As estate sale organizers, we sometimes find it challenging to say “no” to potential clients, especially when they have a pressing financial need. Recently, we met with a lovely client in the Arbor Heights area of West Seattle who was preparing to transition to independent living.
To cover her rent, she needed to sell her house and hoped that the items in her home could help fund her expenses. Her story touched us, and even though we couldn’t guarantee a specific outcome, we agreed to help her with an estate sale.
The items in her home were mostly everyday household items, so we planned a modest one-day sale. But the day we arrived for setup, we found something unexpected. In the back of her closet, there was a plastic bag full of jewelry that hadn’t been there during our initial walk-through. When I asked her about it, she said it was “just old pieces of junk jewelry” that her mother had picked up in Mexico years ago.
This assumption about “old jewelry” is one we hear often, but we know that vintage Mexican jewelry, especially pieces from renowned Taxco silversmiths, can carry significant value.
We included these pieces in an online auction and were thrilled by the results. Among the items was a Spratling sterling caviar necklace valued at several thousand dollars. There were also nearly 30 other pieces of turquoise and sterling silver, all crafted by well-known Taxco artists. The estate sale itself did reasonably well, but the jewelry auction brought in nearly $20,000!
This experience highlights one of the things we love most about our work—helping clients uncover hidden value in items they may have overlooked. For us, there’s nothing better than sharing the joy of a surprising windfall with a client who truly needs it.
If you’re considering an estate sale, don’t underestimate the value of seemingly ordinary items. You never know what hidden treasures could be waiting to be discovered!