SOME OF OUR LETTERS FROM HAPPY CUSTOMERS: (NOTE: WE HAVE MANY MANY MORE LETTERS FOR YOUR REVIEW)
August 1, 2010
Madeline, Thanks...this is great! (I had just signed her up to receive e-mail). I'm looking forward to getting notices from you. You did a great job with the Sea Cliff sale (and WHAT a job it was!) I especially liked how dearly you treated the owner (I happened to be in the kitchen a couple of times when you were talking to him and you were so gentle)...which has nothing to do with tag sales or prices but speaks to your patience and kind heart..a factor that is so important when a sale is going on in a house where the owners are still alive. You're someone I feel I could recommend . By the way...the book I was telling you about (and I'm sure you dohn't even remember with all that was going on during the sale) is "My Brother's keeper", (about the Collier brothers) and it is riveting (and horrifying).
I'm going to make one last pass through the house tomorrow to look at the house again ;-) All of us here in SC who are involved with landmark and truly historic houses have always wanted to see what the Connor Cottage looked like inside and this sale has been THE chance! I know that I should photograph and record all of the unusual details but it would take days and i don't have the time. I just hope that someone with a real appreciation for Victorian architecture buys the house and brings it back to it's glory! Cheers! "C"
June 3, 2010
HEY MADELINE !
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU AND YOUR CREW ARE ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!! I ALWAYS RECOMMEND YOUR SERVICES TO ANYONE WHEN I FIND OUT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO RUN A TAG SALE. I EVEN PRINT OUT YOUR HOMEPAGE WITH YOUR INFO AND PASS IT ALONG. I DO THIS BECAUSE I FEEL YOU STAND OUT FROM THE REST OF OTHER TAG SALE RUNNERS. YOU RUN YOUR SALES AND SERVICES WITH HONESTY, RESPECT, PATIENCE, CONSCIENTIOUSNESS, WARMTH, AND FUN ! I ALSO LIKE HOW ON YOUR WEBSITE YOU LIST SENIOR SERVICES, ETC. IT JUST SHOWS HOW THERE IS HEART IN WHAT YOU DO, AND NOT JUST OUT THERE TO MAKE A BUCK. I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR SALES - UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T GET TO MORE OF THEM. BUT WHENEVER I DO, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN A NICE EXPERIENCE WITH YOU, YOUR STAFF, AND EVEN WITH THE BUYERS YOU ATTRACT. WHILE WAITING MY TURN TO GET INTO THE SALE, I HAD A GREAT TIME TALKING TO SOME OF THE OTHERS WAITING WITH ME. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK !! TAKE CARE. - LAURA --------------------------------------------------
May 25, 2010
I jsut want to Thank Madeline and her staff so much for the wonderful job on the tag sale at my Mom's house. It was very difficult to leave our family home of 54 years. Aside fromhow sad it is, it was also overwhelming because soooo much had accumulated in the house and we didn't know where to begin. Madeline was particularly sensitive to what an emotional time this was for my Mother and offered her words of understanding and encouragement.
The crew came in and organized everything and priced everything fairly. We were a little worried about the sale being on a Friday, rather then the weekend. We shouldn't have worried. Full of Surprizes has a large following and the sale was very successufl. I want to let Laura know we did find our cat. ;) Thank you to everyone at Full of Surprizes! Most Sincerely, LW, Roslyn Heights
May 23, 2010: Ms D: (Realtor) Just wanted to share my exceptionally good experience with working with Ms. Madeline Winn of Full of Surprises. She and her team organized a tag sale at my mother's house. The tag sale was done very professionallyand was a great success, Ms. Winn took care of everything and also found some valuables (14K jewelry) that I was not aware of. This certainly speaks of her honesty and integrity and I would not hesitate to recommend her to anybody. Thank you again for referring Ms. Winn to me. Regards, Susannah Cort, M.D.
May 15 & 16, 2010 Roslyn, NY I write this letter as my husband and I sit with Madeline Winn in our kitchen, settling up our accounting for our two day tag sale. All we can say is what a woman!
She is a true professional in every sense of the word. Madeline above all is fair and honest in her business relations. In addition, she was a pleasure to work with: From the planning to the final execution of the tag sale, our minds were at ease as she was in total control both from the negotiations to the final result..of which we couldn't be happier!
