Testimonials
In late spring of 2024 my family moved my 100 year old father to an assisted living facility. I was then faced with the enormous task of emptying out the house he had lived in since 1978, a task I had been dreading for many years. My family used to joke that things came in but nothing ever left that house. Having been raised during the depression, my Dad became somewhat of a hoarder. So you get the picture …. lots of junk but to be fair also a lot of antiques and collectibles. The latter prompted me to search for “high end estate sales” online and that’s how I found found Donnelly and Donnelly. It was a stroke of luck for me that Cathie and Murphy were able to make time in their schedule to conduct my 3 day sale.
Prior to the sale, Cathie and Murphy worked tirelessly for a couple of weeks to sort through junk and garbage to find items to sell. Cathie, as a licensed appraiser, did a significant amount of research and was able to recognize value in a lot of things I would have simply taken to Goodwill. I was amazed at some of the things people bought! Conversely, I was also surprised at what they didn’t buy. But in the end, the sale was enormously successful! It was truly a pleasure to work with Cathie and Murphy and their staff including Murphy’s sister who catalogued all the linens and manned the jewelry table, and their daughter who helped tame the thundering hoards who arrived before the sale start!
Reading the testimonials on their website convinced me and that’s why I’m writing this for those of you who might find yourselves faced with the same Herculean task I was. Please don’t hesitate to hire them. They will make your life so much easier. They turned my nightmare into an interesting and manageable experience. They will do the same for you! Trust them and listen to their advice. Their years in the field have given them so much knowledge and a long list of clients who will come and buy, buy, buy!
Gioia A - June 2024 - (253) 350-7814
Let’s face it, downsizing and moving is a traumatic event. Cathie and Murphy were great with making the estate sale part of the move flawless. We were told what was expected of us and they took care of the rest. Very professional throughout; good communicators, quick with returning calls etc. Couldn’t be happier. We highly recommend them and while hoping, for our sake, to not have to do it again, we would use them without hesitation.
Stay well,
Sally & Bob T - May 2024
I want to thank Donnelly and Donnelly Estate Sales/Cathie and Murphy for the outstanding job they did with our estate sales. We had a huge home filled with 60 years accumulation from 3 generations and it was FULL! Three floors and outside sheds that were FULL! They persevered and worked through it all. It took a few weeks to do all this, and it took two, 3-day sales to accomplish what needed to be done and I'm sure a couple dump runs. I felt very comfortable and at ease with Cathie and Murphy, knowing our home was in good hands. We were out of state, and they took care of our home and things while we were gone. They knew their business and their merchandise, and researched things and marketed things to the best of their ability, which was amazing, and we felt very confident in all they accomplished. They went over and above our expectations. I would definitely recommend them if you are in need of a professional and thorough estate sale company. Thank you, Cathie, and Murph!
Laurie & Ron P- Feb & Mar 2024
I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude to Cathie and Murphy of Donnelly Estate Sales. They went far and beyond my expectation. At the first meeting, Cathie took the information and with her dedication, expertise, hard work, and attention to detail made the entire process smooth and successful. The two-day estate sale was a huge success. They even found and sold some treasuries I did not know had any value. My husband had a Tiffany lamp with a plug-in problem. He kept telling me that it was expensive and he was right. Cathie sent the lamp to a Nation Auction House where it sold it for much more than I thought it was worth. I did not have to do anything after and after the sale. I mean “Nada”! They even arranged after sale clean up and pick up, a store to donate some of the items and even arranged for the trip to the dumpster. Cathie and Murphy are the two nicest and most trustworthy people I know and you will ever know. I call them my Angels. I am so happy and honored to have Cathie and Murphy as my dearest friends now. They put a high standard in all that they do, and I was lucky to have Donnelly Estate Sales working with me. I wish them well and much success.
Mary Radcliffe, 5/26/2024
I just wanted to tell you how much fun I had today and that I love every single thing I bought! Thank you for all your hard work. You hosted a really lovely estate sale today and were calm and professional throughout.
