Three’s Company
OBSCURA ESTATES founders Shelly Robertson, Kellie Bolton, and Amelia Simpson are something like the Charlie’s Angels of estate sales, each with their own individual expertise. Founded in 2020, the estate-sale enterprise was a natural progression, particularly for Bolton and Robertson, whose families had worked in antiques for decades. “My dad was a big collector, so I grew up going to swap meets and auctions,” Bolton says. For Robertson it was much the same. “My family has been in antiques dating back to the 1950s,” she says. “Then I became a dealer myself and even had a booth in Cominichi’s antiques for a while.” Simpson, a Vogue alum and fashion-industry veteran, complements her partners’ contributions through a penchant for narrative: “What really attracts me to this are the stories that come with each house we’re lucky enough to work in.”
Aside from traditional estate sales—which can take place at a client’s property or in a privately owned barn in Ojai—the dream team also takes consignments, offers appraisal services, and organizes moves. But no matter the job, sensitivity and a deft touch are paramount, because, as Robertson points out, it’s often an emotional experience for their clients. “I refer to it as the four Ds: divorce, death, disease, and downsizing,” she says about the situations they tend to encounter. “You’re usually getting people at their worst moments, but that’s our gift—helping them move through that difficult time.”
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