By Katrina Simyab | Photography by Hillary Schave
For the occasional bargain browser or regular treasure hunter, estate sales are an exciting way to search for once-loved items. Carol Rybak, manager at Rybak Estate Sales (owned by her wife), provides insight on working in the estate sale business and what clients and shoppers should know.
How did you get into organizing estate sales?
“I was a special ed teacher for 30 years [and] retired nine years ago. My folks had always been involved in auctions and estate sales, mainly as a customer growing up, but even in that role I developed quite a bit of background knowledge. My mom had mental health issues, and had all kinds of items in our home, and it was chaotic. [Now], each estate sale really resonates with me — [it’s] like a cathartic experience [akin to] cleaning up my mom’s house.”
What’s the best way to find estate sales in the Madison area?
“Google search ‘estate sales’ and you’re going to find all of us on there. I recommend … looking at reviews [and] … talking to neighbors, because word of mouth is huge.
Estatesales.org is another resource — you just type in your ZIP code and it will bring up estate sale people — if you are looking for a sale or to hire someone.”
What’s the most unique or expensive item you’ve found when preparing a client’s items for a sale?
“I had a full-body mannequin from Paris. It was very cool … designer, high end — it was very unique.
[I’ve seen] things that are one-of-a- kind, like a piece of the Berlin wall. I [usually see] some amazing ephemera — like old deeds from the 1800s, treaties, signed birth certificates, cool letters — just fun, sweet things that aren’t necessarily of value, but are really unique and wonderful.”What should shoppers look for in terms of item quality and authenticity when shopping an estate sale?
“Flip open a book, if it looks old or if it’s in really good condition, see if it’s first edition and signed. Also artwork, cars (anything motorized is generally valuable), firearms, weapons — things like that sell. Some more obvious ones are sterling [silver] and gold.”
What items right now are popular with estate sale shoppers?
“Cleanline, midcentury modern (MCM) and Scandinavian-style furniture and home décor is very popular. So is vinyl, LPs, vintage anything, clothing, vintage Christmas décor and ornaments, and antique tools — especially ones that have a specific use. Also vintage toys [that are] metal, old Tonkas, tractors, that sort of thing.”
How can shoppers be on the lookout for under-the-radar items or rare finds?
“You can [use] Google Lens to take a picture of an item and search it. I have various apps that I use that can identify maker’s marks. Uranium items — if you use a blacklight you can see that they glow, those are pretty cool. Signed art — sometimes if you look underneath the frame, the signature of the artist is under there and they are usually numbered. The lower the number, the better!”
