While on some errands today, I saw a sign in the neighborhood for an estate sale and, on a whim, dropped in.
I found it all very melancholy. Well, not the people there — they were chipper and going about their business and all. But for myself, I found it a poignant affair, going room to room, a person's life (in possessions) laid out in thematic clusters, each neatly tagged for price.
Some of it was stuff that would probably never go. Racks of VHS tapes.
I found myself trying to figure out who this person was, like I was an archaeologist piecing together an ancient civilization. Or maybe Sherlock Holmes.
An elderly lady. Possessions dated back to the 50s and 60s at least. Very devout, based on the number of Bibles, Bible commentaries, and general spiritual books here and about. Lots of Christmas decorations.
Her husband had passed away earlier. In the garage there was a tool bench, nothing newer than twenty years old, well-used, lots of hand-labeled drawers of washers and screws and pencils. No other sign of him, though, unless the powered wheelchair in the garage was his.
Clothes, and china, and more books, and bits of jewelry, and cookbooks on crockpots.
Tried to keep fit. There were three or four exercise machines in the basement and garage. Books on eating healthy.
Perfume. Earrings.
I didn't really find anything that I actually wanted, except an unopened block of notepaper from the Met.
But everything that was there, everything neatly arranged on tables and other flat surfaces, neatly marked with price tags ("Unmarked items will be priced at the door") was something that had belonged to her, or to her and her husband. Something they had wanted, once, and had bought. Or received as a gift. A lifetime of collecting things, reduced to people walking through, examining, evaluating, and quietly haggling over the price.
If we are our possessions, it was an open casket funeral, with strangers.
Makes me think of what my own hypothetical estate sale would look like. More eclectic, I suspect. What would be made of me, laying out the stuff I find decorative, valuable, worth buying and keeping and using? "Did he read all those books? Why does he still have that? Who would ever find that attractive? Wonder where that came from?"
Like I said, a bit melancholy, but also … interesting.
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Well, the other aspect of this is getting a house ready for an Estate Sale.
“If we are our possessions, it was an open casket funeral, with strangers.”
Nailed it.
Last night at dinner with my Dad and Step-mom was also intersting in this regard since they went on a “downsizing” spree before moving to their new place. There was some discussion about their future and death and what to do and not do. Also intersting was something that I did not know, that after his parents death, dad got only two items from them, because his brother “stole” the rest of the Estate. We ended up with those two items last night to add to our collection.
“Say not you know another entirely, till you have divided an inheritance with him.” — Johann Kaspar Lavater
And, yes, I thought of you guys, @bd, while writing this.
Look on it as a positive thing. What would happen if the possession were not sold? They would end up at worst in landfill, at best melted/dismantled and recycled.
This way loved possessions will be chosen by someone who wants them, and maybe be cherished as much, a book reread, a picture to brighten a room, and when someone says ‘that’s nice’ a story of how it was rescued from a house clearance before it was dumped.
Well, as an intermediate step, I assume most would go to a thrift shop. But, yes, it’s certainly a positive thing that people can find stuff that they like and care for. And maybe that’s not a bad legacy for someone to leave behind.
When I was a grad student, I would sometimes shop at a place that hosted estate sales pretty frequently. The main lesson I took away from it was that other people will probably look at my stuff after I die and say "what a bunch of junk!" Of course, all the good stuff was probably taken by the relatives, so what's left for the estate sale is probably not representative of the person who died.
And that's a good point. I've been to some "group" estate sales before, and it's clearly the stuff that wasn't wanted (either because the inheritors already had a set of dishes, or else because who really wanted that hand-taxidermed weasel that Uncle Frim caught in '64).
This one felt much more complete. A lot of household goods and enough variety of stuff to make me think that there weren't many heirs, or they had just wanted a very few pieces.
Sometimes, when the heirs are far away, the stuff is just converted to money (sold) because it is easier than hauling stuff around. And it may be that no close relatives are still living (children, siblings), so disributing money to some great nephew or third cousin is just easier. It is the Personal Representative that makes that choice.
If the person died without a will, the Rep is some bank trustee who is required to convert the stuff to cash and then distribute it.