Tag Sales an Innovative Idea

A tag sale can be a great way to get rid of unwanted houseful items, from old toys in the attic to battered bargains in the basement.

The tag sale can satisfy both yard sale and auction fans, according to a recent article in Country Living magazine, because it offers the possibility of picking up bargain antiques and rewards the aggressive early-bird shopper.

At a tag sale, also called an estate sale, all sale items are tagged. Just tear off the bottom portion of the tag to reserve your prize and continue browsing.

Potential tag sale candidates include older persons moving to retirement homes, middle-aged families who must dispose of their parents’ furnishings and young couples relocating.

Tag sales can be a do-it-yourself project or they can be done by professionals. They are also handled by estate-liquidation firms.

The current fee charged by many estate-liquidation firms is 25-30% of the total gross sales, but some individuals hold sales for as little as 15%.

“What you have to look for is what they are providing in terms of experience as well as services,” said Joe Wilkinson of Wilkinson and Minor Tag Sales, Raleigh, N.C.