The Real Value of an Estate Sale Isn’t the Stuff

Sometimes people think an estate sale is about the furniture. Or the collectibles. Or the hundred little things tucked into drawers. But after walking through so many homes this year, the overwhelmed ones, the beautifully curated ones, the ones held together by memories, I’ve realized the real value isn’t the stuff at all. It’s the story you step into. It’s the life that unfolded in that space.

Somewhere along the way, it’s changed the way I look at my own things, too.

Case in point: I recently found a box tucked in a closet labeled “Lauren-newborn.” Sweet, right? Inside were her tiny pajamas, a little hat… and then, for reasons I absolutely cannot defend, an entire stash of her newborn diapers, like I thought Pampers were heirloom collectibles. Why. Just why. I kept one (because I’m still sentimental), and tossed the rest. It felt oddly freeing, like a tiny graduation into my “maybe I don’t need to save everything forever” era (could that be a Taylor Swift "era" song?).

What Estate Sales Have Taught Me About Letting Go

This year, Kirk and I met families at all kinds of crossroads...downsizing, settling estates, clearing out barns, transitioning parents into new chapters, even helping clients who simply felt buried by years of accumulation. And every time, there’s this moment: When someone looks at a room full of belongings and whispers, “Where do we even start?” We’ve learned that people aren’t overwhelmed by the items; they’re overwhelmed by the memories attached to them.

A sweater isn’t a sweater. A teacup isn’t a teacup. A drawer full of recipe cards isn’t paper; it’s the voice of someone they loved.

Our job, at its core, is to help sort through not just objects, but emotions. And along the way, we’ve watched families breathe easier, laugh harder, and feel lighter as they let go.

It’s Not About What Was Sold, It’s About What Was Honored

One family this year was completely overwhelmed by the amount of belongings their loved ones left behind. It felt impossible, heartbreaking, and heavy. But piece by piece, room by room, they trusted us to guide them through it.

By the end, they weren’t just relieved, they were grateful. Something that felt too big to face became something beautiful. That’s the part people don’t see. The heart work.The storytelling. The honoring. When we say “goodbye and thank you” to a home before we lock up on the last day, we mean it. It has held a family’s entire life.

Looking at My Own Home Differently

After sorting through other people’s everything, I’ve started handling my own things more thoughtfully:

• Do I love this, or am I just used to seeing it?

• Is this sentimental, or is it guilt wrapped in bubble wrap?

• Would my kids someday say, “Why did she save THIS?”(Like… the diapers. Still shaking my head.)

I’m learning to keep one meaningful thing instead of a box of twenty meaningless ones. I’m learning that letting go doesn’t erase memories, it often makes them clearer.

And I’m learning that life feels lighter when you leave room for the chapters still ahead.

Why We Love What We Do

Estate sales aren’t about clearing rooms. They’re about witnessing a family’s story, honoring it, and helping it find its next home. They’re about compassion. And yes, sometimes laughter, whether it’s over a questionable 1970s fondue pot or a box of newborn diapers that should’ve been thrown out 25 years ago.

Every sale teaches us something new. Every home leaves an imprint. And every family, every single one, reminds us why we started The Root Cellar Estate Sale Co. in the first place.

Because where some see “stuff,” we see stories worth telling.