Nina P February, 2024
Cathie and Murphy of D&D Estate Sales were great to work with! We were clearing out a house with a VERY large collection to sell. They took care of everything, relieving my family of a huge burden. They were great about communication and updated us each day of the sale about how things had gone. I was impressed that they knew the sales numbers so quickly and that left me confident in their accounting practices. We were amazed at the number of photos they posted on their website and their publicity was excellent. It was shocking to see the long line of people coming to the sale on the first day. They managed to sell some very difficult items that I thought would never sell.
You need to have a lot of trust in the person you hire for your Estate Sale. I believe D&D was very honest and followed through with everything exactly as the contract laid out, with no concerns. Best of all they were just really nice people to work with. If I have a need to hold an estate sale in the future, I will absolutely call them again. I encourage you to do the same!
Mark S. - June 2023
We are very pleased to be able to share our experience with Donnelly & Donnelly Estate Sale Services. From our very first meeting to the joyous conclusion of our estate sale this spring, we hold this team in the highest regard for their professionalism and expertise. We feel extremely lucky that they accepted us as clients. We saw first-hand the diligence and hard work they put into our sale. I really don't know how Cathie had the energy to work all day at our house, sorting, pricing, displaying, and then work at night doing online research. Cathie's online research of unusual items benefitted us greatly. I have been telling all of our friends that when their turn comes to hire an estate sale company, I hope they are as lucky as we were that Donnelly & Donnelly could fit us into their schedule.
Joan and Drew Rothrock - April 2023
PS Cathie, I am happy for you to share my cell number with anyone who desires a more in-depth conversation - 206-992-3574
Thank you again for conducting our sale. Even though that time of leaving our house was stressful for me, I hold fond memories of those days thanks to you! Enjoy your well deserved break at the cabin. Joan
I have worked with Donnelly & Donnelly on two sales in less than a year. The first sale was for my uncle’s estate. Cathie and Murphy worked really hard for a month bringing order to chaos. I am still amazed at how they pulled it all together. Then my husband and I recently moved. We contacted them about having a moving sale. They were able to fit us into their schedule on short notice. Both the estate sale and the moving sale went really well. They are easy to work with. I would not hesitate to contact them again or to recommend them to others.
Pam - April 2023
Cathie and Murphy did an estate sale for us. They were very pleasant, honest, and reliable. They came when they said they would. The sale was a success. Everything went smoothly. We got a check the next day.
Al & Pauline - September 2022
When we called Donnelly and Donnelly they were very quick to respond. They took great care in displaying all items. We had a house full and most of the items sold. Very happy!! Would definitely use them again.
Jeanene - October 2022
“We had the pleasure of using Donnelly & Donnelly in March 2022, to help us downsize in preparation for selling our house. Cathie and Murphy were consummate professionals. They were reliable, efficient, and extremely good at pricing and selling our things. The sale went off without a hitch due to their skills and hard work. We were very pleased with the final results. We strongly endorse their services!”
Nancy & David
March 2022
“I used Donnelly & Donnelly in March 2022.
They are amazing!! Very professional, trustworthy, know what they're doing, in constant communication, and get the job done!
They held an online estate auction for all the furniture and large items which worked out well. They then had the remainder of items sold at the house estate sale...labeling & pricing a gazillion items. I would never have been able to get this done in such a timely and organized fashion...nor would I know what to price items.
It's hard enough dealing with the grief of a loved one and I can't say enough about how I felt they came to my rescue. They are very caring people on top of all this.
Needless to say I highly recommend Cathie and Murphy!”
Cindy B
March 2022
“My brother and I decided to use Donnelly and Donnelly to manage the estate sale of our parents’ home of 65+ years. It was one of the best decisions we could have made. Cathie and Murphy were so well organized; their knowledge and experience were apparent on the first day we met them. And, they were an absolute joy to work with, so easy to communicate with. They made a daunting and difficult process run so smoothly; it was a lifesaver for us. Their website advertising the sale was so impressive and detailed, and the display of the items was amazing: We could hardly believe our eyes when we walked in the house and saw how incredible everything looked! Cathie and Murphy went above and beyond to make this a very successful sale and we are ever so grateful! We can’t recommend them highly enough – you won’t be disappointed!
Thank you !”
Gin T and Michael C
April 2021
“Cathie did a fabulous job with our parent’s 57 year estate sale. She went above and beyond to sell the items and is extremely trustworthy in every aspect. Her services enabled us to focus on other areas of closing out the estate. We highly recommend her.”
