You know what they say - you never forget for first! Luckily for me, my experience as a first time attendee to an estate sale was fantastic. I made plans to go one Terri's estate sales in Hillsborough sales taking place on a Friday. I called her Thursday night after normal working hours, around 8:00pm, and she answered right away. I explained that it would my first estate sale ever and she explained to me the process for her company. Everyone does things a little differently. Terri's sales usually start at 10am and she passes out sticky notes with numbers written on them at 9am. These stickies with the numbers act as the order people enter the house. Be warned, people usually start lining up way before 9am though! If you don't feel like calling Terri, everything you need to know about the sale is in the description on the website. Tells you where to wait in line, where to park, along with all of the I just mentioned above in this paragraph. If you know anything about Hillsborough, these people are very well off. If you didn't know about Hillsborough, now you do! You can def expect to find great things. Like any other estate sale, photos of mostly what's on sale is shown on the website. Of course in a house as big as the ones generally are in Hillsborough, it's impossible to get photos of everything. But Terri and her team do their best to capture most items in the description on the website, if not in all in the photos. Some treasures you just have to find there when you show up in person! What sets Terri's estate sales apart from others is that she has a lot of team members. Probably 15 or more if I have to guesstimate. She has a parking attendant to direct people where to park because some neighborhoods have specific rules about which sides of the road you can park on. Next, she has a security guard to manage how many people enter at a time. This is great if you don't like feeling crowded! Then, she staff to manage the jewelry section, kitchen, living room, master room, closet, office, etc. She also has people managing a holding station so that you can hold items you want to purchase at the front while you continue your shopping and she also has people packing your fragile items!!! Terri herself manages the pay station. People complain that Terri's pricing is on the high side, but look at how big her team is ! You shouldn't go in expecting garage sale prices. They do their research on the items and price it accordingly. I walked away with a Staub Dutch oven for 50% MSRP and it was like new! If you're on the fence about going to estate sales, start with Terri's! She friendly and the sales are so well organized. I look forward to her next sale! read more

Franco Estate Specialists - Estate Liquidation Near Me - San Francisco, California

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They are always professional and have great items at their estate sales! Staff is personable and if you go frequently, they actually remember & acknowledge you when you enter! Always enjoy their tidy sales-very civilized! read more

Reviewing as an attendee, can't speak to what it's like to hire them. This company is very similar to golden gate estate sales in terms of pricing. Things are priced as you would expect in an antique store as opposed to an estate sale. There are lots of pictures in advance which is helpful and item pricing is very clear so you're not stuck asking someone about each piece which I appreciate. They keep it to a reasonable density of people inside so it doesn't feel overwhelming. That said I would only recommend stopping in if you are searching for a very particular and rare item that you see in the pictures and are happy to have it at any price. You will not find deals. Some examples to give you a general sense; simple brass candlesticks at $65, a set of spode Christmas plates for $80, framed art print for $150, IKEA throw pillow for $25. They had some cashmere sweaters for $25 which I thought was reasonable but most things were not priced to sell. read more

Franco Estate Specialists - Ikea pillow, bought the same one for the same price new - Estate Liquidation Near Me - San Francisco, California

This was our first time going to an estate sale in the Bay Area, I did have high hopes; especially with the social media surrounding the company and the previous estate sales. Going in, the designated security guard was super friendly and professional. Each individual in their designated rooms were amazing, asking if we were doing alright and checking in. Asking if we needed items to be held and amazing customer service. The main issues came up when we were getting checked out, the lady at the register was being short with everyone, very snippy answers. Then when a bid was requested by another person in front of us, she was saying that "They don't do anything less than 30% of asking price" asking if they were sure of the amount written down. A second family purchased some furniture and when she was done checking them out, she was telling them to get out of the way. We will continue to go to estate sales, but none by them, it really wasn't a welcoming atmosphere by her. read more

