The Folly of Kevin Bower, Estate Sale Organizer....

Welcome Shadow followers....

It seems that the world of Estate,Garage,Yard Sales has picked up a new twist... one that will likely leave one Estate Sale Organizer twisting in the wind!

Kevin Bower, well known Estate Sale Organizer has seen fit to start charging folks money to have the privilege to stand in line at his sales.

The Shadow is not pleased.... NOR SHOULD YOU BE!!!

Here is a quote from him announcement on Estatesale-Finder.com

"HEADS UP FOR THE FUTURE. I will be turning the sign up list over to a secretarial service. To pay fo this service there will be a $5.00 fee to sign up. ALL PAYMENTS for this will be by credit card only. This fee will be for EACH person attending my sale and will be subject to a charge whether you attend or not. I hope you will understand. It has become entirely to much for me to deal with 150 plus call and texts every sale. I have SOLD the first 35 positions for ONE YEAR So enjoy the free sign up this week but look for the change shortly."

Yes Mr. Bower... look for the change indeed....

The audacity of this tactic is stunning.

People have begun a boycott movement against Mr. Bowers business and The Shadow approves of this response! In the last few years the Estate Sale market in Portland has gotten so competitive that many do not bother to attend any longer because of the intense favoritism in regards to "lists". There seems to be a small gang of professional buyers who have cornered the market and people are getting sick and tired of it!

JOIN THE SHADOW AND DEMAND CHANGE!!!!!

Mr. Bowers ridiculous tactic has infuriated MANY people and it seems to only be picking up steam! Now when you attend his sales you will not even get on the list until you have given him $5, in advance, via credit card, and even then you will never get a lower number then in the 40's, 50's 100's???? Are you willing to throw $5 in the trash so that you can wait in line and be given the privilege of sorting through the trash that the "favorites" didn't want????

Call, email or text Mr. Bowers and express your disdain for his appalling practice. In fact... call, email or text ALL OF THE ESTATE SALE ORGANIZERS and tell them to no longer use "lists".

DEMAND that all Sale Organizers offer the same, simple and fair entry practice. A LINE.

That's right... it is simple, direct, easy to do, self explanatory and universally understood by all. The first person in line will be the first person through the door. This technique has worked for literally CENTURIES and no one can argue it's fairness. If you want to be the first through the door at a sale, then get there early and wait in line, like everyone else.

It is up to us, the buying public, to demand change and that will not happen without your voice!!! Join The Shadow and let your voice be heard!! Spread the word on CL, Facebook, Email, Phone... scream it out your window if you have to... but demand a fair market for all!!!!

The Shadow knows...... Bwwaaaaahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!

Time for change....

Although The Shadow has not contributed to this blog as of late, it doesn't mean that The Shadow is not around... watching...

A recent Estate Sale demonstrated once again a serious problem that is growing... favoritism.

The Shadow has learned that a list was advertised as being "put out" at 6pm the night before the sale, only the list already had more then 30 people on it before it was ever released to the general public?! It is apparent that the Estate Sale playing field is anything but level and there seems to be plenty of folks angry about it. The Shadow addressed this issue earlier in the blog, but it is clear that the Sellers are not listening. It is time to make them listen.

Are you as a Buyer tired of always being far down the list, even though you were there when the list was put on the porch? Are you tired of Sellers putting their "good buddies" on the list loooooong before they even advertise the sale? Are you tired of the same people always miraculously ending up at the head of the line?

Then it is high time you let all of the Estate Sale Companies know it!

At any given weekend you can find a list of Estate Sale Sellers on www.estatesale-finder.com. Contact them through their websites and make it clear to them how you feel! Send them emails, every single day, until things chance. Demand a fair shake, demand an honest list... or better yet, demand the end to the "list" all together.

First in line, first through the door... it is simple, it is direct, it is honest and above all... it is fair.

The Shadow knows!..... Bwwwaaaaaaaahahahahaha!

A call to all sane people to take a stand!

The Shadow is still out there... creeping around Estate, Garage and Yard Sales.... watching, listening, learning.... and saying what others only think.

