Penny and Pig Estate Sales

Penny & Pig Estates Sales was a Godsend! My late brother was an extreme hoarder. I had spent weekends over the past year clearing the house and sorting his stuff and our late parents' valuables. They had resided in the house since the mid-1970s and there were a lot of family belongings to dispose of. By March I was ready to bring in estate sales company. The person recommended by my realtor is located in the San Fernando Valley and by speaking to her, I could sense that she really wasn't interested in making the long treks to the San Gabriel Valley to conduct a sale. She also was negative regarding the items I had to sell. Discouraged, I spent a few days researching other estate sellers. Based on the good reviews and their proximity in the SGV, I settled on Penny & Pig. Taking my initial call, owner Penny Katz was very receptive to my description of the estate. She came out to the house the very next day. We spent at least an hour going over what I had sorted as well as the furnishings and clothes closets. She was very honest in a tactful way, recognizing the sentimental value of the property and the belongings. She told me what she could sell and what should be donated. She also has an an excellent sense of humor, which I appreciate. I felt confident that she would do right by me. Having agreed to proceed, she scheduled the sale for the Friday and Saturday of Easter weekend. 10 days before, she sent her crew in to begin arranging the house for the sale. Meanwhile, Rafael, her transport guy, went over with Penny and me to sort through a storage unit of my late father in-law's furnishings. Penny was able then and there to determine what to sell at the estate sale and what to donate to charity. The storage unit was cleared that day. On the Monday, Wednesday and Thursday before the estate sale, Penny and her crew returned to my brother's house to continue the preparation and pricing for the event. Personal items that they found during their organization went into bathrooms (bathrooms are kept off-limits to estate sale customers). The crew was also able to find many mementos that had either been feared lost or forgotten and were safely put aside. Penny advertised the estate sale widely and it paid off handsomely. Over the course of the Friday and Saturday, Penny estimated that she had up to 400 people attend the estate sale. People bought vintage cameras, antiques and antique furnishings, jewelry, books, magazines, clothing, housewares, gardening equipment, etc. - even a car! After I went through the remaining items, Penny arranged for a charity to come in and take what they wanted. The charity gave us a receipt for charitable tax deductions. Once they were gone, Penny's crew proceeded to clear out the house, an all-day job. By the time they were finished, the house was vacant. Shortly thereafter, Penny sent me a handsome check for the sale, minus a standard commission fee and a very reasonable charge for cleaning out the house. Their efficiency made it possible for me to not only list the house for sale less than a week after the estate sale, but for the realtor to stage an Open House. Four days later, the house was sold. Had you asked me in March if this was at all possible, I would have said, "No way!" My thanks to Penny and her crew for everything!

This company is amazing--totally professional in every way. Penny Katz, the owner, is a delight to work with as is her staff. The sale went beautifully. Penny and her crew cleaned, sorted, and priced every possible item which would sell. They also bagged items for trash pickup. For the sale itself, everything was displayed on tables and racks. After the sale was over, another crew totally cleaned out the dwelling so nothing was left for us to do which was a huge help. Penny is responsive to any and all questions and answered my inquiries immediately. She also handles all publicity, another plus. The percentage charged by the company is 40% of the total sale proceeds but this includes everything and it was a small price to pay for all the work Penny and the staff did for us. This is definitely a full service estate sale company and I'd highly recommend them!