I Say Goodbye, You Say Good Buy! The Downsizing Diaries Continue

If you’ve been following our Downsizing Diaries series, you know our publisher, Candy Evans, was downsizing for a move before Christmas. She’s continuing to purge now that she’s settled into her new home. As for me, I’m right-sizing. I’m using the Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning methods to edit all the lovely items I’ve inherited and collected over the years. You know, the things that have been stuffed in closets, drawers, under beds, and behind larger pieces of furniture. We all have them, and most of us have no idea what to do with them. This was my step one. And it was the easiest.

I called my friend Karen Ferrell at Good Buy Auctions. Having already downsized from a storage unit years ago, I still had about 60 plastic boxes stacked in a corner of the front bedroom. They were filled with lovely inherited items like quilts, tablecloths, china, and toys that I had no room or use for. To be honest, I’d not even opened them in several years.  So, after a brief twinge of nostalgia when I had a quick peek inside each one, I smartly slammed them shut. Ferrell and I filled her extra-large SUV with the first batch, and the sense of relief I felt was palpable.

Good Buy Auctions is one of the best resources I’ve found for this Swedish Death Cleaning editing process. As I mentioned in my first Downsizing Diaries post, you probably have friends who are also resources, and you just haven’t realized it!  This was my case. I’d known Ferrell for years as one of the owners of the Antique Company Mall (ACM) in McKinney. Ferrell, her brother, and her sister-in-law own the 15,000-square-foot, two-story mall. It’s home to 120 dealers who offer everything from antiques and vintage finds to some of the most unique items you can imagine. If you are on the collecting side of life, definitely head over there because you will find exactly what you need. If you are editing, like I am, Ferrell and her partner, Jenifer Tilley, have the solution with their company, Good Buy Auctions.

“Almost on a daily basis, the mall has people coming in and saying I need to sell this,” Ferrell said. “Jennifer came up with the idea because she had been buying from auctions to sell in her booth as an antiques dealer in our mall. She said, ‘I think this is a business.'”

Good Buy Auctions Was Born

Ferrell and Tilley started Good Buy Auctions in 2022, and by late 2023, they had branched out into estate sales.

”We love it,” Ferrell said. ”We know how to run one because we’ve been going to them for so many years.”

Sure, there are other consignment-based auction houses, but Good Buy Auctions is focused on true antiques.

“It’s a great niche to be in because our buyers trust us,” Ferrell said. “We take measurements, plenty of photos, and we do the research on your items. We are known for our attention to detail and a great resource of antiques to the general public.”

Good Buy Auctions uses the HiBid online auction platform. Auctions are open online for 4-5 days. Items begin at a minimum amount, and bidding continues to drive the prices up until they begin to close at 7 p.m. on the closing date.

“They sell nationwide, so we have a broad audience for online sales,” Ferrell said.

If you want to have Good Buy Auctions provide your estate sale services, they caution you should not to touch anything in the house. Don’t clean, and don’t toss. They once sold a 1900s doll made by Buddy Lee that was missing a leg. This is the reason they advise customers not to toss anything. The doll sold for $950.

“What you may think is trash, others will see as treasure,” Ferrell said. “I’ve seen people throw away quilts and vintage Christmas ornaments for goodness sake!”

So whether you are right-sizing like me or downsizing like Candy, Good Buy Auctions is an incredible asset. They have sold everything from broken dolls and costume jewelry to vintage cars, and yes, there was very hot bidding over my German BAPS felt storybook dolls, I’m happy to report.

I’m amazed and relieved. After loading up my son’s SUV and mine for one more trip to the warehouse, I now have a beautiful front bedroom available for guests, with not a shred of memorabilia remaining. My advice? Call Good Buy Auctions and let it go. Swedish Death Cleaning gives you a sense of incredible freedom, and I promise you will never miss what you were not using.