FAQ’s About Auction and Estate Sales
We hope this list of frequently asked questions is helpful to you. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us at 561-225-1950.
Why choose DejaVu Estate Sales and Auction?
DejaVu is the only full-service estate liquidation company in South Florida! Not every estate is the same and in these challenging times, liquidating an estate by yourself can be a daunting task, not to mention extremely stressful. The team at DejaVu is experienced and knowledgeable about current market values and has connections with national and worldwide collectors, buyers and dealers.
Our goal is to eliminate the worry and stress you would face by dissolving the estate by yourself and give you a greater rate of return. Our five-part estate liquidation process sets us apart from the rest.
We offer biweekly auctions with thousands of approved loyal purchasers, professional estate sales in the home, consignment services in our 20,000 square ft. showroom located in the heart of Palm Beach Gardens, estate buyouts (from 1 piece to entire estates) and cleanout services.
DejaVu Estate Sales and Auctions has been voted “The Best of The Best” in South Florida for “The Best Auction”, “Best Consignment Store”, and “Best Estate Sale Company” for the last 4 years.
The staff at DejaVu will come up with a plan that works best in your situation. Usually, it’s a combination of more than one of our services.
How can I consign an item or place something in Auction?
You can email us pictures at DejaVuAuctions@gmail.com, text us at 561-577-0017 or call the office at 561-225-1950. We offer complimentary, no obligation in home consultations by appointment.
What happens if Florida is in lockdown and my home is sold?
The auction and moving businesses are considered “essential” businesses. Your home needs to be empty at the time of closing unless you have made other arrangements with the buyer.
During the three month shut down during COVID, DejaVu closed the retail showroom, but the auction house and our on-line stores remained open. Several clients had emergency closings- but we were able to completely empty their home and warehouse everything- allowing them to close on their homes.
In emergency situations when donation centers and the landfills are closed, DejaVu is in the unique position to warehouse entire homes.
Why auctions?
The auction business is booming right now! More and more people are choosing to purchase items online and many times they pay more! We have been amazed at all the different items we are selling at auction right now.
Having a national and international market is vital in this economy. Many items that are difficult to sell in Florida are still very desirable in other areas. We have thousands of buyers signing up for our online auctions and it’s made a big difference.
Another plus with auctions is that it is a faster sale. Payment is made within 30 days of the auction.
And unlike consignment or the estate sale business, the auction business is regulated. In Florida, an auction company must have an auction business license as well as a licensed auctioneer conducting the sale even if the auction is online. In the event that an auctioneer or auction company does not pay a client, there are remedies available.
Last year DejaVu Estate Sales and Auctions paid over $1.5 Million to consignors.
What is a top-rated auctioneer?
A top-rated auctioneer needs to have a rating of at least 4.5 out of 5 stars and be in the top 20% for Responsiveness, Shipping, Payment, and Accuracy. DejaVu is currently rated at 4.7 stars and in the top 2% of auctioneers in the world by Live Auctioneers, the largest online auction platform. We are also one of the largest grossing auctioneers in the world according to LiveAuctioneers, which is the largest on-line auction platform in the world.
How do you advertise the sale?
We have been marketing sales for over 30 years and have a large list of local, national, and international dealers, buyers, and collectors that we email prior to the sale.
We also target advertise heavily on social media sites. Our auctioneer and Sales and Marketing Manager are constantly taking classes and attending conferences to ensure that they are up to date on all of the latest social media trends in the auction industry.
In addition, we run our auctions on 4 different auction platforms that advertise to hundreds of thousands of bidders.
What kinds of items do you sell?
We can sell just about anything! For the most part, furniture and higher-end accessories sell better in our retail showroom. We have interior designers on staff and a large following of interior decorators and stagers.
And for really high-end items, Art, Estate Jewelry, Designer and Couture handbags and shoes, and Mid Century Modern items- our auction is really the best avenue.
Estate Sales are better for lower end items even though they can also be sold at auction.
Our typical on-line auction will have 6,500 to 9,000 registered approved bidders which is a LOT more customers that will attend an estate sale or visit a consignment store- and there is a lot of impulse buying!
What should I throw out?
Absolutely nothing! Don’t clean, sort, or throw anything away. Simply take the items that your family wants to keep and we will take care of the rest. Remember that one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. We have the experience and the knowledge to know what is valuable and what isn’t. A perfect example is a customer that was planning on donating a painting he purchased 30 years ago for $20 at a gas station to Goodwill. The current market value was $12,000!
Vintage items are often overlooked and can be very valuable. There are some Pyrex bowls that are worth thousands of dollars. And anything Mid-Century Modern always does well.
You need to also be careful with jewelry! So many times people will tell us that it’s only costume- but it’s not!
We have found an 18K flawless diamond necklace ($17,000) in a garbage bag mixed in with Mardi Gras beads, an extreme gaudy collection of unmarked “costume” jewelry ( when we tested it- the stones were real- and it was all 18K unmarked gold that we sold for close to $100,000). Gold and sterling are not always marked and sometimes only one earring in a pair of earrings will be marked. The largest jewelry “Find” was $400,000 worth of heavy unmarked gold jewelry that the client thought was costume because it wasn’t in the safe. We discovered that his mother only kept the valuable jewelry she didn’t wear in the safe- but he was ready to donate all the jewelry in her closet!
We have even found expensive unmarked gold jewelry after a professional jeweler has gone through all of the jewelry! And that’s always a nice surprise for everyone!
And so many times, people don’t realize what they have! That’s why you always need to have a professional come in to help you.
What happens if a check bounces?
DejaVu is 100% responsible for accepting checks or credit cards. Our client is never responsible.
Who is Responsible for Packing and Shipping Sold Items?
The buyer is responsible for paying for and arranging shipping.
What questions should I ask before choosing an estate sale company?
- What happens to the items that do not sell?
- How many years have you been in business?
- What is your commission?
- Are there fees besides your commission?
- Do you have an auctioneer and auction business license?
- What kind of items do you sell?
- How do you plan on advertising my items for sale?
- How many people attend your auctions? In person? On-line?
- Do you have an appraiser on staff or access to one?
- What is your field of expertise? Art? Jewelry? Mid-Century? Antiques?
- Do you have a store?
- Do you have a contract? May I take one home to look over?
- When will you be able to conduct my sale?
- When will I be paid?
- Do I get an inventory list?
- Are my sold items itemized?
- What if I want to place a “reserve” on an item? Will you honor all reserves? What if you sell it for less than the agreed upon reserve?
- Do you sell the items to the highest bidder no matter what?
- What on-line platforms do you use?
- Can I watch the auction on-line?
- If my item doesn’t sell, can I take it back?
- Can you do an on-site auction?
- What if I live in a gated community?
- Do you have a store or warehouse space sufficient to store my items?