The New Estate Sale and Downsizing Auction

Since the early 2000s, technology has completely transformed the way we live our lives and that includes estate sales and downsizing auctions.

Before using MaxSold, many of our clients still espoused an outdated idea of what an estate liquidation or household downsizing would be. Many people still envision an old-school auction in a warehouse or barn with a live auctioneer. But that misconception can lead to unnecessary delays or postponement and extra costs when dealing with household contents. People are surprised to discover that estate sales and downsizing auctions have seen new innovations through digital technology.

For the past ten years, MaxSold has helped to improve the time-honoured tradition of estate sales and downsizing auctions. Updated for the twenty-first century, MaxSold makes it easy, quick and simple to sell a lifetime’s accumulation of goods and household contents.

How do we do it?

A successful auction starts with having many competitive bidders.

Over the years, MaxSold has registered more than 300,000 interested bidders who receive weekly emails about the auctions happening in their area. These emails include links directly to the auctions themselves, so bidders can quickly and easily scroll through the available items and place bids on anything that strikes their fancy. We also advertise auction items on social platforms like Facebook, where we target interested buyers in the community. This established network of buyers in cities and towns across North America means that each auction is guaranteed to draw interest from many bidders—that competition helps increase interest in your auction which leads to more bids. With MaxSold, 90+% of household items can be resold to interested buyers—it’s not just the valuable antiques that get sold, but everyday items like coffee makers and garden tools.

The New Auction

MaxSold has a simple, three-step auction process that helps clear household contents efficiently.

Unlike auctions and estate sales of the past, with MaxSold there is no need to move items to a third-party location. Instead, the whole process can be done on-site, minimizing physical labour and decreasing the amount of time it takes overall.

The first step in our process is cataloguing and photographing, which are done on location. This stage can either be done by you and your family members or you can have our experienced experts come to your location as a small local team. Either way the auction will be built using our new MaxSold app, which allows you to use your cellphone or tablet to take photos and upload items in an instant, while also providing suggested descriptions and keywords for your items. With a MaxSold managed auction, Step One can usually be achieved in under a day, so the process is quick and efficient.

The next step, the auction, is when the auction goes live online, yet your location remains entirely private. Usually over a one- to two-week period, MaxSold advertises your auction and auction items to registered bidders through email and on social media. We provide bidder support, responding to queries, and ensure your auction gets as much interest as possible.

When the auction closes, we collect payment directly from buyers online (so you don’t have to bother with cash or cheques), and then cut you a single cheque for the total value of your auction. You’ll also receive a transparent bill of sale, indicating how many bids each auction lot received and the value they sold for, making any accounting simple and organized.

The final step is pick-up day! MaxSold has created a seamlessly efficient pick-up process. Buyers have scheduled pick-up times, five-minute appointments, and come to pick-up their items in an organized way that won’t disturb your neighbours. We’ve adapted this process to ensure safety during COVID-19. Alternatively, clients can request a MaxSold team’s assistance for this step to coordinate items and buyers as efficiently as possible.

Estate sales and downsizing aren’t what they used to be…and that’s a good thing!

Contact MaxSold for more information.

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CARP members save $50 when hosting their first auction with MaxSold.