This weekend was better then most, with at least a couple of decent Estate Sales to browse. Prices at some were reasonable and others, not so much.

This weekend The Shadow also overheard a conversation between a Dealer and a Seller. The Dealer explained how he had meant to email the Seller about getting on the list but forgot to do it. The Seller in turn said "no problem".... a few minutes later when the Seller started reading the list for entry to the sale, the Dealer was suddenly in the top ten.

Don't like such things?, then SPEAK OUT! Email the Sellers and tell them how you feel!

The Shadow is watching... always watching.

THE RULES FOR BUYERS...... Okay, mostly for Dealers... The Shadow is watching!

Everyone who has been to more then one major Estate Sale knows the type...

They are rude, pushy, obnoxious, arrogant and, well let's face it.... likely unemployed. They are the "Dealers". We all have seen them, they are the people who seem to be at two places at once. With the dozens of sales going on at any given weekend in Portland, they are almost always at the one you wanted to attend and no doubt are ahead of you in line. They stand up by the door, acting cordial to one another, laughing and talking as if they are best buds.... until those doors open... then all bets are off.

They are the sharks, the predators, the grabber of treasures, with bottomless shopping bags and ten hands. If  the zombie apocalypse became reality, the Dealers would no doubt be the zombies that would be first to bang on your boarded up front door, and likely far earlier in the morning then you were expecting.

The Dealers are the bane of the casual hunters existence and it is time for a change... and some rules.

RULES FOR DEALERS - The first two anyway...

1. NO MORE "SOLD" STICKERS.

Everyone has seen it, the Dealer frantically running around a sale, slapping "SOLD" stickers on everything he/she can reach. Hey, The Shadow isn't stupid, I get it, some things are just too big to pick up and carry; but that is not how these "SOLD" stickers are being used. Dealers will put stickers such as these on things to hold them and keep others from buying them. They will then zig zag through the sale, picking up things they can carry and once they are done will revisit the items they have marked "SOLD" and then decide whether or not to actually buy it. If they decide they don't want it, they casually remove their mark and move on. Meanwhile, people who would have liked to have had the item have seen the "SOLD" sticker and moved on, missing the opportunity to own it. If you want to use sold stickers, then commit to the purchase. Any Dealer not buying what they previously marked as "SOLD" should be BANNED from sales entirely.


2. BE POLITE.

     The Shadow understands that you are trying to make money, but if you are pushing elderly women down a flight of steps so that you can grab a broken slot car, perhaps you need to rethink the path you have taken in life.

Another weekend has passed, Boys and Girls, and The Shadow was not impressed. It would seem that the Sellers believe that we are all made of gold and good intentions and are more then willing to pay retail for used, broken things.

That, my friends, is not the case at all.

Where are all the splendid sales? Where are the endless basements full of dusty boxes, the musty rooms stacked to the ceiling with treasures of all sorts? All The Shadow has seen lately is sparse, over advertised Estate Sales with a few overpriced and tacky decorative items and ugly furniture, all being sold by sellers who believe they are Sotheby's on steroids.... this has to end.

The SELLING RULES, according to the Shadow!

Okay Boys and Girls, here are the rules, so far.

SELLERS:

1. Signs, signs, and more signs.... 

You cannot put out enough signs directing people to your sale. We (The Buyers) are all sick and tired of chasing down a sale only to completely lose track of where it is at because the signs just vanish into thin air. Just because YOU know where you live, doesn't mean we do. You wanna sell your crap? You need to show us where it is first. 

2. Quit using the term "Huge" in your ads. 

I realize that you think your two card tables full of baby clothes and Tupperware are an endless treasure that people will stagger at the sight of, but the simple fact is, your crazy. In 30 years of hitting weekend sales I don't think I have ever come across a "HUGE" sale that was... well... huge. Here are other terms that should be avoided....

Gigantic, Stupendous, Colossal, Jumbo, Mammoth or Giant. 

None of these generally apply to your puny pile of trash. If you put "Huge Yard Sale" as the header on your ad, it better be a good half acre or more of stuff... and if you say "The Mother of all Sales!" on your ad, you should be flogged to within an inch of your life.

