Update: We arrived just three minutes after the address was posted, and there were already 25 names on the list. It is humanly impossible for 25 people in about 20 cars to arrive, sign in, and drive away in that time , especially when no one was visible outside the house. If that's truly possible, maybe I should be contacting Guinness World Records instead of leaving reviews. Very poor experience with this company today. I saw an estate sale posted online and, since I live in the neighborhood, decided to check it out. We arrived at 6:03 a.m.--just three minutes after the address was posted--yet there were already 25 people on the list. No one was around the house or double parked, which makes it obvious the owner shares the address with friends or frequent customers before it's posted. It's also clear the company caters to dealers, both through this practice and the low prices they give them. This is disappointing and unfair to the families who trust them to handle their loved ones' estates. Please be cautious--other companies will provide fairer prices and more transparency. I will not be returning to any future sales. read more

The lady working the list is short tempered and rude. They create a line for no reason by only allowing 14 people in the house at a time. I waited for 30 minutes (only one new person was allowed in during that time) and left. I will steer clear of this company's sales moving forward. Try Beehive or Greyson if you are looking for a decent company that is friendly and doesn't create lines for no reason. read more

Update: I was born at night but I wasn't born last night. Looking at other reviews this seems to be an issue with the list being filled out right at 6am. Perhaps you should not honor any lists and have people be present in line. I was there at 6:05 am and there was already 25+ people signed up even though there was only 1 person there. This is practically impossible. Good luck attending sales here and getting in. Too many other options around 25 people on a list at 6:05 when the address was posted at 6am. Pretty obvious he has his regulars who are always at the top of the list ( Reggie is always first?!?). Poorly organized and rude staff who have no business dealing with the public. Will not waste my time with this company. Steer clear unless you want to deal with the chaos. There are plenty of companies I'd rather do business with read more

I used bear several years ago for my parents house. Honesty is not a word I would use for him. I don't know who I'm more mad at - him or me. I knew not to give him any jewelry but he makes you feel like your parents stuff isn't good enough so you leave or give him more. I gave him thousands of dollars worth of jewelry and he gave me 950 for the entire house. I had to pay a hauler 450 to remove what was left. What hurt was the unbolting of my dad's vise without permission. It was bolted down. He calls you and it's positive 1 minute later he calls again and that's when he catches you off guard. Don't answer his 2nd call if you're not ready to make a decision. Ps He actually got more jewelry than the pictures because I accidentally gave him a velvet box with the jewelry I wanted to keep. Cameos diamond earrings, pearl necklaces sapphire bracelets heavy hoop earrings . He said he wouldn't sell any jewelry for less than it was worth. I did the math it was less than a dollar a piece. This keeps me up at night. I'm leaving this in 2025 - so mote it be - karma read more

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Worst estate sale setup ever omg !!! The lady who coordinates entry times is truly awful at it. I understand having a list for entry. But when you only allow approx 13 people in a big house at once, AND you are extremely slow at checking in/out shoppers, it takes so much longer than necessary to get a chance to shop. She was unfriendly, agonizingly slow, and frequently confused. There were two older women who had been waiting in line for 30+ minutes, so they sat in some empty chairs on the patio. The woman running the line scolded them and said they were not allowed to sit down because they would be crowding the patio (which was spacious and otherwise empty). She said people coming out would have no room (mind you, less than 15 people in the house, and the chairs were not at all blocking the exit). There was truly no reason they shouldnt have been allowed to sit. The woman running the line was so rude about it too. Numerous people waiting in line left because of how slow she was running things. I will not ever return to a sale run by this business. At least we got some comic relief from the absurdity of it all. It felt like an SNL sketch. read more

I love how the managers and the team at Golden Bear have such great taste in their estate sales. Not only are their prices fair, but they also have excellent knowledge. Very Organized! Will be back soon! read more

Golden Bear is hands down the best estate sale company in the area. Lines are long because the quality and condition of the merchandise is always great. Prices are fair. I am a buyer at estate sales, but if I needed to hire a liquidator, this would be my first call. I often tell people that if they didn't hire Golden Bear, they probably made a mistake. This company is run by someone who actually has knowledge about antiques and collectibles. In this day and age that is a rarity. If it wasn't for Google Lens, I doubt if any of these other companies would survive. I am a regular and I usually find my self near the front of the line. I put a lot of work and effort into making this happen. I make it happen with no assistance from anyone. For me waiting a few hours to shop is not a problem. read more