We wholeheartedly recommend Madeline for your tag sale and we will be personally recommending her to all of our friends and relatives. Lori M _________________________________________________________________________________
Comment: Hi Ladies, Just saw this on Craigs list and wanted to forward it in case you hadn't seen it. I SO second this comment - from the buyer side. EVERYONE I meet who goes to your sales thinks so highly of all of you! Everyone thinks you're all just great to buy from! Have a great day & see you at the sales again soon! Chris P _________________________________________________________________________________
re: full of surprizes tag sales - (LI)
Date: 2010-02-16, 3:43PM EST Reply to: sale-6jscq-1603779575@craigslist.org [Errors when replying to ads?]
I am posting a commentary on full of surprizes, tag sale organizers. I have no financial interest in this co., and wish to say how pleased I am w/ them. I attend many tag sales, but find Madeline, and the ladies at Full of Surprizes to be the best in the business. Posted ads with proper directions, honest descriptions of contents, pleasant attitudes, willingness to negotiate, quality of sales, all count, and they are substantially above the competition. If you have a problem w/ these pros, then, the problem is most likely YOURSELF. The homeowners contracting, should provide a proper lunch for these hardworking ladies, they deserve it! Location: LI _________________________________________________________________________________
August 2009 Hi Madeline! We just wanted to thank you for affording us the opportunity to purchase this beautiful dinning room set at the Merrick sale on xxxx Leonard Ln. We got there early after seeing the photos of it on your web site, and knew immediately that this set was destined for us. Thanks to you and your wonderful staff and all the effort you've given in bringing your business to the for front of the technical age, we've been able to decorate and furnish our home through most of the items we've bought at your sales Laurie and the girls where a dream and delight to work with. And the home owner " Etta" was just a doll. Thanks again ............Al & Annie Ferrara
________________________________________________________________________________ Received:8/12/09 7:33To:FULL OF SURPRIZES TAG SALES SUPPORT@fullofsurprizes.com Dear Madeline, We wanted to take a moment, now that the tempo of events has quieted, to thank you for making our moving sale and total cleanout of the house manageable and at times even enjoyable learned a lot from you as you priced, negotiated and helped people to choose items that we hoped would find new homes. We know that we would not have been able to organize the day, direct the players and finish the task of leaving the house clean and ready to turn over to the new owners, without your direction and help.
When everyone else was tired at the end of the long process, there you were continuing to lead and making sure that every room, drawer and closet was checked and clear. We cannot stop talking about your professionalism, your honesty and your clear leadership during the sale and after, to others we know Thank you again. Sincerely, Joan and Henry Katz, Kings Point, NY _______________________________________________________________________________
August 11, 2009 Dear Madeline, We would like to thank you for the superb job you did in organizing, packing and running the very successful estate sale at the home of Marta Schwarcz in Hillcrest,Queens. Your extreme efficiency, honesty and professional manner was most appreciated and as you promised, at the end of the sale, the house was left in immaculate condition. We would gladly recommend you to anyone in need of setting up an estate/tag sale. Sincerely, Sam (and Dina) Deutscher Executor of the M Schwarcz estate
June 16, 2009 Dear Madeline, Well, all the pieces are in our home awaiting a good, thorough cleaning. We sit and admire each of them. Already, despite the obvious messiness of the pieces, we love them all! They are beautiful; true examples of a by-gone time when people cared a bit more about quality, design, craftsmanship. We are admiring each but, can't truly call them (completely) our own until we take this time to stop and express our thanks to you for facilitating our purchase. Our daughter Kerry is in love with you and your business acumen; you were so very good to her! Your assistance and insight were paramount in our success, so please accept our thanks; you are appreciated! At the risk of sounding trite: if you're out this way again, PLEASE call and stop by. We'd love for you to see these and other pieces we have been fortunate to acquire over our years of collecting.
Thank you again; you are truly a pleasure to deal with!
Best Regards,Ken & Betty Maher St. James Funeral Home
In the Spring of 2009, I contacted Full of Surprizes to conduct an estate sale at my late mother’s home on Long Island. Since I am living in California, I entrusted Madeline Winn to run the sale for me in my absence. In addition to appraising and selling over 50 years worth of antiques, furniture, and collectibles, Madeline also negotiated on my behalf with the new buyers who had a lengthy list of items they wished to purchase from the estate. I was extremely pleased with the way Madeline handled the sale. She did a wonderful job advertising, and almost all the contents were sold in one day. I was very satisfied with the prices realized through the sale. After the sale Madeline hired a crew to do the final cleanout for me. When I flew out to walk through the house before the closing, it was completely empty. Madeline was very professional and I enjoyed working with her. I would highly recommend Madeline to anyone contemplating an estate sale.