As mentioned by other customers, Terry's behavior is quite rude. The prices remain excessively high, even on the last day or during the final hour. The highest discount she offered before closing time was only 30% off. It's important to note that this discount is applied to already inflated prices. When I requested a slightly higher discount, she reacted angrily. We attended the sale twice--once on the second day and again on the third day, which was the final day. I can confirm that not much was sold on the last day compared to the day before. People were leaving without making purchases. By the end of the sale, the entire house was still filled with unsold items. Despite the nature of an estate sale, which is meant for liquidation, after Franco's estate sales, a significant portion of the items in the house remain unsold. I wouldn't recommend this company. read more

I had a wonderful experience at my first time attending an estate sale by FES. I see that most people complain about prices, but I thought the prices reflected the quality of the items and the quality of the operations. I especially appreciate the detail that went into displaying all items and what good condition most items are in. If you are looking more for bargains there may be other places but I don't think you'll get the same experience as I did with FES. read more

Avoid this Estate Sale Company, Milking every shekel and dime selling above online market prices for items you can find cheaper if not better condition from eBay, 1stDibs or Goodwill! You won't get a fair market price for your items as a potential buyer or antique collector. They also take from previous estate sale items that do not sell (because they overpriced their items) and "merely dress like feathers and tar" the estate sale items as if the previous estate homeowner's. There are way better estate sale vendors in the Bay Area than this Mafia Ring. read more

I met Terry approximately 15 years ago when she handled my neighbor's estate sale. I was very impressed with how organized the sale was and I heard the executor was very pleased. The items were well displayed and fairly priced. I have been to several of her sales over the years and I am still very impressed. Terry and all of her sales people are professional, friendly and helpful. I am very happy with my finds. I believe it is one of the best managed small businesses I have encountered. Both the sellers and buyers benefit from the job she does. In fact, I am planning to prepare a list of contact people for the executor of my estate and Franco Estate Specialists will be on that list. read more

I recently attended a Franco Estate Sale. I have not seen estate sales like this before. All the items were displayed beautifully, fairly priced and the staff was very helpful. Everything was first rate and I found some real treasures. I highly recommend. read more

Be aware of this company and especially the owner "Terry" She is a cheap street scammer, one of her crew verified an item with her and marked it for $80 but at checkout she asked $300. I listened to her instructions to a crewmember telling her that 2 watches that were event-free gifts to be sold between $250-$350. read more

We are avid Estate salers. The bay area has some great Estate sale companies. At this sale there was a pair of nightstands. They were marked $450. I opened the drawers looking for a brand. There was no maker stamp or label. I went to the front and waited for the woman to checkout a customer, while I waited she belittled one of her employees who gave her the wrong color tag from a sale. The gentleman was very embarrassed, it was a simple mistake. I cautiously asked if she could tell me the brand. Her answer was 'they are like new and rare to find a pair' but she would look. I left and checked out the garage. The woman there was really friendly joking with another customer. I asked her for a measurement on a vanity. She told me I had to ask the woman at the front. I declined. She asked me if everything was okay, I told her the woman at check out was not very friendly. The employee said she wasn't having a good day, so she went and got it for me. Unfortunately the vanity was too big. I thanked her and went to check on the nightstands. The checkout lady was coming from the backroom, I smiled and asked her if she found a label. She said no but that they were well made bc of the things in the drawer and were a deal at $450 less 30%, $300 only $150 each. I told her I was interested just not at that price bc there is not a name brand. Her response sharply was she has an offer from someone else and they can enjoy them. In dismay of her behavior, I started to thank her and she told me she didn't understand why I was being obnoxious! She tried to stop herself but couldn't close her mouth fast enough. Pretty unbelievable woman, especially finding out she's the owner. Never again Franco Estates. read more

We lost our mother in Oct of 2019. The house in Burlingame had five bedrooms and three baths and was full of stuff. We found a great Real Estate group, and thru them we were fortunate enough to meet Terry Franco. The estate sale process from that point on was seamless. Terry and here team of specialists cleaned and staged all of the family belongings and took great care of all the merchandise. When the process was complete Terry and the team left the property spotless. If you need a pro,call Terry Paul R. San Carlos,ca read more