Golden Bear Estate Liquidation - Eager shoppers at a recent North Berkeley sale. - Estate Liquidation Near Me - Oakland, California

Our family worked with Bear and Golden Bear Estates in December 2025 to conduct a full estate liquidation and two-day sale in Piedmont, CA and can not recommend Bear highly enough. Bear and his company were absolutely fantastic - the team is extremely conscientious, highly communicative, and went above and beyond at practically every step (including coordinating home access, cleanup, additional non-profit donations, and hauling). We were most appreciative of the care and concern that Bear put into every single item in the home, as well as the home itself. Additionally, the sale was very successful. If you are considering an estate liquidation service in the East Bay area, we view Golden Bear Estates as the gold standard. read more

Fair prices and efficient service. Items were organized well. The sales are very popular, but the sale was well worth the wait!

Hi Golden Bear Estate Liquidation, I am sharing feedback as a regular shopper who follows your estate sale. The estate sale address was disclosed at 6 am, 3 hours before the sale started. It would be a fair game if everyone signs up when they arrive. However, how possible that there was a signup sheet with 20 names already at 6 am but not even 5 people around? If we use a signup sheet, the sheet should NOT be available before the address is revealed. read more

Golden Bear is the best source for unique finds at fair prices- a great mix of vintage and antiques. The combination of a treasure hunt with the unbeatable prices is one of the best ways to spend a day. The team is experienced and very helpful, well-organized sale operation. Be sure to arrival early as large loyal following of shoppers like to line up at 7-8 am. On top of the above you are supporting a small local business. read more

Great estate sale! Everything was well organized, and the address was posted exactly at 6:00. If you follow the hints, you can easily be among the first on the list. Prices were fair. no wonder there are always long lines! The staff was friendly and helpful. I found some great pieces and look forward to the next sale. read more

I write this review as a buyer at GBEL sales. I attend to the estate sales in the San Francisco Bay Area since many years and I could easily say that Golden Bear is one of the best remaining estate sale companies in this region. Here is why I praise Bear's estate sales: 1- Always and always quality estates with plenty of antiques and vintage items. Nothing ordinary. 2- His deep knowledge of everything that he sells. You receive priceless info about these items which is a huge plus. 3- Sells only the items present in that estate. He doesn't bring items from other estates or from other places which is quite common for some estate sale companies. He is ethical. 4- He sells everything during the sale and empties the homes. It is amazing to see how to estates are packed the first day and nothing is left the last day!!! He doesn't have a warehouse or he doesn't sell estate items anywhere else, just sales happen during the estate sale days inside the estate! 5- His friendliness, politeness, kindness, and his fair pricing is consistent since years. If you are new at the estate sales give him a try and see what a good estate sale is about. Because of his amazing reputation there could be big crowds, so try to go early to grab the best stuff and just be patient if you are standing in line. Thanks Bear for offering these wonderful estate sales to us and I hope that you'll be in business for many years to come. read more

I attended an estate sale last weekend in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Oakland. It was a large historic mansion filled with interesting things. Golden Bear is very organized; the staff friendly and helpful. The prices were quite fair. Bear the owner is great. read more

I attended an estate sale on July 13th in Oakland. The sale was very organized and run quite efficiently. They did a great job of selling off the contents of the house. Items were priced to sell and we found a few great bargains read more

Great communication, very friendly and forthcoming with information, upcoming sales, and pricing. Thank you!

Golden Bear Estate Liquidation was a very good experience from start to finish. As the executor for my Mom's estate, we needed to remove a lifetime of collectables. Expectations were established early on so we knew what was going to happen from intake to final sale. The process was handled with efficiency, sensitivity and attention to details. I endorse Bear as knowledgable and experienced. read more

The pickings at these estate sales are so good that you want to keep it to yourself, like a secret. But for the sake of Golden Bear ... here it is: they're one of the very best! Always intriguing finds, orderly lines, fair prices, amazing deals! read more

I learned about Bear from Yelp, so I thought it was important to share my own experience with him here. He is simply the best; in fact, I can't imagine how an estate liquidator could do a better job than Bear. He is friendly, honest, straightforward, hard-working, gets back to you immediately, did an amazing job of organizing and displaying all the many objects in my father's house, and the total sales far exceeded my expectations. Best of all, for anyone who's grieving and feels overwhelmed by the task of clearing a house, you should know that you can just hand the work off to Bear and he will take care of everything. I'm so grateful to him. read more

