The Most Valuable Takeaway From My First Estate Sale
Reflecting on the things we leave behind when we’re gone
Last weekend, I stumbled upon the most magical house in Greenwich Village. The previous owner of the building was a fabulous woman who had been stationed there since the ‘80s and based on the four stories filled to the brim with containers of her most precious belongings, she was living, laughing, and loving to the fullest. Until this moment I had never been to an estate sale, but this experience was exactly how I always dreamed it would be. I found out about the event through a Facebook Marketplace listing for a vintage MacKenzie-Childs vase that’s been on my wish list and after bargaining with the seller, she informed me about the estate sale and disclosed the address so I could come check it out.
The owner’s son described his late mother as a hoarder because she had so much stuff, but I appreciate how she really leaned into her “fancy” taste. Her energy was absorbed into every piece that was still in there; I almost didn’t want to touch anything, but at that stage in the decluttering process nothing would ever go back to the way that it originally was. I wondered, is there a respectful way to rummage through someone else’s belongings?
While I don’t know how she would feel about her possessions being sold off to a bunch of random people, perhaps knowing that her treasures are going into new homes instead of garbage bags left out on the curb would bring her peace. It’s strange to think about all the things we’ll leave behind when we’re eventually gone; how no one will ever know all the stories behind them, where they came from, or why we hung on to them for so long. Maybe I should start logging all of my items now so there’s a record when I’m not around anymore. Someday when someone is going through my collection will they write it off as junk that could turn a profit on the resell market?
I returned the next day to accompany a friend for her haul, but I also wanted to walk through the house one last time. It’s so rare to see this side of the city when you’re not a product of generational wealth. These opportunities give you access to places that are usually off limits to the public, it’s sort of like visiting a museum or a gallery dedicated to a specific period in time. I don’t know what’s going to happen to this space after the estate sale ends, but I hope some of the charm will be preserved by whoever inhabits it next. (I would be devastated to see it destroyed in a tacky gut reno!) I originally came for a vase, but left with the inspiration to continue designing my life with character; getting to see how the person that the vase once belonged to lived with it makes it even more valuable to me.
Estate Sales 4Ever!