When we lived in Michigan there were tons of wonderful estate sales--not so here. But what they would do is the family would get together and have the sale Friday, Saturday and maybe Sunday, end by noon. They'd open the whole house, which is easy because no one is living there, and people go from room to room and then check out in the front. Lots of people had things like their pottery or jewelry, things they made, by the up front sale table and they sold a lot that way.

I think priced sales are better because I didn't like the ones with no prices, but that might be just me.

When there were heirs in town that seemed like functional families, the family doing it was the norm. There were also professional sale companies, at least two three for that area, and sometimes they had family there helping and sometimes they didn't.

But we are talking really, really big houses, like 3000-4500 square feet, plus barns, and LOTS of stuff in the houses. The people who never got rid of anything since 1950.

But the smaller sales were great, too. I've bought woodstoves, tools, furniture, cookware, textiles, jewelry, and even a half dead orchid and aluminum foil.

I think since you have the pottery table idea and you like your sister, it could be really fun. You know if what is there is super valuable, and it sounds like those things are gone already.