Seasoned vintage sellers Jacquie Denny and Brian Graves believe that there is a one-of-a-kind piece in every house. In 2008, the two combined their passion for antique items and began their company, Everything But The House (EBTH). EBTH is a full-service estate sale business and secondhand goods marketplace for authenticated items. They focus on driving awareness through web presence and maintaining client-centric services. In 2012, after their online presence expanded and exceeded clients’ expectations, Andy and Jon Nielsen and their business partner, Mike Reynolds, took notice and joined in to take the company global. EBTH sells furniture, jewelry, art, coins, cars, collectibles, and more in regions throughout the country.
Learn all you need to know about this innovative and unique business in an exclusive Q&A session with Brian Graves!
Southern Home (SH): EBTH is such an intriguing concept, how did this idea come about?
(BG): Well, that’s a longer story than you might think! It was the combination of my co-founder, Jacquie Denny, and myself spending over two decades loving this business, developing our professional skills while working in both this industry and others, a passion for helping families, and a need to constantly search for ways to understand this market. We both witnessed how collecting interests were changing and how consumers were shifting from a physical to a virtual buying experience. Since we knew that the best thing we could do for our clients was to create an inclusive and approachable platform that levels the playing field, eliminates pretense, and maintains everyone’s collective best interest, we set out to create a new marketplace.
(SH): How does the process work? Do clients submit a form or submit images?
(BG): One of the most important things we do is simplify the process and remain approachable with the understanding that we are working to sustainably advocate for our sellers’ best interests. Along those lines, potential sellers can simply visit us at sell.ebth.com or call us at (844) 262-7459 to initiate the process. We work to understand the seller’s goals, determine the best way for them to communicate their situation, and utilize both remote and physical means to complete a no-cost consultation to make sure we’re the right fit for their needs.
(SH): How far will your team travel?
(BG): Well, I worked with an EBTH team in South Dakota a little over a week ago to initiate the sales process. And over the past several days, I’ve been traveling between Las Vegas (NV), Los Angeles (CA), Bakersfield (CA), Occidental (CA), and Middletown (CA) to work with potential clients. While we have physical operations in Boston (MA), Baltimore (MD), Washington (DC), Charlotte (NC), Columbus (OH), Chicago (IL), Dallas/Ft. Worth (TX), and of course where we started, Cincinnati (OH), we always say that as long as we can manage the logistics based on the opportunity to keep it a win-win, we’re willing to consider any opportunity.
(SH): What is the price of your services?
(BG): As I mentioned, the goal is win-win! Therefore, we predominantly work on commission, so we only make money when the seller does. We’re always working to provide a combination of both the most exceptional experience and service that a client can hope for, while also working to generate the largest amount of proceeds the market can offer. Since we work with clients that have anywhere from tens to hundreds of items in their homes or businesses to a single item, and those items can range from hundreds of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars per item, we have to be open-minded. Generally speaking, sellers can see anywhere from 50% to 85% of the sale proceeds, depending on their unique situation.
(SH): Is there a minimum limit of items to qualify for your service?
(BG): No! Obviously, there are logistics to consider and a great deal of effort that goes into selling each item, so we’re trying to balance the potential of the consignment with the effort and expenses required to keep it mutually beneficial. To that end, we offer our full-service option, we schedule drop-offs of consignments at our physical locations, and we even offer mail-in consignment, where we’ll help you coordinate shipping to our central processing facility. In short, we’re working very hard to support everyone we can.
(SH): What qualities do you look for in the items that you sell?
(BG): The truth is that every category of object you can imagine has the potential to generate interest in the market. Generally speaking, we’re working to identify items that are going to catch someone’s attention and excite them at the chance to own it, or, minimally, at least fulfill a need for their new owner. We work diligently to know the market and in doing so, we segregate items into categories of “salable,” “donatable,” and “disposable,” based on our comprehensive insight into the market. This is why it’s crucial not to get rid of anything before connecting with a professional.
(SH): We read that your company culture is heavily centered around trust. How have you seen that foundation contribute to the success of your company?
(BG): In most instances, we’re working with sellers during a very vulnerable time in their life with objects that have an emotional attachment while having limited insight into its terms of current market value. For that reason, sellers are hesitant to trust anyone who they do not feel has their best interest at heart. It’s for that reason that we look at every client’s situation as an opportunity to overcome those fears, advocate for their best interests, and exceed their expectations. The core of our business is driven by referrals from clients that have partnered with us during their journey. Without their support and testimony, it’s much more difficult to develop new relationships.
(SH): What are the most popular items that sell on your site?
(BG): Jewelry, art, and automobiles always drive the most excitement and audience participation. However, as I mentioned, every category of item has the potential to drive interest. I sometimes like to enter keywords on the site and search through the results for ended items, sorted by which ones were most actively followed or that achieved the highest bid. To access the list of the most followed items that have previously sold on EBTH, click here.
(SH): How do you see trends affect buying/selling in your business?
(BG): Beyond the need for a client-centric, full-service solution, constantly changing trends and consumer interests were a driving force behind the inception of EBTH. Obviously, design trends and styles, consumer brand awareness, lifestyle choices, and collecting interests are several of the driving forces behind demand. However, we’ve seen a renewed enthusiasm in recent years in consumers wanting to discover something different, items that have a story to tell, and wanting to blend it into their lives.
(SH): What’s next for EBTH? Are there any news ideas/features on the horizon?
(BG): The need to continually perfect what we’re already doing keeps us pretty focused. We’re constantly evaluating our platform to enhance the user experience for everyone. Other efforts are underway to provide greater accessibility and insight into our platform through programs like our mail-in consignment program or our Value Estimator Tool. Finally, I’d say we are continuing to leverage media and content delivery strategies to promote awareness to this industry, the families that we serve, and the unique and exciting experiences that we encounter every day.
