Poof Estate Services

What Poof Estate Services does

Poof Estate Services (Poof! Estate Services Inc.) is a privately held estate sale and liquidation company founded in 2016 and headquartered in Ferndale, Michigan. The company manages full-service estate sales for individual homeowners and estates across Metro Detroit and Southeast Michigan, covering more than 40 cities in the region. Primary customers are families and individuals navigating downsizing, relocation, probate, or post-death property transitions; secondary demand comes from buyers sourcing secondhand furniture, antiques, and household goods through the company's online and in-person channels.

The company's service stack combines in-person, on-site estate sale execution with a team of six certified appraisers who support both sale valuations and standalone paid appraisal engagements. A proprietary online bidding platform, PoofSale.com, extends the business beyond physical sale days and is supplemented by syndication to third-party marketplaces such as EstateSales.net. A digital $150 DIY "Host Your Own Estate Sale" packet serves sellers who opt to run their own liquidation. The firm is bonded and insured, has been featured in Martha Stewart Magazine, and is independently owned with no disclosed outside funding.

Revenue is generated primarily through commissions on estate sale gross proceeds, professional appraisal fees, and direct sales of the DIY packet. Go-to-market is consultative and field-driven, anchored by free in-home consultations and supported by organic search, paid digital advertising, and referral channels. Leadership consists of co-founders Allison Ruby (Owner/President) and Peggy Ruby (Co-founder/CEO).

Name

Poof Estate Services

Legal name

Poof! Estate Services Inc.

Website

https://poofestateservices.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Poof Estate Services is a Ferndale, Michigan-based estate sale company founded in 2016 that runs full-service liquidations, certified appraisals, online auctions, and DIY sale packets for homeowners across 40+ cities in Metro Detroit and Southeast Michigan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ferndale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Estate Sale Commission: The primary revenue stream. Poof! manages full-service estate sales on a commission basis (percentage of gross sale proceeds). Commission covers organization, cleaning, staging, pricing, advertising, staffing, and credit card processing. Post-sale cleanout services are quoted after the sale based on remaining item volume.
2. Certified Appraisals: The company employs six certified appraisers who value items including fine jewelry, watches, antiques, and luxury goods. Appraisal services support accurate pricing at estate sales and may be offered as a standalone service.
3. DIY Estate Sale Packet (Digital Product): A $150 digital PDF packet ('Host Your Own Estate Sale') sold via Stripe. The packet provides guidance on sorting, pricing, staging, advertising, and managing an estate sale independently. One-time purchase, non-refundable after download.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Poof! Estate Services provides full-service estate sale management for homeowners in Metro Detroit and Southeast Michigan. The company handles every step of liquidating a home — sorting, cleaning, staging, professional pricing, marketing, staffing, and hosting sales events — on a commission basis. It also offers certified appraisal services for fine jewelry, antiques, and luxury goods, and operates PoofSale.com, a proprietary online marketplace that lets buyers purchase items 24/7 with delivery, shipping, or local pickup options.

Product overview

Poof! Estate Services operates a two-pronged service model combining in-person estate sales with an online platform. The core offering is full-service estate sale management, where the company handles the entire liquidation process including sorting, professional staging, appraising and pricing, marketing, and hosting sales events. They employ six certified appraisers to value items across all price points. The online component, PoofSale.com, extends reach beyond physical events by enabling 24/7 browsing and purchases. Additionally, they offer a DIY 'Host Your Own Estate Sale' packet for those preferring to manage their own sales. The company specializes in selling items ranging from everyday household goods to luxury jewelry, antiques, and collectibles, serving clients in Metro Detroit and Southeast Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PoofSale.com: Online estate sale platform operated by Poof! Estate Services for hybrid online and in-person estate sales

Products and services

• Estate Sales Full-service estate sale management including sorting, cleaning, staging, pricing, marketing, staffing, and hosting sales events at the client's home across Metro Detroit and Southeast Michigan. Delivered on a commission basis with no upfront cost to the homeowner.
• Appraisals Certified appraisal services for fine jewelry, watches, antiques, and luxury goods, performed by six certified appraisers on staff to support accurate pricing at estate sales and available as a standalone offering.
• PoofSale.com Online estate sale marketplace allowing buyers to browse and purchase items anytime, from anywhere. Supports secure card payments and offers delivery, shipping, or local pickup options.
• Host Your Own Estate Sale Packet Digital PDF packet providing expert guidance on sorting, pricing, staging, advertising, and managing an estate sale independently. Sold as a one-time $150 purchase (reduced from a $500 list price) and delivered via Stripe; non-refundable after download.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average DIY sale without professional guidance: $1,000–$3,000; with Poof! DIY packet: $6,500–$10,000+
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• iSold It: Drop-off consignment service that helps sellers liquidate items through eBay and other online marketplaces. Adjacent to Poof!'s DIY offering and PoofSale.com model, targeting customers who prefer to outsource liquidation but on a smaller scale.
• PropertyRoom.com: Online auction marketplace for liquidated and seized goods, including estate contents. Overlaps with PoofSale.com as an online liquidation channel but focuses on single-item auctions rather than curated estate sales.

Broad incumbents

• Christie's: Global luxury auction house similar to Sotheby's, handling high-end estate pieces including art, jewelry, watches, and antiques. Represents an alternative channel for clients liquidating premium items from estates.
• Skinner Auctioneers: Established regional auction house in New England specializing in antiques, fine art, jewelry, and estate contents. Comparable to Poof!'s appraisal and high-end sale capabilities but operates through traditional auctions rather than in-home estate sales.
• Heritage Auctions: Large national auction house handling fine jewelry, watches, art, and collectibles — overlapping with Poof!'s luxury-estate appraisal and sale business. Represents a higher-end alternative for high-value items but doesn't handle full-home liquidations.
• Sotheby's: Global luxury auction house handling fine art, jewelry, watches, and collectibles. Competes with Poof! at the very high end of estate liquidation for premium pieces, though Sotheby's focuses on individual items rather than full-home estate sales.

Direct peers

• A Gentle Disposition: Estate sale and online auction company serving the Phoenix metro with a hybrid in-person + online model. Most directly comparable to Poof! in scope, customer base (downsizers/estate executors), and hybrid platform approach, though in a different geography.
• Everything But The House (EBTH): National online estate sale marketplace that pioneered the hybrid online + in-person estate sale model. Most directly comparable to Poof!'s PoofSale.com offering and overall value proposition of digitizing estate liquidations for high-end home contents.
• MaxSold: Online estate sale company operating across the U.S. and Canada, using a hybrid in-person + timed online auction model for downsizing and estate liquidation. Closest direct competitor in business model and target customer.

Others

• EstateSales.net: Leading national directory platform where Poof! already lists its sales. Functions as a marketplace/infrastructure layer rather than a direct competitor, but enables the broader estate sale ecosystem and competes for buyer attention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com//channel/UCmHN4IQ86Fe544SSA2rHZOw
• Facebookfacebook.com/poofestateservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/poof-estate-services-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/poofestateservices

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Poof Estate Services