People are always asking how I go about emptying a house, and I am going to tell you! There are so many ways to get started. It all really depends on what is inside and what the owner or family wants. Sometimes we just empty the houses: dumpsters and trash loads. Sometimes we have a sale. Sometimes we haul and sell after the fact.

When I go through a house I am looking for specific things. In the kitchen I look for vintage glass, Pyrex, and cast iron. Through the years I know what is valuable, even if I don’t like it. One home I emptied had 16 unused can openers. I took those but donated them.

Housewares, artwork, knick knacks. They all have their place and someone wants them. I picked up over 75 pieces of embroidery art from one house – boy, were they popular with that group of collectors! I purchased a few items from a local gentleman last week. The collectors are going crazy over a photo I shared of a small Occupied Japan high heel china shoe.

China in general is collectible but not worth much unless it is marked with a company name or logo. I had two almost identical sets a few years back. One was marked, the other was not. The marked set sold for $400. The unmarked set sold for $5.

Bedrooms are the absolute hardest, especially if there is no family to clean out the personal effects. Those items of course go into the trash. Only clothing in very good condition or very collectible is taken.

On this last job I found some incredible vintage tennis dresses and a fur coat. I also found a huge lot of perfectly bagged sweaters and perfectly boxed shoes. I did sell a lot of sweaters and shoes from that closet. But what felt best was that I had the Clothing Closet come to the house and take everything else. This closet was full of wonderful clothing and will keep the community warm for a long time.

Some estates are quite easy to go through. Others are not. A “hoarder” home, for example. First rule: gloves. Second rule: always look everywhere. A year or so ago we almost threw away a box full of moldy newspapers, but I decided to look one more time. At the bottom was a sealed box. I opened the box. Inside was a report of the weather in Roxborough, Pennsylvania (actually about 10 minutes away from where I grew up). Not just any report. At least 100 pages, written in longhand, dated in the mid 1800s. I still have it.

It is the luck of the draw to find something awesome. But it is the thrill of the hunt that keeps me going.

As always, please contact me at pamspantiques@gmail.com with any questions. Thanks, everyone who has already emailed!