BUFFALO, N.Y. — The enamel bowl was “very beautiful,” Nikki McIntosh remembers. Made by Catherineholm of Norway, it was about 11 inches wide and half as tall. White and teal green stripes of varying sizes sloped up the sides. The motif recalled a peppermint. Small chips circling the rim provided character.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The door to the small gray house in Buffalo’s Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood opens, letting in the morning air. A parade of strangers steps into the living room. They have come to see the old woman’s things: her brocade-patterned sofa ($150), her Quartz-brand clock ($25), and the sewing patterns for vintage dresses that she must have kept for years ($2 apiece).

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Several years ago, estate sale agent Charmaine Then got an invitation to visit the home of a woman in her late 80s. The lady, who was in a wheelchair, was moving into an assisted living facility. She needed help downsizing.