Marchelle P
March 2021
“We worked with Donnelly & Donnelly when my mother moved (and downsized) across the country. From the beginning Cathie was responsive and professional. I liked that I wasn’t up charged for credit card fees or advertising. My mom was not at all organized and it was honestly chaotic. But Cathie was undaunted and told us not to worry that she had it from there on. It was a relief because I live in Oregon and work full time. She got to work right away to set up the sale and reached out for questions. The icing on the cake was that my mom accidentally left my father’s ashes behind and Cathie very quickly shipped them to her!! Despite a pandemic going on, Donnelly & Donnelly held a successful sale and my mom was very happy with the proceeds. I highly recommend this company to help families through the challenge of an estate sale!”
Sarah H
July 2020
“My brothers and I used Donnelly and Donnelly for our estate sale after the death of our mother. We could not have been more pleased.
First, my parents had lived in the house for 70 years and had an enormous amount of stuff. Donnelly and Donnelly did a masterful job of organizing and displaying everything. When people came to the sale it was easy for people to see everything and given the volume of material that was quite an accomplishment.
Second, my parents had been collectors. For example, they had a lot of Asian artwork and items. Donnelly and Donnelly not only knew how to contact people who would likely be interested in these items, but they could tell the difference between an inexpensive reproduction and a genuine antique. My brothers and I would have been lost trying to price everything.
Third, they handled everything. They have an extensive email list they used to generate customers. They set everything up, handled sales, dealt with sales tax, and everything else. All we had to do was receive the final check.
"Lastly, they did all of this under very difficult circumstances. Shortly before the sale was to take place the county was placed in lockdown due to COVID. They still made everything ready and when sales could begin again they very successfully ran it. We received far more income from the sale than we had expected before the COVID restrictions.”
Dave G.
July 2020
“I LOOOOOOVE going to sales put on by Donnelly & Donnelly!
- Cathie is reasonable in pricing, great as a professional retailer,
- her helpers are superb & keep a close eye on valuables (so no one pockets any, or the piece you selected won't be taken by someone else!), so I thankful they are there,
- then there's Murphy.... an estate sale wouldn't be the same without his jovial greeting, assistance, knowledge of everything in the garage, garden, or basement!!!!
Thank you for always making your estate sales well organized, priced, and an enjoyable experience for us consumers. We really appreciate you and your efforts.”
Rita Harris, Broker
June 2020
“Cathie and Murphy,
You guys are GREAT! Thank you so much for taking your time and sharing your expertise with us. You are so knowledgeable, we were very impressed with all of your insights about estate sales that you so generously gave to us today. It’s so unfortunate that the Covid-19 pandemic is restricting individuals from being together and mutually benefitting. Lastly, the photographs that you took very accurately show items that we are sorting through. We will highly recommend you to others!”
With deep appreciation and best wishes,
Richard & Nancy
April 2020
“This is a long overdue note of thanks for the magnificent way you handled the estate sale at our now former home.
I had a few qualms before opening our home to what sounded like possible chaos and loss of privacy as people came to see what we had to offer.
In fact, you handled it all so professionally and expertly, that you created order out of chaos!
I loved peeking in at your progress and even wished I could also buy my own stuff, so attractively it was presented.
We were treated respectfully and collegially by you and we even made a lot of money from the sale.
There was zero damage to house and garden. I'd do it again if you were in charge.
Thanks so much for doing all the work and making this a good experience for us!”
Yours gratefully,
Toni M
July 2019
“We would like to share with anyone looking for an Estate Sale Company our wonderful experience working with Cathie and Murphy. Our family hired Donnelly & Donnelly to clean out our mother’s home of 65 years to prepare it for sale. They spent days preparing, having a two day Estate Sale and handling all donations and disposals. When we arrived at the home after the sale, it was totally cleaned out and we received our check from the sale, itemized as to proceeds from the Estate Sale, donations and dump fees. Our family was so ecstatic as to how easy this experience was for all of us! They are so professional and caring and an absolute pleasure to work with. Highly recommend their services.”
The Kaldestad Family
June 2019
“Donnelly and Donnelly met promptly with me to discuss the estate sale and were able to schedule a sale when others could not. They took care of all of the details including research and pricing, organizing, displaying, advertising and staffing the sale. The crowd was huge, and we got much more money than we ever could have on our own. They are professional and were a pleasure to deal with.”
