The focus of his operation is on retirees moving from a house to an assisted-living facility, nursing home or apartment.

Smrekar, president of the Downsizing Advisory Service he runs out of his home in Odessa, charges a $100 consulting fee and 35 percent of item sale prices at auction houses he selects or just less than 30 percent for items he places on eBay.

Auction house and eBay charges come out of his percentages.

``I'm like an insurance policy,'' Smrekar said. ``And if I don't know what it's worth, I'll find an expert who does.''

Smrekar (pronounced SMUR-kur) has more than 50 price books for antiques, paintings, silver and other items in the back of his truck. He regularly combs eBay to check values, noting that it now often determines market prices.

He says doing it his way allows clients to receive the true market value of items, rather than selling to a dealer or conducting a one-day estate sale and settling for a price. It might take his clients 60 days to get their money, but Smrekar says those who can wait will profit from doing so.

``The two targets for this service are retirees about to move into retirement or nursing homes and families dealing with the loss of a loved one and their estate,'' Smrekar said.

``The headline quote on my brochure is, `What do I do with all this stuff?' I had my mother pose in front of a bunch of furniture, paintings and shelves full of items as the photo to go with that. It was perfect.''

His mother, Marjorie Geiger, died in January. Smrekar, 55, closed his business for several weeks to settle her estate.

``That made what I do more real for me,'' Smrekar said, ``and made me more aware of the emotional issues. Clearing out a house can cause a real emotional turmoil. Knowing when you are emotionally ready to clear it out is very important.''

From Hobby To Business

Smrekar accepts clients from Crystal River to Sarasota and east from the Gulf of Mexico to Orlando, though he will consider large estates anywhere in the country. Smrekar says he's a ``one-man show'' for the most part, with his wife helping at times.

``I hope to franchise the operation eventually to other parts of the state and country with high concentrations of retirees,'' Smrekar said.

He also gives educational seminars to various groups in his target areas, and recently conducted one for hospice store managers at Gulfside Regional Hospice in New Port Richey.

``It's fun,'' Smrekar said. ``I like what I'm doing. I can't shut up about it.''

Smrekar showed the store managers a painting he purchased at a flea market for $2 that was worth $300 to $400 and noted how the framing and condition of the canvas tipped him off to its value.

``We'd have sold that for $10,'' said Maria Marenghi, manager of the hospice store in Hudson.

``And that's the danger of not being educated on what to look for,'' Smrekar said.

He dealt in antiques and paintings on the side for 20 years while working as radio station sales manager, personality testing company developer and unit supervisor for Florida Medicare nursing home care eligibility.

``But my hobby became a business,'' he said. ``About two years ago, I decided to start this service. One of the reasons I did was because I was tired of going to work and trying to avoid the job being a job.

``But I saw so many cases of people being taken advantage of, too. My goal is to bring the most money back for the person. That's my mission.''

Elizabeth Langevin, 88, of Palm Harbor overheard Smrekar discussing his business in a restaurant on U.S. 19 and walked over to him.

``You're what I need,'' Langevin said. ``I overheard you, and that's us. We're retired with a condo furnished to the hilt.''

Smrekar told her his fee and explained the percentages he takes on sales, noting that auction houses generally get the majority of his 35 percent commission. He also offered to refer Langevin to attorneys, retirement homes and movers.

Networking is a key element in Smrekar's operation. He can connect clients with other useful agencies and determine which auction house is best for silverware and which should get paintings.

Smrekar is sending goose decoys to a Maryland auction house, where he says they likely will fetch $900 to $1,000 rather than the $150 to $200 he estimates they would bring in the Tampa Bay area.

``You have to go where sophisticated buyers are on certain items,'' Smrekar said.

And sometimes the broad audience on eBay is best suited to drive up prices.

A modernist painting Smrekar appraised for Gulfside Regional Hospice attracted 11 bids on eBay and sold for $3,250.

``It looks like a Picasso from his blue period but is not signed,'' Smrekar said. ``It could not be determined if it was a genuine but still went for a good price.''.

Placing oyster plates from a collection by Janet Spiegelman of Pasadena on eBay one at a time is producing ideal results, he said.

``They were wedding presents Mrs. Spiegelman got in 1938 and never used,'' Smrekar said. ``A dealer probably would've given her $40 per plate. We've sold eight for between $345 and $585 each. We put on one a week. More than that floods the market and the price goes down.''

However, some consultations don't produce postings. He spent three hours on Monday visiting the Belleair apartment, Sand Key condo and storage unit belonging to Martha and Tom Ashcraft. He found a few interesting items, such as a wooden Victorian chamber pot and some antique wooden stencils in shadow boxes. But nothing was worth posting.

The Ashcrafts had given away many of their most valuable items to family and friends and were saving some as heirlooms.

``But now they know they can give whatever they want away and not worry that it was worth big money,'' Smrekar said. ``I'm trying to sell peace of mind, too.''

High Level Of Energy

Smrekar has a high level of energy, displays on-the-spot knowledge of items and is careful to praise almost everything he looks at. He gave his card to Larry Gran, a co-manager at the Belleair Towers where the Ashcrafts live, and added to his network.

Said Gran, ``One of the biggest problems we have with people moving here are people saying, `What are we going to do with all this stuff that we don't have room for?' So, this is a great idea for a company.''

Smrekar said watching TV auction shows can create false expectations for clients.

``The `Antiques Road Show' has ruined the business because it leads everybody to think their items are high- priced,'' he said. ``Our goal is to maximize profit for clients and maximize my profit.

``And to help folks avoid mistakes.''

Reporter Steve Kornacki can be reached at (813) 731-8170.