What's the best way to liquidate an estate when nobody is interested?

My mother passed away in November and I have had little luck in selling the things I wanted to from her house. She was a "collector" and has lots of furniture, china and glassware. No auctioneers, estate sellers or antique dealers are interested. I get the same story from all of them - the antique market is flooded right now and nobody is buying. I know I can't get good prices for her "treasures" at a lawn sale. Any advice on how I should proceed?

Sad to say, often our idea of treasures are mistaken. If professionals you have contacted have no interest, then unfortunately the antiques world will not disagree with them.
Donate the stuff to battered women's shelters, homeless shelters, children's hospitals, and take the tax deductions.

E BAY. Are there any blue n white dishes? any dishes or silver or furniture that have manufacturers names or symbols? Add that to your question and some of us may respond. Many times an auctioneer or apraiser/buyer will say it is just of little or no value and offer to help you out by tasking it for free or giving you a pittance,knowing full well they will do well selling it .

Try consignment sales/auctions. Even if she dosent have enough stuff to have your own private sale, you can take stuff to the consgnment sale and sell that way. It has to be true junk to not be able to sell anywhere! We go to many estate or consigment (generally farm types) where they are mixed sellers. Usually you load up your truck, take it to the sale location and either drop it any they arrange it on tables for you, or you can get your own table and lay out the stuff yourself. They take a precentage but not nearly as much as a store would. Some places have weekly sales or monthly sales and you take your stuff over a few days before the auction. Good Luck! In my opinion any buck you earn is worth the trouble!

I would suggest contacting the consignment stores in your area. Make certain the items are in good condition and clean. They will take a percentage of the sale, but are often short of inventory. But, you will certainly get more for them than you will selling them at a garage sale. Also, depending on what "treasures" she has collected over the years, you may just want to box them up and store them until the market for those items takes an uptick.

Be very careful about donating the items because the IRS changed the rules and the new guidelines went into effect in August. Now you will have to fill out a form for donations over $500 and have the items appraised. Under $500, you will have to use the Salvation Army website for valuations which hardly makes it worth the effort to donate.

As a inheritor of many estates, I can also tell you to be generous. I have held on to many treasures and given them as gifts to relatives who had babies, got married, bought their first homes, graduated from college, etc. They always appreciate that I saved items "just for them" and tell the stories about the person who originally owned the items. Some things are only treasures to the family members who will lovingly remember those they lost through the passing on of those items that were important to that person.

If you can get the historical data of her antiques that could help. Ebay might help also. Its true, its hard to get rid of antiques right now. So better get historical data by having these people appraise it first. Museums have free-lance agents who might be able to help you.

Donate it to a local museum or school, get receipts, right it off on your taxes next year. Get huge check from government. It's that easy.

I don't knwo the absolute best, but estate lawyers should help with everything,,,and it pays to shop around. They could give you names of the people who manage taf sales , etc. if you're only looking for legal help. still price compare.

look for an auctioneer. they will give you a price for the entire lot and sell it off at their leisure.

try and get a valuator and sell it on ebay