Bear basically performed a miracle on my moms home. In all honesty I felt that it would have taken me months to go though the house and clear out a lifetime of family memorabilia, clothes spanning 50 years, and trinkets. Bear was professional, accurate in his assessment, and delivered on his promise. He even sold a vintage piano and refrigerator. Awesome job. I couldn't be more pleased. read more

Bear came to the rescue. We inherited an almost 3,000 square foot house packed with treasures to be sold, usable items to be donated and yes, some items for the trash. We were overwhelmed and did not know where to start. We needed someone to come in and make the unemotional decisions as to what to sell, donate and toss and Bear did just that. Bear organized everything and held a successful estate sale very quickly. We highly recommend Golden Bear Estate Liquidation! read more

Bear did great work organizing and conducting an estate sale on my uncle's house in El Cerrito. He spent about two weeks before the sale organizing the contents of the home, identifying the items mostly likely to sell and staging them in a manner that made it easy for customers to move through the home and see what was available. He worked with my schedule during the setup period, which allowed me to handle the private sale of my uncle's stamp collection. Prior to the sale, he posted photos of the available items that resulted in a great attendance at the sale. The two day sale was more lucrative than I expected, plus the home was nearly empty and very clean when the sale was completed! I received the proceeds from the sale within 3 days. Throughout the process, Bear was open to my questions, very professional, personable and always accessible. Thanks much, Bear! read more

I hesitate giving my 5 star review for Golden Bear Estate Liquidation because...... I don't want to give up my source for GREAT STUFF at GREAT PRICES! But the truth is- I never miss a Golden Bear Estate Sale:) read more

Holding an estate sale of my moms home of over 50 years seemed like such a daunting challenge to me. But not to Bear Sawtelle. He was very professional, organized and knowledgeable and held an amazing sale with a great turnout, and did so in a very quick timeframe. Bear has a large customer base following and I was very impressed with his work from start to finish. I feel like it would have taken me months to accomplish what Bear did in one week! Thank you Bear for making this such a stress-free experience for our family. I highly recommend Golden Bear Estate Liquidations. read more

Fantastic estate sales! Always neatly organized, well priced, friendly and -- especially now -- respectful of keeping people at a distance (even sanitizing our hands before we could enter!) both inside and out. Looking forward to the next one. Thanks, Bear! read more

My experience using this company to do my family's estate sale was very positive. I found this five-star company on yelp, and they stay true to their rating. They are professional, prompt, honest (sometimes brutally), and communicate the whole way through the process. He shows up on schedule and will give an honest evaluation, and I found it to be pretty accurate. Keep in mind that nothing is going to turn out exactly perfect, but with the amount of stuff we were dealing with, it went pretty smooth. He also has a huge following and email list, so a very large number of people showed up. The only complaint (neighbor) was that the neighborhood was very busy, lots of cars, but thankfully there's pretty good parking around there. He's very professional and polite. Great job!! Thank you Golden Bear! read more

Bear is great to work with! He came out to my grandmother's duplex in San Mateo to give us an estimate. My grandmother lived to be 101 and had accumulated a lot of things. Bear was very honest and straight forward. He is very efficient and did a great job at the sale -- making a lot more money than even he thought we could get at the estate sale! He left the house tidy and donated many of the items that could not sell. We really appreciated how he came across the bay from Oakland to manage the estate sale for us. I highly recommend him and his services. read more

Bear put a lot of work into staging the house and the contents for the sale, which went quite well. Beyond that, I was incredibly grateful to discover that Bear had rescued the architect's original blueprints on this unique home and left them there for me. In my innocence, I had no idea they would be considered such a prize by the new owner. read more

We needed to have an estate sale for an elderly relative in Oakland and we live 500 miles away. Bear Sawtelle's Golden Bear Estate Liquidation rescued us and more than lived up to our hopes. Bear got right down to business and pulled it all off for us one week later. We were more than pleased all throughout the process. He is professional, likable, humble, empathetic, responsible and reliable. He knows his stuff. What more can you ask for? We highly recommend Bear and Golden Bear Estate Liquidation. read more

Your estate will be in great hands with Bear Sawtelle's Golden Bear Estate Liquidation. Bear is known in the industry for his extensive knowledge of furnishings, art, jewelry, personal memorial collections, so much more too many to list. Professional, detailed, and caring, You know you made the right choice choosing Golden Bear EL to take care of your estate needs. read more

Bear Sawtelle's Golden Bear Estate Liquidation is the one to call. Bear is efficient and professional, kind and caring. With many, many years of experience in the Bay Area, Golden Bear EL is the most reliable and responsible service of this kind. read more