What We Do
Serendipity Estate Sales Inc. is an estate sale service provider with a two-fold mission of household liquidation coupled with service to the community.
Our goal is to liquidate household contents as quickly and efficiently as possible. We are here to assist our clients with their changes in circumstances, whatever they may be – the passing of a loved one, preparation for moving, selling a house or downsizing. We will do our best to diminish the stress of dealing with what may be an emotional time. The client is a part of our team and together, we will work it all out!
We specialize in boutique sales (smaller sales) with antique and vintage items, decorator furnishings and general household goods but we can do larger sales with enough lead time.
We only do one sale per week so we can devote 100% of our attention to your sale.
From the beginning of our setup to the end of the sale, your belongings and home will be treated with the utmost care and respect because we realize that items may hold significant memories for you. We are committed to providing exemplary care for client and property alike.
We price according to what the market will bear – not excessively expensive but not garage sale prices either. Doing so leaves the client with less to dispose of at the end of a sale, saving both time and additional cleanout expenses. If after our initial consultation we feel that your needs would be better met by another service provider, we will not hesitate to refer you to someone else.
As our grandmothers used to say, “waste not, want not.”
Propelled by increasing anxieties over environmental issues, Serendipity strives to keep as much as possible out of landfills by promoting sustainability, recycling and re-use.
Having worked in the local estate sale market for a combined 14+ years, we know the importance of catering to your needs first and foremost. What sets us apart is our encompassing approach to your estate sale, capitalizing upon often-missed opportunities post-sale.
To accomplish this, Serendipity has partnered with local organizations that assist in restoring hope, dignity and independence for individuals and families, survivors of domestic violence, refugees, children, veterans, those with physical and mental needs, dogs and cats in need as well as the homeless and young adults aging out of foster care.
If you are in the Buffalo, NY area and know of an individual or organization in need, please reach out to us and we will see what we can do to help.
How We Do It
Our team cleans and displays all items utilizing available surfaces and bring in additional shelving and tables to best showcase items which in turn, maximizes sales.
Our team has knowledge in antiques and vintage as well as collectibles and contemporary items. We research, assess, and evaluate all items using current market values to determine the ideal pricing structure for your sale.
We have additional resources available to us (dealers, collectors and independent appraisers) who assist us if items are outside of our scope of expertise in order to maximize the outcome of your sale.
We often encounter items that we will deem too rare or valuable to sell at your estate sale. After appropriate research and consultation with our trusted dealers and appraisers we may recommend that such items be taken to auction in hopes of reaching a larger market.
We will promote your sale through targeted and professional advertising as well as utilizing our social media presence and email list.
After The Sale
In all of our years of setting up and working estate, moving and downsizing sales, we have never seen a house liquidated of everything at the end of event (although some have come very, very close). A totally empty house is our hope for your sale but inevitably there are items left over.
“So, what do I do now?”
We have a few suggestions for you.
The Do-It-Yourself Method
Often a client will invite friends and family in after a sale to take what they want, perhaps in exchange for having them assist with removing and disposing of the balance of unwanted furniture and bric-a-brac. Unsold items can be donated to local thrift or charity shops such as Amvets, Goodwill, Savers and Habitat for Humanity/Restore. If you have the helpers with the time, energy and vehicles for transporting furniture and such, this is a great option.
Facebook Marketplace is another option if the client has the interest and/or the time to sell items themselves post-sale.
The Cleanout Company Approach
In some instances the time-frame for clearing out a house is short (for example, the time-crunch prior to a real estate closing). In order to ensure the complete removal of items, the service provided by a professional clean-out company may be required. We have a relationship with several tried and true crews that will be able to assist you with this task. Keep in mind that cleanout companies charge you (they do not compensate you) to remove items remaining after your sale. These folks work independently of Serendipity Estate Sales Inc. and will be happy to discuss your needs and the associates costs.
The Serendipity Way
What makes Serendipity unique in the local estate sale market is that we offer an alternative to the usual means of disposal. We have partnered with local organizations and charities to give your “left overs” a new lease on life, helping those with needs in our community and keeping useful items out of the landfill.
Our goal is to find homes for your remaining items. At the completion of your sale, we will gather up some things and distribute them ourselves. We will also make arrangements for our partners to pickup items that they are in need of.
