You may rest assured that your belongings will be appropriately cared for and priced at value to sell. We understand that we are dealing with items that have meant a great deal to you, and they will be treated respectfully. Our goal is to help you find other people who will enjoy your things as much as you and your family! Everything involved in the liquidation/downsizing process is within our means. From start to finish, you won’t have to lift a finger. Times like this can be extremely hectic and unsettling, and we want you to be free to focus on other important necessities that require your attention.
From Estimate to Estate Sale, our Focus is You
Professionalism - We dress to impress and show up ready to do business. Eighteen years of customer service background guarantees that we can and will communicate and relate to your entire customer base.
Security - Trained and professional security will be discreetly on hand at all times to deter theft. In addition, a strategically placed entrance/exit will help to ensure no items leave unpaid for.
Strategy - From the beginning, we negotiate. This way, you won’t lose sales because people don’t want to make repeat trips the second or third day for promised discounted prices.
Sales Options - There might be some items that are for a specific, or niche, audience (for example, antique collectibles such as old coke or NASCAR collections). In the case of such items, we will consult with you about selling those on an online auction such as eBay, which will give you a much larger target audience and can often yield higher results. We will leave them in your estate sale, but we won’t have to bargain so far as to sell something far below it’s worth. To entice buyers, we will post flyers on special items containing information such as any collectible-based status information, price comparisons, item condition, age/era, and any other special attributes that affect pricing. There will also be a bidding box that people can use for placing bids on items they can’t afford. If they don’t sell, we will have the option of negotiating with them post sale.
Integrity - This business is founded on the principle of honesty and integrity. These are values that we encompass in our everyday lives, and our business standards reflect this. We have many references whom would be more than happy to chat with you at your request. A complete itemized inventory of your items with their sale price will be provided, along with your proceeds, within 5 - 7 days of the close of your sale. Every aspect of your sale will always be completely open to you; please, absolutely never hesitate to ask questions or offer your input!
Advertising - We utilize various types of advertising. Usually estate sales companies use Craigslist, Facebook, local classifieds and newspapers, yardsales.net and an email blast that they send to their most loyal customer base. While we definitely use every one of these strategies, we also use a couple more higher tech options, as well. We advertise on estatesales.net, atgaragesale.com, and estatesales.com, which are the top three results when people google estate sales in their area. On top of that, we also submit data to the top rated smartphone applications, and further utilize social media sites such as Google, Instagram, and Twitter.
Timing - Many estate sale companies hold their sales during the workweek. This doesn’t make a lot of sense to us, since the majority of the population maintains a 9-5 job and is off on weekends. Statistically speaking, even the people who do work on weekends usually have a flexible enough schedule to attend a morning sale before they begin. Often we recommend holding your sale on Saturday and Sunday. We do not usually include Friday, because it is more likely to have a bigger turnout on Saturday morning if people know that it is the first day of the sale, and everything hasn’t been picked over already. You are, of course, free to pick the days of your choosing - these are just our recommendations.
Professional Photography - Many estate sales websites do not do justice in their ads due to poor photography. Included in your fee is a professional photographer who will post pictures of your items to our website, and to all advertising options, ensuring proper lighting and angles so your items will look their very best for previewing. This makes a huge difference in the number of people you will see show up for your sale. Click here for more on our photographer, Masomad Photography.
Straightforward Pricing - Several tiers of programs are optional for you. Once the initial consultation is complete, you may choose whichever suits your needs.
Contact us for your free consultation today!