About Us
It was in the mid-’60’s when I first remember getting in Grandma Dugan’s big ol’ car and going to garage sales in Quincy, Illinois. What an adventure it was looking through people’s stuff as she explained the use or value of items — not silver or crystal, but why a bowl with a hole in it would make a good planter or how old t-shirts would help hold up her tomato plants. And when the tomatoes came, she’d eat them like an apple over her sink with her old, work-worn hands. All my life I admired her hands and wanted mine to be the same – worn, from just doing.
For as long as I can recall, the Sinovic family has always attended and held garage sales. Friends would often call me asking if I would help set up or run their sales and I always jumped at the chance. Some look at it as we do, a gift, and others more of a dysfunction; “why would you want to clean out someone’s house”? If it were about ‘cleaning out someone’s house’, we’d be Merry Maids, and that’ll happen as soon as I get back from the moon or become a gymnast. Cool thing for us is that we get to help and bring support to families during a transitional time in their life when a good many things are just uncertain (see FAQs page for answers to some common questions). We find out what a family needs and then develop a plan to just make it happen — with respect and dignity to the family, the home and its contents. Every person has a story, and we are blessed to be in a position to help them start their next chapter with peace and profit.
Though Blue Tape Sales & Service began as a one-gal-table-haulin’ gig, this company would not be able to do all we do without God’s direction and endless grace, as well as the most amazing “A” Team in all the land who have similar, and oftentimes, identical ideals of how to care for families and how guests should be treated when they walk into a Blue Tape Sale.
Several years ago, after completing a very labor-intensive, multi-faceted, detailed-sequencing sale and clean-out I said, “Wow, there is nothing Blue Tape can’t do!” … to which Paula replied, “Yea, anything but be hand models!”. And that’s just how we like it.
If you, or someone you know, would like to discuss how we may be of service, please call me at 913.709.9016 ~
Pass me a tomato, please 🙂
Nancy Sinovic
FAQ
Here are some common questions we receive:
What is an Estate Sale?
The definition has changed over the years. In the past, an Estate Sale was conducted to sell the complete contents of a home after someone passed away. In recent years, an Estate or Moving Sale might also be the result of downsizing or a transfer to another city or country where a family needs to sell all or the majority of the items in their home.
What do we need to do before we hire an Estate Sale company?
Nothing! It’s best to have the Estate Sale company do a ‘walk through’ of the home to determine the best strategy for the family. There is no fee to this service – just a quick evaluation to understand what the family’s needs are. We’ve found that many families spend countless hours doing work in the home that the Estate Sale company can do for them. Naturally, the family is going to want to select items they want to keep, but that can happen any time prior to the Estate Sale company setting up the sale.
What does Blue Tape charge for coordinating a Sale?
While every family and home differs because of size and contents, so does our price structuring. A home that will take 5 days in set up, with a 3-day sale, will have a different fee than a one day set up and 2-day sale. Generally speaking, Blue Tape charges a percentage of the total sales, or a minimum. Within 36 hours of the sale’s completion, Blue Tape will issue a check to the homeowner/estate for the proceeds, minus our fees.
What if we don’t have enough for an Estate Sale?
This situation is quite common. In the 10 years we’ve helped families with their transitions, we have never said, “Sorry, we can’t help you.” There are many alternatives to liquidating a home’s contents that include (but not limited to) a buyout, an auction company clear out, Blue Tape setting up for the sale and the family running it, donation and many more. Blue Tape can help guide you in the right direction to a solution that is timely and profitable.
How does Blue Tape advertise?
Blue Tape Estate Sales has a direct email list of over 5,400 people that receives each sale alert, our sales are posted on Estatesales.net, several Facebook pages and other internet sites for maximum exposure.
What happens with the stuff leftover from the sale and do you clean up afterwards?
We are happy to coordinate whatever the homeowner would like, but the options we can either coordinate the liquidation of the unsold items with a charity or Liquidator or leave the items in the home for the family to decide what they would like to do. After the home is cleared, we will lightly clean the home: sweep, vacuum and wipe down countertops, leaving the home, what we call, “Realtor Ready”. Please note that we do not scrub toilets or bathtubs or clean windows … we don’t like doing that at our homes, we’re not gonna do it at yours 🙂
How did you come up with the name “Blue Tape” for an Estate Sale company?
The Blue Tape name came to me after a lonnnng period of coordinating and sequencing a lot of life at one time and thinking it was best if I handled it on my own without asking for help. I have enjoyed painting rooms for many years and when painting, I “cut in” with the accuracy of a surgeon. At one job, I had attempted to ‘cut in’ an uneven wall/ceiling about five times when someone suggested I use blue painter’s tape to get it straight. Reluctantly, I rolled it out and the result was near perfect. Oddly enough, that moment triggered a realization for me that it’s a good thing to ask for help … from God, friends and family, and yes, blue tape.
If you could have ANY other job in the world other than this, what would it be?
Not applicable. I’ve got it 🙂 Every member of the Blue Tape “A” Team is a family member or dear friend, we get to help families all over the city, we have a different office every week, the table hauling and set up eliminates Fitness Center fees, we get to see and get to know happy buyers at every sale and it is especially cool that we get to wear snazzy Blue Tape Aprons!
Nancy Sinovic
Owner, Blue Tape Sales & Services
913.709.9016