Going through an estate sale can be an ordeal, but Madeline made this process as painless as possible.
Dear Madeline, Thank you so much for helping us have a very successful tag sale. You made an overwhelming situation more bearable with your experience and professionalism. Your staff was great. I wanted to let your customers know that we are having a blow out auction on Friday, April 24th at 11:30AM. Viewing will be on the morning of the sale. If they have any questions, they can call Eliott Millman Auctioneers at 718 327-7697. The ad appeared this is past Sunday's business section of the NY Times. Thanks again, Elissa Chin, Antique Quest _____________________________________________________________________________
January 25, 09 Roslyn, NY
Here is the reference that I promised you:
Madeline Winn was not kidding when she named her company, "Full of Surprizes...". From start to finish, I was continually "surprized"(sp) by the ability of Madeline and her entire staff to make the sale of my parents tangibles such a terrific success. Thoroughly professional on the business side, adeline also brings a unique personal sensitivity from her fomer career in health care. Making our tag sale an emotionally less painful and at times, even pleasant experience was Madeline's best and biggest "surprise". I recommend, "Full of Surprizes" without reservation and with much confidence. Mark Gold MD
Dear Madeline, Thank you for the excellent and outstanding manner in which you conducted our tag sale. I should know how above and beyond others you were, having to engage someone else who also has a wide reputation, to run a second tag sale some months later, and only because you did not have the date available. I appreciate your courtesy, pleasant and knowledgeable team, effective display of our property which promoted high returns. The amount of money you produced for us was beyond our expectations. It was a pleasure to work with you - too bad we can't do another one. Sincerely, Tobie Newman
Dear Madeline, We would like to Thank You for the wonderful job you did setting up and handling our estate sale in Westbury. With the overwhelming amount of items we had, we could never have handled it ourselves. Your professional staff took right over, setting up and organizing all the different items we had for sale. It is quite obvious what amount of experience you and your staff have and the knowledge of what items are worth and how to sell them. We have and will continue to recommend your company to handle with honesty and competence to everyone interested in having an estate sale. You and your staff were a pleasure to work with. Thanks again, Fran & Darren Galante
I want to thank you so much for the wonderful job you did handling our father's estate. As you know, with my sister living in Florida and me in New Jersey, handling all the logistics of an estate sale was just not possible and was actually extremely overwhelming due to the shear amount of furniture, art,silver, dishes etc. Fortunately for us, our father had previously met with you and was very emphatic that we call you in the event of his passing. He said that of all the people he had interviewed, you were the most knowledgeable, respectful of his needs and well organized (an extremely important criterion for him). We agree with his assessment! Your handling of our father's estate took a large weight off our responsibilities. We were in contact frequently and you were always respectful of my concerns as, given the sadness and suddenness of our loss, we had difficulty letting go of many possessions that were meaningful to our parents but that we could not keep. Your extensive email list and contacts ensured that the vast majority of items were sold with care and for appropriate values and your final cleanup was a job we never could have tackled! You even found a buyer for our father's car which saved us a lot of aggravation! Thank you again for providing a very needed service. You made a difficult to impossible job for us much less painful and quite successful. My father would have been very satisfied! Sincerely, Cheryl Gaudette & Lynn Mateo (Dix Hills)
Dear Madeline, I want to tell you how pleased I was with you, and FULL OF SURPRIZES…I have to begin by saying that I initially was so overwhelmed by the idea of a sale, as I was moving and had to sell pretty much everything in my house. And being a true skeptic, I never thought anyone would even come to the sale, or buy anything…. You are truly a professional, who came to into my home, that was in disarray and made me feel comfortable in what you were going to do. You are honest, fair, and excellent at getting the word out, and your people in. Your girls were also fantastic- they came in, set up everything like it was a department store, on tables, so neatly and quickly. You priced things to sell, but fairly. And, no one was more full of surprizes than I was at how smoothly the day went and how much they bought!!!! I don’t know what I would have done without you, so thank you so very much for making this a memorable (and profitable) experience. I would highly recommend you without hesitation to anyone looking to sell their things. You are wonderful.
10/31/07 Dear Madeline, Just a short note to thank you for the competent and professional manner in which you helped my wife and I get thru a very hectic and stressful experience. I would be remiss if I didn't ask you to share these sentiments with your entire staff. Our expectations were not just met, they were exceeded.
