Confessions of an Estate Liquidator

We always face those “moments" in our lives where we we're called on to make choices. These are usually choices about our values and the way we want to see ourselves as human beings. I always pride myself and believing that I have a lot of common sense and make good choices.

Last weekend, Full of Surprizes Estate & Tag Sales of Long Island, did a large estate sale in Huntington New York. We were swarmed with people who loved the 5 acre home on Long Island, in horse country. Everything was selling, including three automobiles, (2 Mercedes and a Lincoln Navigator), two rugs, sofa’s, wall units, furnishings, clothing, jewelry, teak patio pieces, snow blowers, bicycles and cement pots), to name a few.

At the end of the second day we were all pretty exhausted as there is been hundreds and hundreds of people that flowed through the property on this exceptionally warm weekend. After counting up all of the money together, the homeowner counted out my commission for two of the three cars and put it on my fanny backpack to be put away. I didn't even look at it. Usually I count everything, but in this case, there had been so much camaraderie with the homeowners that I just smiled at her and put it in the bag.

So you can imagine my surprise the next day when I sat down to count the money for bank deposit and I discovered that there was $1000 too much in the bag. (I wasn’t remotely naive enough to think that she had given me a generous tip). So, I started texting her at 10 PM last night, only to discover it was her birthday and she wanted to wait to talk with me until today. But I figured this would be a great birthday gift, to tell her what had happened. She couldn't stop thanking me. And my response was, "of course" as in what other decision is there to make but the right one? It was a win-win situation. I really believe that the most important thing is to live a life of integrity. How about you?

The Whitney Finds a Home

In Manhattan’s Meatpacking District

On May 1st, the famed Whitney Museum of American Art opened the doors of its new, highly anticipated home atop Manhattan’s High Line in the Meatpacking District. The new digs have generated much intrigue, and is being hailed as an architectural marvel with admirers proclaiming it as an art piece itself.

Lack of space was the motivation for the Whitney’s move from its previous location on the Upper East Side where it spent the last 40+ years. The museum’s collection has grown extensively in that time, forcing trustees to look elsewhere. The new building doesn’t just boast display rooms, but performance space, classrooms, restaurants, terraces, and windows galore.

The new Whitney certainly doesn’t hold back on the aesthetics. A feature that art aficionados will appreciate. However, there are critics who claim that the grandeur of the building takes away from the art. Whichever way look at the new Whitney, the fact remains, this is where it’ll stay for years to come. Go see it for yourself!