![AuctionNinja]()
by Pamela Siegel
Do you find yourself drawn to the listings on Facebook Marketplace? Are you frequently driving around your area to pick up your secondhand finds purchased online? If you’re now nodding your head in agreement, you also need to know about online estate sales.
Yes, online estate sales are a thing, and many offer a similar shopping experience to Facebook Marketplace. They let you peruse online listings and pick up the items in person. The advantages offered by online estate sales extend way beyond that, though.
The Many Reasons You Should Be Shopping Online Estate Sales
Aside from the convenience of local pickup that you’ve grown to love, there are quite a few other reasons to get enthused about online estate sales. The wide array of antique, vintage, and gently used secondhand goods available and the confidence that comes from dealing with industry professionals are just the beginning.
The top reasons to shop online estate sales include:
1. Reputable sellers. Estate sale companies selling online are established businesses regularly serving clients in their communities. That means they know how to represent what they’re selling appropriately and complete a sale successfully.
2. Multiple-item pickup. If you’ve ever driven all over town picking up your Marketplace purchases, you know how time-consuming that can be. It’s also costly in terms of fuel use. Chances are a single online estate sale will have several different items you’d be interested in owning, and you can pick them all up in the same place.
3. Item availability is guaranteed. Have you ever messaged back and forth with a seller only to find that the item is no longer available? Or maybe you really wanted something and couldn’t get the seller to reply to your query. All that frustration is eliminated with online estate sales. If an item is listed, it’s available.
4. Safety and security. Because you’re dealing with a pro estate sale company instead of a random individual, safety issues related to in-person pickup are diminished. Carrying cash with you is not necessary since no money changes hands. Your buys are paid for automatically as they’re purchased.
5. Better customer service. Estate sale proprietors have a vested interest in keeping their clients happy. Unlike many one-off sellers, they are professionals who care about creating a long-term customer relationship and will help you through every step of the buying process.
6. No scams or fraud. How many times have you messaged someone selling online and got a scam vibe? If you haven’t had that happen yet, it’s just a matter of time since more and more fraud schemes are being noted by both online buyers and sellers. Shopping online estate sales eliminates this type of worry.
7. Better variety. Since estate sales are often liquidating the entire contents of a home, from collectibles to gently used everyday items, you’ll find a super variety of merchandise through one series of listings. Again, knowing there’s just one pickup location makes it much easier to shop, too.
8. Unique items. Another advantage to shopping estate sales online is that you never know what is going to turn up. Most every household has some cool items squirreled away that provide shoppers with unique treasures they won’t find anywhere else. Also, keep in mind that you can search for specific items or browse categories on AuctonNinja if you’re looking for a particular item or type of goods.
9. Better deals. Because items are auctioned through AuctionNinja’s online estate sale platform, the market sets the price rather than the seller. That means there’s always an opportunity to snag a real bargain. Most fixed-price offerings on Facebook Marketplace don’t offer this extreme steal-of-a-deal potential.
Sold on giving online estate sales a try, but wondering exactly how it works? Don’t worry; online shopping newbies and seasoned internet shoppers all find AuctionNinja's platform easy to use.
How Online Estate Sales Work
Online estate sales are fun to peruse and easy to navigate. You can get started with a few easy steps:
1. Browse auction items by location. If you’re now wondering, “How can I find estate sales near me?” We’ve got you covered. A quick search from the AuctionNinja home page yields estate sale auctions with on-site pickup available across the United States. For more advanced search options, click on Marketplace.
2. Bid on items. You’ll set up an account so that your payment is automatically processed when you win.
3. Take note of the designated pickup date and time. This typically occurs on weekends. The date for picking up goods is noted in each listing for your convenience.
4. Ask questions. If you have any questions about the items you're interested in, bidding, or pickup times and locations, you can easily reach out to the estate sale company through the listing to get all the answers you need.
As you're perusing the estate sale auction listings, you’ll also want to keep in mind that some not close enough for in-person pickup do have shipping available. Other sales offer a blend of pickup and shipping options for your convenience.
New estate sales are added regularly, so be sure to check AuctionNinja frequently for up-to-date listings in your area.