John E. May 2019
“Cathie Tomlinson of Donnelly and Donnelly Appraisals and Estate Sales Services was exceedingly helpful to our family as we struggled to find appropriate avenues for the antique furniture and silver items that the family could no longer keep. The mover with whom she works closely was also extremely accommodating. I am truly grateful to Cathie and her associates and can recommend them without hesitation!!”
Myra Hoane October 2018
“I recently hired Donnelly and Donnelly to conduct my estate sale. I found that Cathie and Murphy are very proficient at organizing a sale. They came on time and stayed all day, pricing and organizing in the days prior to the sale. They organized everything in a way that had logic and made things easy to see. And, everything had a price tag. They handled everything which made it easy for me. They literally took the pain out of emptying my home. I could never have done it by myself. If they didn't know what to price something, Cathie would research it on the internet. I could never have accomplished that by myself for the 50 years worth of stuff I had accumulated. They earned their commission and my respect and I am proud to call them my friends.”
Carl O, Seattle July 2018
“Cathie and Murphy:
I want to thank you so much for staging and conducting a very successful downsizing/estate sale for us. We had a whole houseful and garage of stuff collected over many years and through your efforts and knowledge working with this kind of merchandise and pricing of the many items, it was a very successful sale and drew in a great amount of people and buyers. Conducting an estate sale was the best process we could do to downsize and you validated this with great results. You are truly professionals and we are so grateful to you both.”John and Carolyn, Bellevue
March 2018
“Donnelly and Donnelly ran my estate sale last week. I was thrilled with their work. Cathie spent about 5 hours a day- Monday-Friday to prepare my house for a Saturday-Sunday sale. She was very organized and did a great job with the pricing, merchandising and display. D&D had 3-4 people working my sale all weekend, so they could efficiently handle questions, sales, and manage the people coming through the house.
Donnelly & Donnelly has a large group of regulars, including antique and retailer stop owners. Some of these regulars came to Ballard from as far away as Gig Harbor and Sumner to purchase. And I was very happy with the sale total and received a check in the mail by Thursday- post sale.”Allison M
March 2017
“Dear Cathie:
Thank you so much for all the work you have done! I can't believe that people pay so much for all that old stuff. I am forever in your debt for rescuing all my old junk and making it available to sell. Thanks again.”Elaine D
“My Dad is in process of selling his condo. We have a few really nice antiques and loads of decent furniture. Cathie was incredibly helpful and honest. They have work lined up so we are not able to secure their services yet she gave us a lot of leads. My Dad only wants a fair price and isn't looking to make big money. I really appreciate how Cathie handled the conversation with my Dad. Give these folks a try!”
Terri E
“As a real estate agent, I have recommended Cathie for several different estates that had mega items to organize. So very often people have collected all kinds of items over the years, and when they pass, they leave the families with a lot of beautiful things (and some not so beautiful). Cathie and her team organize these items so beautifully and carry out the sale with seemingly ease. Cathie knows the value of items and gains the true value for the families. She has been a great source for me to refer to clients. I know the job will be handled with respect and ease.”
Jan Slawson (Windermere Real Estate/Wall St, Inc)
“Cathie, I wanted to thank you very much for the excellent work you did for us in February. You set up, arranged and priced a great quantity of items in short order. You took care of the advertising and the sale with precision. Then you cleaned up the entire house, basement and yard and donated or disposed of the remainder. We were very happy with the result and amount you brought in.”
Chuck Cox
“I have used Cathie Tomlinson and her team to settle an estate in the disposition of its eclectic personal property, which Cathie accurately identified and sold. I also used her for the disposition of a decedent's collection of jewelry. I have been very satisfied with Cathie's work and do not hesitate to recommend her to others.”
Gary Bergquist, Attorney
“I have referred Cathie and Murphy to many of my clients over the years. They are personable, trustworthy, fast and efficient. I never worry about a thing when I know they are taking care of the sale and emptying out afterward. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone who needs an estate sale. It's the smart thing to do, as many families are completely overwhelmed.”