Like many of our friends and clients, we love to see items that are no longer useful or meaningful to us go to good homes. Donating new or gently used items makes a difference in the lives of those in need as well as our own.
There are strands of energy connecting us to the objects in our lives. When these connections are to things that we love and use, they make us feel happy. When they are burdensome, you may feel distressed and often overwhelmed.
Donating usable items frees up ones energy and makes us feel good about passing them along to their new owners. The recipients of these items are so grateful to be seen and their needs acknowledged. Knowing you are making a difference in the lives of others, allowing them to thrive and not just survive makes one feel good.
With this in mind, Serendipity has partnered with local organizations and not-for profits to make sure that useful items that remain after a sale are saved from the landfill and given to our neighbors in need of a helping hand.
If you donate property to a qualified organization, you may generally claim the fair market value of the items on your taxes.
For donations worth $250 or more, the charity receiving the donation will provide the donor (you) with a receipt.
Serendipity does not offer a whole-house cleanout service at this time so keep in mind that there may be items remaining after donations have been amassed and removed from the premises.
Our Community Partners
Gerard Place provides housing and supportive programs for homeless, single-parent families, literacy classes, vocational job training and food distribution programs and services for the Bailey- Delevan community. They strengthen the community by empowering individuals and families toward self-sufficiency via community education and outreach. https://gerardplace.org
Stitch Buffalo is a textile art center committed to: empowering refugee and immigrant women through the sale of their handcrafted goods, inspiring creativity and inclusion through community education, and stewarding the environment through the re-use of textile supplies. https://www.stitchbuffalo.org
The mission of Dress for Success is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life. https://dressforsuccess.org
Peaceprints of WNY is a nationally recognized leader in reentry services, embodying the collaborative strength of over 40 years of dedicated work by two leading WNY nonprofit prison ministries – Hope of Buffalo, Inc. and Cephas Attica, Inc. They remain on the front lines of the social justice and racial equity movement; existing to disrupt and put an end to the cycle of incarceration that plagues our region. In providing the most effective service to their clients, they offer a range of personalized services, programs, and resources designed to meet each individual where they are on their transformation. https://www.peaceprintswny.org
With your support and partnership, Upward Design for Life is able to furnish homes to improve lives with gently used donations from the community. They help restore hope, dignity and independence for people who are survivors of domestic violence, refugees, individuals transitioning from homeless shelters, children, veterans, individuals with physical and developmental disabilities and mental disorders and young adults aging out of foster care. https://www.upwarddesignforlife.org
The Tool Library shares the tools their neighbors need to create the change they want. At The Tool Library, they believe that cost shouldn’t be a barrier to fixing up your home, growing your own food, and improving your community. As a community-driven non-profit, a membership to the Tool Library gives community members access to thousands of tools and free educational programming. Whether you’re a renter on a budget, a homeowner with a fixer-upper, or a block club organizing a cleanup, The Tool Library provides the tools and resources to turn ideas into action! https://thetoollibrary.org
The Buffalo Prenatal Perinatal Network empowers women, fathers and families to take charge of bettering their family health and well-being by providing education, support, advocacy, and connection to resources and services in WNY. The work of BPPN is dedicated to honoring the dignity and capacity of individuals and communities and in promoting health equity. https://bppn.org
Friends of Night People is a charitable organization that helps the poor, homeless and destitute in Buffalo, New York. They provide food, clothing, medical care, counseling and hope to those in need. maintaining the dignity of the individuals that use their services since 1969. https://friendsofnightpeople.com
The Lakeshore Humane Society is a non-profit, all volunteer organization, dedicated to helping protect the welfare of all animals and providing humane education to their community. The organization was established in 1980 under the name of The Dunkirk Humane Society, later renamed as they expanded their area of service to include the entire north end of Chautauqua County. https://lakeshorehumanesociety.org
