Episode 02: Grasons Estate Sales
Think estate sales are just old furniture and knick-knacks? Think again. In this episode of the Small Business Voice, Jeanette Forni and co-host Justin Duncan sit down with Stephanie Millar, a 27-year-old entrepreneur representing Grasons Estate Sales today — a franchise serving the entire Central Valley, including Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Sacramento, and the surrounding foothills.
Jeanette and Justin kick things off by talking about the hidden world of estate sales and how different they are from your typical garage sale. Stephanie breaks it down: while a garage sale is whatever someone drags to the driveway, an estate sale covers an entire property — furniture, fine jewelry, coin collections, collectibles, vehicles, and more. She explains their process starts with a free consultation, in-person or over Zoom, so the team can assess what's being worked with before anything is priced or staged.
One of the episode's biggest highlights is the story of a barn find — a grandfather's estate up in the foothills that turned out to contain a 1970 Dodge Challenger with a shaker hood, matching numbers, all-original engine and transmission, custom factory ordered, one owner. The house contents added to a sale that far exceeded what the family ever imagined.
Stephanie also shares a deeply moving story about a young couple from Oregon whose father had passed away and left behind a house with a back mortgage. They called Grasons hoping they wouldn't end up owing money for a clean-out — and walked away with a check, thanks to treasures like a massive Lionel train collection, Murano glass, and vintage Disney collectibles that an untrained eye would have passed right over.
Throughout the conversation, Stephanie covers what sets Grasons apart: meticulous pricing research, locking display cases for jewelry and watches with an on-site technician, a full register system that tracks every sale (useful for probate), card payment acceptance, three-day sales to maximize sell-through, and advertising across 14 platforms plus a personal email list of over 1,500 buyers. She also reveals that Grasons can handle single-item requests too — just a car, a jewelry collection, or even a junk run.
The episode wraps with tips on how to find estate sales in your area: visit estatesales.net or estatesales.org, type in your zip code, and browse upcoming sales with photos and searchable item tags. Whether you're looking to sell, downsize, or score a find, this episode is packed with information you didn't know you needed.
Left to Right: Co-Host Justin Duncan, Host Jeanette Lorentz-Forni, and Guest Stephanie Millar-Corcoran