Bonnie Ellsworth (Associate Broker Windermere/Ballard)
“I was so impressed by Donnelly & Donnelly! They were quick and efficient and a pleasure to work with. I couldn't believe how fast they got my mother's house ready for the sale and how much sold. They did a great job cleaning out the house afterwards. My sister and I were incredibly relieved that we didn't have to empty ou the house ourselves. With D&D you will get friendly, reliable service and be glad that you called them. I definitely am. I strongly recommend Donnelly & Donnelly to anyone who would like to have an estate sale. Mom's house sold on the second day of being on the market. So we are completely done with the house. Thanks again for being so amazing!”
Diane Henry
“I have hired Cathie Tomlinson as both an estate appraiser and to manage estate sales numerous times. Not only have I had excellent results, but the Judge in one case commented how thorough and well done the appraisal was.”
Michael E. Keller (Attorney)
“We were so happy to find you to do our recent estate sale. We felt completely at ease turning over every detail to you. We could never have realized as much money as you got for us. You knew how to price everything properly. Thank you for great service.”
Leon and Ruby Holman
“As the executor of an estate, I researched companies that could appraise and conduct the sale of personal property. After interviews with several people, I selected Cathie and Murphy Tomlinson of Donnelly & Donnelly in Seattle, and I am glad that I did. They assisted me in various ways with the assets and the estate sale was a success. Cathie and Murphy were professional, knowledgeable and reliable, but also, more importantly to me, down-to-earth and friendly. It was a pleasure to work with them. I recommend their services to others handling estates or other personal property appraisals and issues.”
Bob Sifferman (Attorney)
“Cathie and Murphy far exceeded my expectations. I interviewed several estate sale companies prior to selecting Donnelly & Donnelly to the sell the contents of my mother-in-laws home. Donnelly & Donnelly were selected because during the interview, they displayed an excellent knowledge of the value of the home's contents and their remuneration was based upon performance, rather than a set minimum amount. They were a fantastic team and did not disappoint. Murphy packaged the garbage for me while finding, organizing and pricing valuables in the basement, which had not been seen for years. Cathie organized the rest of the house. Items were priced based on their true market value. The sale resulted in significantly more than I expected. If you need a team you can trust to help you with an estate sale, which will maximize your return, Cathie and Murphy should be your choice.”
Bill Lee
“It was a wonderful experience working with D&D. Cathie and Murphy were a joy to have at a time where so much was in flux. All the worries of having an estate sale were set to rest with their professional and calm demeanor and business acumen. The pricing was fair and honest. I could not have been more satisfied. I unabashedly recommend D&D for any and all estate sale needs.”
Greg Pease
“Hi Cathie & Murphy. I wanted to thank both of you for the wonderful job you did in organizing, preparing, selling and cleaning up my folks' home for the recent estate sale. You two are the very best. When you guys said just leave it all alone, we will take care of everything, I thought "Yeah, right"! But, in fact, you did!! Murphy, you did in a few days what would have taken me weeks to do and even then I would still have a mess. You went through everything: organizing it and tossing out loads of junk in preparation for the sale. In the end as difficult and overwhelming as it was to my father and I, you worked your magic and the sale went well. Many thanks! We have a close friend who will be requesting your services in the near future. BTW, I would be honored to give a glowing reference to anyone with questions about our experience. You are the best!!!”
Tim Pearson
“Hello. I was at your Magnolia sale this morning and I just wanted to say thank you for putting on such a fantastic estate sale. The displays, the items themselves and the pricing were all fantastic. It was such a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, quite different than the other estate sales I've been to (some can be so tense). I'm looking forward to your next one! Thanks again.”
Lis
“I met Cathie and Murphy in late October and we agreed to a quick estate sale within 3 weeks. Mom had moved to senior care and we needed to get the house ready for sale. The Tomlinsons were very professional and efficient, as well as being kind and understanding of someone like me who knew nothing of the process. I was out of town for the sale and when I returned was amazed by the fact that was NOTHING left in the house! Fortunately, I had removed the things that were special to Mom and me before the sale. So, with a bit of cleaning, patching and painting, the house will be ready to be put on the market. My thanks to Cathie and Murphy for their fast and excellent work. I would recommend the to anyone who is in need of estate sale services.”