3. YOUR USED, BROKEN CRAP IS NOT VALUABLE!

Quit putting ridiculous prices on your garbage. I don't give a flying flip what the almighty eBay has to say on the matter. If you saw one on eBay that sold for a lot, then put it on eBay. Also, don't try and tell me how much you paid for it when it was new, because it is NOT new. You don't care about it; that's why it is sitting in your yard baking in the hot sun on your rickety card table.

Do you want to pack this shit back up and put it all away at the end of the day, or do you want to sell it? Come on, make up your mind, because I would be willing to bet that there is someone two sales away who has the same thing and is willing to part with it for half of what you are asking. 

4. Quit selling your family heirlooms, its just plain wrong. 

Do you really need that new computer game so badly that you're willing to part with your Grandfathers War medals? What the hell is wrong with you?!?! Are there no values or family pride anymore? If you want to sell some of Grandma's furniture after she goes, hey that's cool. Maybe a few bits of jewelry perhaps? Some nick-nacks or collectables? Hey, man... awesome.

Selling Grandma's locket that was given to her when Grandpa went to War... completely *#@&ed up. 

I have seen some appalling things being offered for sale at Estate, Garage and Yard sales and it needs to stop. I am all for scoring on some great vintage items at a sale, but not at the cost of some family member who would have really wanted to pass that item on to their kids, and their kids after that. I love to spend money, but I personally hate handing over my hard earned cash to a heartless, souless troll who would rather have pocket change then their Father's pocket watch. I will happily sacrifice my chance to own some valuable item if it means that someone in the family will enjoy it for it's real value.

Have some pride, Dickhead, quit selling your family history.

6. "No early sales" means just that.

Hey I get it... someone calls you or emails you about your sale and you wanna get this crap sold, so why not let them take a look before anyone else. Hey, whatever floats your boat... but DO NOT put the words "No early sales" on your ad and then let people in. There are few things more annoying then seeing something in a photo on your ad that interests me, only to find out once I arrive to get it that it was sold off two days before the sale even started. 

Not cool.

7. If you are having an "Estate Sale", someone better be dead.

Sound heartless? No more so then being the person putting price stickers on a dead mans things.... don't judge.

estate [ih-steyt] noun, The Property of a deceased person.

Before you lecture me on the fact that there are other definitions of the word, we all know what "Estate Sale" is supposed to mean and we as buyers have a certain expectation as to what is behind that door. If your "Estate Sale" consists of two card tables in a garage, it is NOT an Estate Sale. A TRUE Estate Sale is a wonderful treasure trove of thousands of things, strewn throughout the house... and if there is a basement full of stuff... oh man, that's just the best.

Basic rule of thumb, an Estate Sale is the whole house... if you can fit it all in a Garage.... guess what that should be called.

I have little doubt that this list will grow in time... don't worry, I'm not done lecturing you yet.

The Shadow. 

After years and years of constant hunting at Estate, Garage and Yard Sales, I have learned a lot.... and it's time to share.

Let us begin with a growing problem.

TO THE ESTATE SALE ORGANIZERS...

I am tired of the blatant favoritism. 

Allowing folks to text, call or email their name for the sign up list days before the sale is just plain wrong. What happened to a fair shake? There has been many a time that I will arrive at an estate sale within moments of the list being set outside only to find I am three dozen heads back before the list was even set down on the stoop. 

Then once the sale commences, I get to stand in line while perhaps a quarter of the people on that advanced list have the run of the place ahead of anyone else while the estate sale lacky spends the next 15 minutes slowly reading out names of those who didn't even bother showing up. Meanwhile the rest of us, who actually did arrive on site, wait while the dealers pick the joint clean. 

Seem fair to anyone? 

Here is a tip. Forget the list entirely. If someone wants to be the first in line at an estate sale, then they can commit the time and patience to be there early and be first in line. It is really just that simple. Everyone is sick and tired of seeing the same 5 to 10 assholes standing on the porch at ever sale. It does nothing but piss everyone off and makes your estate business look crooked and bias, two things you don't want on your brochure.