Fairness is Dan Doernberg's business. His Web-based information clearinghouse, fairness.com, considers "everything from politics and the Middle East conflict to 'My mom doesn't let me stay up past midnight.' " So when Doernberg's 82-year-old mother moved from Cincinnati to be closer to him in Charlottesville, he had more than a devoted son's interest in whether she would get a good deal on the disposal of her possessions.
"She lived her whole life in Ohio, and both of her parents and dad's parents lived there, too. So there were a lot of things that had been in the basement for 80 years," he said. Some of those things potentially had more than just sentimental value.
Anne Wohllenban of Falls Church examines a piece on the showroom floor at Adam A. Weschler and Sons.
(Michael Temchine For The Washington Post)
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Moving always involves getting rid of things. When the move is from a longtime home to a smaller place, the amount of paring down can at first seem overwhelming. But there are ways to get rid of most of the contents of a house -- and maybe make more money than you thought possible.
Edna Doernberg did plenty of research. "Mom's 82 and pretty resourceful," her son said with a laugh. "She enjoys shopping and looked at it as a challenge."
Yard sales were out -- too many people traipsing through the house and expecting to pay no more than a few bucks. Consignment shops, which wanted her to retrieve things if they didn't sell, were ruled out, too.
Then came the eureka moment. She drove to an antiques mall, talked about her stuff with the manager, and was referred to dealers who might be interested. When they told her they would give her roughly half of their sales price, she set up shop in her house and invited them in.
This way, said Dan Doernberg, "there were not a lot of people coming through. There were no newspaper ads. And she felt good about the people we sold to." One couple helped with some research, telling her a few pieces were too valuable to sell.
"Valuable" quickly took on new meaning.
"She had some old Corningware dishes from the '50s," Dan Doernberg said. "Someone said, 'Those are pretty hot right now. We sell them for $10 apiece.' " And Mom said, 'I've got some chicken in one in the fridge. You want this one?' " She transferred the chicken. Another $5.
"Anything that's wood was of interest because it's all been replaced by plastic. Silly stuff, old spatulas with wood handles, old blocks, clothespins. A toilet paper holder, the kind with a spring, that's three bucks. I was like throw it away . . . and 'No, no, no!' Who would have any idea?"
It was not a flawless plan. "The first couple of people that came through, we probably didn't get as much as we could," he said. But once they got the scheduling and bargaining down, "she felt she did quite well."
Bidding on the contents of a house is all in a day's work for antiques dealer Toni Schefer. Schefer Antiques and Collectibles spans several rooms at Falls Church Antiques, an antique mall with more than 40 dealers on four floors in two buildings. People often call or stop by and tell the manager what they've got to offer. Dealers who are interested will go out and bid. "I've done that many times," she said. "It's smart for an individual to have several dealers come in -- if it's high-end stuff, not run of the mill."
Added Schefer, "None of us that I work with are out to take advantage. We try to be fair with our offers."
But she cautions, "Don't have dealers come in at the same time. You might have one that would be willing to go $1,000, another just $500. If they're there at the same time you might not hear the $1,000. The high bidder might lower to $650, and you'll be happy to take it."
