Selling a Deceased Person's Possessions

When a deceased person's estate includes more personal property than heirs can absorb, selling those items — through an estate sale, online platforms, or auction — can generate meaningful proceeds for the estate. This guide walks through the main selling options, when to use each, and how the process works.

Before You Sell: Legal Authority

Personal property in an estate must be properly authorized for sale. As executor, you generally have authority to sell estate personal property to settle debts and pay costs of administration. If there is no will or no executor yet appointed, the probate court process must be initiated first. Selling items before you have proper authority can create legal and family conflict. When in doubt, consult an estate attorney.

Option 1: Estate Sale

An estate sale is an on-site sale of a home's contents, typically run over one or two days. It's the most efficient way to sell large quantities of personal property quickly.

Using an estate sale company

Professional estate sale companies handle:

• Pricing and research (they know what things are worth in the local market)
• Organization and display of items
• Advertising and marketing
• Staffing and managing the sale
• Cashiering and record-keeping
• Cleanup of unsold items

Estate sale companies typically charge 25–40% commission of gross sales. This is well worth it if you don't have the time, knowledge, or energy to run the sale yourself. Find estate sale companies through the American Society of Estate Liquidators (asel.org) or EstateSales.net.

Running your own estate sale

Self-run estate sales work for smaller quantities of items or when family members have the time and willingness. Necessary steps:

• Research prices for valuable items (eBay sold listings, price guides, antiques dealers)
• Advertise on EstateSales.net, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and neighborhood apps
• Price and tag everything before the sale
• Have enough helpers to manage the crowd and cashier
• Plan for what to do with unsold items (donation, auction, disposal)

Option 2: Online Sales

eBay

Best for: Collectibles, electronics, clothing, jewelry, books, and items with national buyer demand. eBay reaches a global audience, which is especially valuable for specific collectibles that have a niche but passionate following. Takes time but often achieves the best prices for the right items.

Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist

Best for: Furniture, appliances, and items too large to ship. Local pickup only. Fast and free to list. Be cautious — meet in public places or have someone with you at the home for large item pickup.

Etsy

Best for: Vintage items (20+ years old), handmade items, and craft supplies from the estate.

Poshmark / ThredUp

Best for: Designer clothing and accessories. These platforms specialize in secondhand fashion and have built-in buyer audiences for quality clothing.

Option 3: Auction

Professional auction houses are best for high-value items — fine art, antiques, jewelry, firearms, rare collectibles. Major auction houses (Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams) handle high-end items; regional auction houses handle everything else.

Auction houses typically take 15–25% of the sale price as their buyer's premium, with additional seller commissions. But they also achieve prices that no estate sale or online listing can match for the right items. For items potentially worth $1,000 or more, getting an auction house evaluation is worthwhile before defaulting to the estate sale.

Option 4: Consignment

Consignment shops accept items and sell them on your behalf, paying you 40–60% of the sale price (keeping 40–60% as their fee). Best for higher-quality furniture, clothing, jewelry, and art. Items may take weeks or months to sell.

What Happens to Proceeds

Sale proceeds are estate assets. They go into the estate account and are used to pay estate debts, costs of administration, and taxes before being distributed to heirs. Keep records of everything sold — item description, price received, buyer (if relevant), and date.

Tax Implications

The estate's gain on sale of personal property is taxable income for the estate. The taxable gain is the sale price minus the stepped-up basis (fair market value at date of death). For most personal property (household goods, used clothing, everyday items), the fair market value at death is often less than original cost, so there is no gain and no tax. For valuable items (art, jewelry, collectibles), consult a tax advisor.

For the complete personal belongings guide, see our guide to handling a deceased person's belongings. For items to donate rather than sell, see our article on donating a deceased person's belongings.