Elana R
“I can recommend Donnelly Estate Sales very highly. I hired them when my aunt moved into assisted living and her house was going up for sale. Cathie and Murphy responded promptly and met with me at my convenience, as I live a good distance away. They did a fair and accurate evaluation of my aunt's accumulation of over 50 years, including many antique items and collectibles from Scandinavia and the Philippines. They organized, priced and displayed the items professionally. Over the two days of the sale, they and their staff welcomed customers and treated everyone in a friendly manner and with respect. When the sale was completed, they did a fantastic job cleaning up, donating unsold items and hauling trash away. I couldn't have asked for better service. They helped me immensely in a very trying and stressful time.”
Sidsel T.
“My mother recently passed and we used Donnelly & Donnelly to empty out her townhouse. I am comfortable recommending D&D to anyone else needing to empty a household. Cathie and Murphy were expert, professional and reliable. Cathie made it very clear from the outset what we could expect from them, and they delivered fully on that commitment.”
Berrie M.
“I used Donnelly & Donnelly to clean out my aunt's home last summer and found working with them to be easy and fun. They were very helpful in determining what would and would not sell. The pricing and presentation was set-up to sell as much as possible. I did not get a sense that it was cluttered or items were in areas that made no sense. Cathie even advised me of items that would be better sold via eBay.
There were a number of items that were missing keys and Murphy was able to open them up. I felt they were very honest and trustworthy since the items they opened up contained currency.
They also advised me how to sell the items that did not sell at the estate sale. This was useful information.
Cathie and Murphy are a great team. I would hire them again for an estate sale. I would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone that needed to deal with downsizing and/or selling off an estate.”Cheryl L
“I decided to sell the house on Queen Anne that I had lived in for nearly 30 years and which I had managed to fill up with 30 years of stuff. I'm not a hoarder, but I had way more junk than I knew how to get rid of. I did not want to personally my items or be directly involved, so I called D&D at the suggestion of my realtor. Cathie and Murphy answered my call promptly and although they were quite busy, they took the time to come over and tell me how to get ready for the sale. They told me not to waste any time trying to organize things. They said they would do that after I had removed the things I intended to take with me.
After I moved out the things I was keeping, they sorted, organized and priced everything. Over a weekend they sold off a good amount, which included a lot of books, kitchen supplies, furniture, tools and a whole bunch of miscellaneous stuff. The terms of the agreement were clear. They promptly gave me a statement and paid me my share.
Of even greater importance, for an extra fee, they will remove everything that didn't sell. Most of it goes to charity and they provide the receipt so that you can claim a tax deduction. The day after the weekend sale, the house was completely empty and ready for cleaners.
By doing the sale in a professional manner and then ridding me of the stuff that didn't sell, D&D removed most of the stress normally attendant to a move after so many years in the same place. I would have considered it a deal even if I hadn't made a penny off the sale, but in fact, I made nearly twice what it cost me to hire movers to take my things to Whidbey Island.
”I would highly recommend D&D to anyone facing the same situation I was facing. Moving is stressful enough without having to handle getting rid of things yourself. They make it much less so,, and you get some money to boot. That's hard to beat!”John C
“To Future Clients of Donnelly & Donnelly:
It has been my pleasure to have retained D&D to handle the estate sale of my mother's personal property. They were courteous when they came to check out her personal items, and didn't make me feel inferior because the items were not high end. All during the set-up time, when I happened to be there, they were pleasant, easy to work with and answered all my questions with knowledge.
During the sale, the couple of times that I was there, Cathie, Murphy and her staff were professional, helpful and made every sale special to those who purchased their items.
I also engaged them for the clean up after the sale. it was done efficiently and with speed, but not sloppy. When they were finished, the house was declared by the real estate agent that it was presentable for sale, without me having to do anything else.
I am extremely pleased with the job that was done, and would highly recommend them for your future needs.”D. Rochon
“I have enjoyed sales held by Donnelly & Donnelly for years. There is a distinct difference between estate sales that makes some enjoyable and others frustrating. This was recently illustrated at a sale in Seattle. When checking out, there was confusion about payment and the change returned due to the addition of another item. During the whole incident, Cathie was patient and calm, and continued to focus on what needed to be done. It is a pleasure shopping at D&D sales, where it is clear that customer service is priority. Thank you!”
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