Our story begins in 1984 with Jerry and Sally Davis, who founded a company known as Sally D Auctioneers and Appraisers. The business focused primarily on live auctions and quickly built a reputation in the antiques and estate market.

In 1995, Jerry and Sally parted ways. Sally went on her own path, while Jerry continued the business on his own. Without the auction equipment and crew he once had, the business was no longer the same, and Jerry struggled to keep it going in its original form.

In 1999, Jerry was participating in an antique event at a restaurant in Farmingdale called The Edge of Town. There, he met Ginger Baumann and her son, Justin Cage. Jerry took Justin on as an apprentice and began teaching him the business. At that time, Jerry was no longer holding auctions and instead bought and sold at various antique markets.

As people continued asking Jerry to run auctions again, he decided instead to try something different: estate sales. Without the equipment or staff for auctions, he transitioned into on site sales with the help of Ginger and Justin, still operating under the Sally D Auctioneers and Appraisers name.

Eventually, Jerry became ill and was no longer able to walk or continue the work he loved. He passed the company on to Justin. Because Justin was still in high school at the time, the business was put on hold until he finished his schooling. After graduating, Justin focused on the business full time.

With Sally no longer involved, the company was renamed Hitmen Cleanouts, a name chosen by Justin as a playful nod to New Jersey culture at the time, when The Sopranos was extremely popular. Although the business struggled at first, a charity event for the Lincroft Village Green Association helped bring attention to the company and business quickly picked up.

Ginger remained very active in the operation, and together they made an important decision: the estate sale division would operate separately from cleanouts. Estate sales became Past & Present, while removals continued under Hitmen Cleanouts.

Past & Present quickly gained popularity. A storefront was opened in Freehold Borough at 8 Throckmorton Street, operating as Past and Present Antiques and Collectibles. While the store itself was never a major success, the estate sales business took off rapidly, often running five estate sales per month.

After ten years, the store became too costly to maintain and was sold, but the estate sales continued to thrive.

In 2019, after completing a sale in Greenbriar of Marlboro, Ginger noticed a bulge in her stomach. She was later diagnosed with cancer. After years of treatment and a long battle, Ginger passed away on March 14, 2022.

Justin was devastated and fell into a difficult period in his life. After being taken advantage of by a family acquaintance and losing his home, he relocated to Virginia with nowhere else to go. Despite this, he continued driving back to New Jersey to complete cleanouts whenever possible.

During this time, Justin became close with Dan, a longtime customer, and they began working together. Estate sales were put on the back burner, as they were emotionally difficult to return to. Justin assisted other companies with sales and removals while rebuilding his footing.

Eventually, calls for estate sales returned. Justin partnered with Dr. Keri Sansevere, and together they brought estate sales back under the Past & Present name.

Through decades of change, hardship, and rebuilding, the company has endured. Today, Past & Present Estate Sales stands as the oldest and longest continuously operating estate sale company on the Jersey Shore, built on experience, resilience, and a deep respect for the families it serves.