Sept '07 (Voice Mail Message) Hewlett Harbor Hi Madeline, This is Sharon. I don't know where your cell fon number is but I have your card so I am calling this number. I just want to thank you for everything. I was exhausted last night but this morning, going over everything, it was successful beyond my wildest dreamss. The fact that the piano was sold was just phenonemal. And you and your staff so easy to work with. You kept me calm, as calm as I could be. It was such a positive experience all the way around. And all my friends and realtors that I've known in the past have all said negative things about tag sales in general. I have a bunch of your cards and I am totally going to recommend you. Thank you, thank you again! Sharon Bank Hewlett Harbor, NY
To the staff of Full of Surprises Tag Sale Service,
After being in the antique and collectibles business for many years, it is a pleasure to go to a tag sale that is professionally run and staffed with the nicest people around. The directions and signs leading to the sale are terrific, and upon arrival being met by pleasant people is a plus.
The items shown on the websight are in the sale and not sold before hand, giving everyone a chance to purchase. Objects in the home are realistically priced and the staff is willing to work with you when buying in quantity. Keep up the excellent work, and thank you again for making our antiquing excursion a pleasant and enjoyable experience!
10/05/2006 at 03:31:08 Comment: I am an ebay specialist for Mill Neck Manor School For Deaf, your sales are fabulous. Please consider if there are a few items that don't sell from time to time, letting the owners know they can donate to us. We give receipts and the money goes to a fantastic cause. I am a volunteer with a great cause in my heart. Thanks, keep up the good work. I recommend you folks to everyone for being a Class A outfit that is reasonable priced! Your services to sellers and buyers are impeccable. Thanks
September 21, 2006 Madeline, I can't thank you enough for the wonderful job you did for me regarding the tag sale held on Sept. 17, 2006. I was amazedhow almost everything was sold in the house. It was wonderful working with you and your staff and the professionalism you displayed. If you ever need a recommendation you can count on me. David Rosen Cedarhurst, NY
Aug 22, 2006 To Whom It May Concern: This note is a letter to assure you that if and when you choose Ms. Madeline Winn to handle your affairs, you will be in very pleasant & professional care. We recently as-a-family went through a loss and had a huge home to organize things to be sold & cleaned out. Ms. Madeline Winn, came in, set a professional standard, organzied & executed all that had to be accomplished. It was a pleasure dealing with her company for all that we went through.
Also, on a personal note!! Ms. Winn is a very honest individual and anyone who deals with her, doesn't have to worry about their personal items. We would highly recommend her services as a company and an individual. Sincerely yours, The Family of Benedetta Catabiano New Hyde Park, New York
June 19, 2006 Re: Madeline Winn and Full of Surprizes Tag Sales "Everything was explained to me in detail and systematically and methodically attended to during the weeks prior to the tag sale. As a result of this planning, the day of the scheduled event went off without a hitch and I was shielded from any undue stress and hardship, as was my family, our home and our belongings." "If you're looking for a professional group of women who know the art of the selling game well, have a database encompassing a wide spectrum network that reaches out to individuals and the businesses alike that are category specific, ie art, pianos, you'd be wise to contact Madeline. After that, sit back and enjoy watching her group spin their brand of magic as your closet specials become cash". Audrey Handler Oceanside, NY
May 16, 2006 "I had dreaded the prospect of having a sale of my possessions, but you and your staff were extremely professional. The experience was a pleasure, all of you are very knowledgeable and know your business. I would highly recommend you to any of my friends, family and colleagues if they ever consider a sale" Beverly Raff, Woodbury, NY
May 1, 2006 "There are not enough positive adjectives to describe the wonderful way you ran our tag sale. You and your staff were a delight to work with and made the difficult task of organizing and selling all of the furnishings we are unable to take to our new home extremely easy and profitable. The name of your company, "Full of Surprizes" is particularly well chosen. Working with you was full of surprises and all of them were pleasant. Despite the terrible rainstorm on the day of the sale, the tag sale was well advertised, well attended, our belongings displayed attractively, and every detail handled professionally". Libby Cohen, Plandome, NY
March 20, 2006 "We really don't know how to thank you for the job you & your girls did. It exceeded any expectations we had. I know you understand the anxiety your customers go through. What should I sell...what do I keep..how much do I ask..should I throw anything away..who cleans up. You made it very easy for us. We couldn't be more thrilled with the results" Gary Greene Woodmere, NY
