Estate sale selling a good cause (and a few bargains)

AMENIA — There’s nothing more alluring to a shopper than the early bird special: the opportunity to sift through aisles of potential treasures several hours (or days in some cases) before the general public.

That’s what will happen tomorrow, Dec. 12, at Troutwalk Farm in Amenia.

Collins, Forbes & O’Brien, a company specializing in estate, moving and consolidation sales, will host its sixth estate sale as a partnership.

Part of the team’s magic formula is the local service component that all their sales revolve around.

Having already raised funds for organizations like the Lakeville Hose Company and the Salisbury Ambulance (the company is based in Salisbury, Conn.), Collins, Forbes & O’Brien are turning their sights on Amenia.

Their special wine and cheese opening party on Friday night collects a $25 at-the-door fee that will go toward funding the Wassaic Hose Company.

“Wendy O’Brien [who owned Troutwalk Farm and is no relation to Peggy] has been very grateful to the hose company,� O’Brien said. “When she contacted us about putting on one of her sales at the farmhouse, we asked her which organization she’d like to raise money for, and there wasn’t a moment of hesitation before she decided.�

Collins, Forbes & O’Brien sales usually take place in a house that is on the market, but in this case the house has already been sold and the previous owner is simply looking to sell off the items inside. Almost everything on sale this weekend is from the estate, and ranges from the small and inexpensive (clothes, children’s toys) to the massive and well, a little pricier (rugs, billiards table). Nick Collins estimated a price range “between 50 cents and $10,000, with a whole lot in between.�

The sales quintet has only been an official business entity for under a year, but their joint expertise in antiques and real estate dates back much further.

Collins owned an antiques center in Salisbury for 35 years. His wife, Anne, helped at the store, and is still involved in the venture. She also spent years doing additional hospice work. Diane Forbes had been in television production, as well as marketing work for local businesses. O’Brien is a  lawyer.

Their first sale fell into their laps, according to the group.

“It went really well,� O’Brien said. “People who came to the sale asked us, ‘Do you do this for a living?’ And it took off from there.�

O’Brien explained that there used to be a local organization called Fitch-Howard that had put on popular estate/tag sales similar to theirs.

“It seems like there’s a need for this,� she said. “And then the community part of it just naturally evolved. So many people are involved in the community that help us, so we try to help them. It’s our way of giving back.�

The opening sale at Troutwalk Farm’s main and carriage houses will be going on from 5 to 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, Dec. 12. The entry fee is $25, and wine and cheese will be provided for both buyers seeking an early advantage on bargains and curious residents stopping by to benefit a good cause.

The sale will continue for the rest of the weekend, without entry fee, on Saturday and Sunday. Doors will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the Wassaic Hose Company, in a gesture of appreciation, will be cooking breakfast and lunch for purchase. All the money raised from food sales will benefit the hose company.

“If the party starts at 5 on Friday, we’ll be ready by 4:45,� Nick Collins joked.

For information on the sale, call 860-329-7505.