Estate Sales By Tangerine Zebra — Local services in Ames

Bob completely stopped responding when we had questions or concerns about the service they provided when we had to liquidated our Dad's estate.

The property was left ransacked. We couldn't understand the reasoning behind the pricing of items. They asked for THREE weeks of advance access to the house to stage and price items. When we saw the aftermath, they had done minimal pricing or staging. The pricing made no sense. Empty containers that were obviously garbage were marked at $2? Large items weren't marked at all.

We ended up holding a sale two weeks later, privately. Dozens of people who previously came to the "estate sale" said that it was unorganized and difficult to identify what items were for sale. Several comments were made that people didn't realize that items were available for sale at that time.

One person who returned told us they had purchased the barely used California King bed and frame for a really good deal. We found a tag that it had been listed for $150 and marked down to $75 the second day. Our contract with them stated that ANY item sold for more than $50 had to be itemized on our records. There was no listing of this item being sold!

The sale ended on a Saturday. The following Tuesday, an employee arrived to arrange for someone to pickup a washer and dryer. We have video of that employee loading a vehicle and the bed with the frame on a trailer. So, they basically took it and sold it claiming it never sold during the sale. We had an agreement, in principle, for them to empty the house after the sale as we didn't want to keep anything that was offered for sale. We got out of that agreement.

They HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you do not attend the sale in the contract. Now I understand why.

They have a Better Business Bureau rating of F.

The organization is highly unprofessional and unethical. They will take advantage of you/your family and it's financially not worth pursuing legal consequences.

For people attending their sales, it's obviously a different experience. However, DO NOT contract this company to facilitate the sale of your property/assets.

0/10 - One of the worst businesses I've ever dealt with for any occasion.

*Pictures give some indication on how they left the property. The back yard was like this for...

Our estate sale took place over Easter weekend this year. We chose Tangerine Zebra because they assured us that any items valued over $50 would be itemized, with 60% of the profit going to us. Higher-value items were to be auctioned or sold to private collectors. Unfortunately, communication from their team ceased shortly after the sale concluded.

Since then, I’ve made multiple attempts—via phone and email—to follow up on several items that remain in their possession. To date, we have received neither compensation nor a clear explanation regarding their whereabouts. These items include Van Briggle pottery, vintage cap guns that belonged to my father as a child, Andy Warhol magazines from the 1980s, and three historical land deeds signed by Andrew Jackson. These are not vague claims—we have documentation for each.

One of our deepest concerns involves the Nazi memorabilia brought back by my grandfather, a World War II veteran. While these items were once viewed as trophies of war, we were explicit about our desire for them to be handled responsibly given today’s climate. After a week of silence, we were informed on June 17 that the items had already been sold. We were told the seller—named Bob—was “too busy” to speak with us directly.

I followed up again on August 5. Wendy responded and said we would receive a call the following Monday. That call never came.

I’m deeply disheartened. My family entrusted Tangerine Zebra with meaningful and valuable pieces of our history, and we feel taken advantage of. I’m sharing our experience in the hope that it serves as a cautionary tale for other families considering their services. Update: a week after posting this review, we did receive a check for the remaining items. We received $200 for the 3 historic land deeds signed by Andrew Jackson. These documents were passed down generation to generation. Feel free to look up what similar...

Estate Sales by Tangerine Zebra turned what should have been a respectful estate sale into an absolute nightmare.

We trusted them to handle our father’s belongings with care and integrity — instead, the house and yard were left ransacked, items disappeared without documentation, and there’s been zero accountability. I reached out multiple times by phone and email, only to be completely ignored by Bob. No explanations, no answers just a mailed check and bill of sale that didn’t even come close to matching what was taken from the property. At the sale my brother and I held weeks after theirs, buyers and neighbors told us later told us the team said unsold items would “just be thrown away,” even though we were told they’d be donated. They even tried to sell my father’s military identification cards that had been accidentally left in a box. That’s beyond careless — it’s disgusting. Their social media videos and ads are a joke, all smiles and polish hiding disorganization, missing items, and a total lack of ethics behind the scenes. If you hire them, be prepared to lose control of your property and get ghosted when you ask questions. This company’s behavior shows a complete lack of integrity, accountability, and respect for clients. No family should have to experience this level of exploitation and indifference after trusting someone to handle their loved...