Gold jewelry is one of the categories homeowners frequently encounter when preparing for an estate sale, but identifying what you have is not always as simple as looking for something that appears gold-colored. A piece may be solid gold, gold-filled, gold-plated, vermeil, or made from another metal entirely. Older jewelry may have tiny or worn markings, and some genuine gold pieces may have no easily visible mark at all. That is why the first step should usually be identifica

One of the most difficult questions for a family preparing for an estate sale is also one of the simplest: How do we know what is actually valuable? In many homes, the most valuable objects are not necessarily the largest, oldest, or most impressive-looking items. A piece of furniture that has been carefully preserved for decades may have relatively modest resale value, while a small object sitting inside a drawer may deserve much closer attention. This is one reason families

An old team photograph purchased at a California estate sale for about $250 is now attracting national attention because researchers believe one of the young players pictured may be baseball legend Babe Ruth. The story is remarkable because the potential value being discussed reaches into the millions of dollars. But for homeowners preparing for an estate sale, the most useful lesson may have very little to do with Babe Ruth—or even with the eventual value of this particular