John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital is Western New York’s regional center for comprehensive and state-of-the-art pediatric trauma, surgical and medical care, including neonatal, perinatal and obstetric services. Oishei Children’s Hospital is the region’s only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center, Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and state-designated Regional Perinatal Center. Highlighting its nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality, Oishei Children’s Hospital was named a ‘Top Children’s Hospital’ in 2018 and 2019 by The Leapfrog Group, an independent watchdog organization. As the only freestanding children’s hospital in New York State and one of only 43 freestanding children’s hospital in the United States, Oishei Children’s Hospital enjoys a worldwide reputation for innovation and research while providing highly specialized care and treatment through a broad array of co-located outpatient services. https://www.ochbuffalo.org
Grassroots Gardens WNY is a dedicated group of community gardeners and activists. Their mission is to share knowledge, power and resources to grow healthy food, heal systemic harm, and strengthen neighborhood connections through community gardens. Their work is rooted in the belief that a garden has the power to transform a neighborhood. Community gardens deliver beauty and escape while many produce healthy food in unexpected places. A garden creates a shared sense of purpose that empowers a community, creates environmental awareness, and improves public health. https://grassrootagardens.org
Compass House was founded in 1972 as a homeless shelter. Today along with the Emergency Shelter, they operate a Resource Center and a Rapid Re-Housing Program. Their mission is to provide runaway, homeless and street youth with safe shelter and services, through a voluntary and mutually agreed-upon process, in an environment that supports dignity, respect and self-reliance. They serve approximately 300 youth at their shelter annually and an additional 300 youth at their Resource Center. https://compasshouse.org
Hearts for the Homeless has been working in the community to feed the poor and homeless on the street.
Lions Clubs strengthen communities and supports those in need through humanitarian services and grants that impact lives globally and encourage peace and international understanding.
Serendipity Estate Sales Inc.
serendipityestatesalesinc@gmail.com
1(716)345-4762
We are grateful to be able to be of service to our friends and neighbors in Buffalo, NY and surrounding communities in the Northtowns and Southtowns.
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Testimonials
folks are talking!
★★★★★
Serendipity – 10 STARS if we could go higher!
Where do I begin to sing the praises of Serendipity Estate Sales, and more importantly the two dear good souls, Joyce and Deborah, behind it?!
Myself and my family recently lost our dear father and were left with the challenging task of liquidating our family home of almost 60 years of family treasures and memories.
By our sheer good fortune/luck, Serendipity came highly recommended by one of their larger competitors, to guide us through what we would be an arduous process.
Right from the start, Joyce and Deborah took great care, time and detail in setting the house up for the estate sale. They communicated with us EVERY step of the way!
What was most remarkable and a pleasant surprise to me and my family was the sincere interest that Joyce and Deborah took in learning about our father. They asked questions about my Dad, not about his home or just the things in it. They listened intently and they cried with me as I shared stories about my Dad with them. They listened to country music while working in the house to honor my Dad who loved that genre of music!
Leading up to the sale days, we encountered a few unfortunate hurdles thanks to Mother Nature. Joyce and Deborah took it all in stride with the utmost of calmness, compassion, empathy, kindness, and professionalism.
In the end, we could not be more pleased with the success of the estate sale.
Our goal was to clear out our childhood home, get as many items in the hands of those who might use, need, or want them, and limit what might end up in a landfill.
In addition to the success of the sale, Serendipity
linked us with their nonprofit organizations partners and we were able to donate and support the efforts that these groups provide to our local communities. In our eyes, a WIN WIN for everyone involved.
This started out as a sad, and difficult task but through working side by side with Joyce and Deborah – it became a personal cathartic journey and we are ever so grateful to them and all they do for grieving families like ours, our community and the planet!
Marie B.
In March 2024, we engaged Serendipity Estate Sales to sell the contents of my mother’s house. In the end we profited more than we anticipated that was possible. They took safety into consideration as well, since we also had contents of a barn to sell.
They communicated their progress with sorting out the contents of the house and barn with me which was helpful since I was not local to the sale. They discussed their plan on pricing for the 2-day estate sale with me to obtain my prior consent. Their knowledge of the value of the contents of houses is invaluable.
I would recommend Joyce and Deborah to anyone that needs to have an estate sale. They will donate any items that were not purchased to local nonprofit organizations which is so important to the environment and will avoid the unnecessary disposal of items in a landfill that can be reused which in the end will help in reducing negative environmental impact.
KMT
Serendipity Estate Sales Inc. 