I have gone to several of their estate sales and have been really impressed with the organizational skills and friendly help by the employees at the events. The items for sale are very well displayed and it is easy to find if there are specific items that I am looking for. I have purchased artwork from them as well as household furnishings and felt that the items are fairly priced. I also appreciated their system for letting people in and not rushing the clients that are currently in shopping. Highly recommend this company. read more

it an excellent way to get furniture for your house, hassle free and quality at a very good price, Theresa was wonderful and guide us to make a smart decisions, she didn't push to sell anything. i strongly recommend Franco estate for your furniture, art, antiques and modern items that you might need. read more

I have been to many estate sales both in the Bay Area and in the Seattle are. Franco Estates is head and shoulders above the rest of the companies. The owner is super-organized and on top of her inventory, and if she doesn't have the info on an item, she has appraisers who will give fair prices on fine jewelry, furniture, artwork or clothing. You're comfortable that you're paying a fair price. Finally, it's a joy to see that Franco Estates reorganizes the merchandise both during the day and overnight. It's so easy to see all items. I recommend Franco Estates very highly. read more

Looks all her items up on Ebay and prices at full retail price before her Estate sales. Will not hesistate to look it up on Ebay right in front of you if there is no price. Avoid her sales at all costs! read more

Teresa Franco of Franco Estate Specialists is a consummate professional in her realm. Each sale is detailed, all the items are marked and her attention to the goods involves extensive sorting and moreover very thorough cleaning. Her assistants are very personable and knowledgable. The are always many gems to be found and I have never left disappointed. read more

They don't come better than Terry and her team. I was trustee on a huge estate, some treasures some junk. Terry staged the house, oversaw the sale and was conscientous in getting the best prices for everything. She even held a couple of things out (a jade piece and some vases) and had them sold at an auction house rather than let them go for a song. When she left the 3 story house was broom clean and ready for the stagers. She handled disparate family members graciously and efficiently. Hurrah. read more

Don't use this company. The "boss" Terry, treats her employees like slaves by ordering senior workers around and making them lift heavy items. All she does is put her head down and look at the register and count money. She's rude to her customers. She is a really judgmental person. She only speaks to certain customers and ignores others who asks her questions regarding her damn sale. Price: her sales are the most expensive of all estate sales around the city. Her sales aren't even that special. Most of the stuff you buy at her sales are priced similar to store bought prices. Might as well get them new then right? And with that attitude towards customers, damn lucky she's still in business. If you are using her as a service you can definitely get more money for the sale of your estate items from other companies. Who offers only 20% off on items that will never sell with prices that are so damn high? This is an estate sale to liquidate to get whatever money you can get, not trying to sell at the highest price and have a whole house full of merchandise left at the end of the day. She's operating your estate sale as a store front brick and mortar, not a full estate liquidation sale. Don't use her if you want the best bang for your buck and the most money you want to keep. read more

I was introduced to Terry by my boss who is in the furniture business. I had no idea where to start with handling the sale of my parents stuff that accumulated over the course of 50+ years together. Terry is very responsive, knowledgeable and upfront about valuing your family's "treasures" never giving you false expectations. That is what a bereaved person needs is a reality check. There were some happy surprises too! I've read other reviews of similar estate sale firms and witnessed strange business practices from the company my husbands family used, Terry is totally awesome, i wholeheartedly recommend her services! read more

I have been going to sales held by Franco Estate Specialists since the company was first formed. Terry, the owner, is the hardest working person I've ever met. She is very friendly, extremely knowledgeable and most importantly honest. Her job is to ensure that her clients get the best price for the items they entrust to her to sell. And she does this with high integrity. Estate sales are not garage sales nor are they true liquidation sales! Her prices are fair. If that requires her checking Ebay every now and then to obtain a fair price for an item, to me that speaks further to her honesty. Terry's employees are loyal, treated with respect and love working with her. Proof of this is that many have been with her for years - some since the beginning of the company. I highly recommend using her services when you have the need. In hiring Franco Estate Specialists, you will get a true professional in Terry who handles everything for her clients and will get you the best fair price for your items. read more