Company Information

Veteran-Owned and Operated​

ezDownsizing.com is veteran-owned and operated by founder Bryan McDaniel, a retired Marine who spent more than 23 years on active duty. Bryan’s vision was to create and develop an accountable, personable and professional online auction and estate sale company capable of serving the needs of a wide variety of customers, regardless of their situation. ezDownsizing.com is that company.

Bryan developed an interest in buying and selling antiques and collectibles in his early teens when his parents would set up and sell items at the Flea Market in Hartville, Ohio to supplement their income. 

Bryan joined the Marines in 1980 and a couple years later found himself regularly attending auctions at Don’s Auction Barn in Jacksonville, NC. The auctioneer eventually asked Bryan if he wanted to work at the auction since he was ‘going to be there anyway’. Such was the beginning of Bryan’s introduction to the wonderful world of live auctions! 

When Bryan was transferred to Virginia Beach, he sought out other auctions to attend and hopefully continue with his paid ‘hobby’.  Unable to find a place willing to hire him due to  his erratic schedule as an active duty Marine, in 1986 Bryan opened up Atlantic Coast Auctions and Antiques in Virginia Beach, where he conducted two or three auctions a month – as the auctioneer.  Bryan sold the company in 1989 when he was transferred to 29 Palms, California. Bryan continued to collect, buy and sell items as a hobby at various duty station locations but was unable to commit as much time as he had previously. 

In 1997 Bryan heard of a fairly new online auction company called ‘eBay’. When he was sent to Okinawa, Japan in 1998, Bryan opened an account and began selling items on eBay  under the username “orient_express”.  When he was off duty, Bryan would frequent the Japanese second-hand shops, antique stores and local flea markets in search of interesting items.  

Bryan began to specialize in Japanese antique dolls (Kokeshi, Daruma, Hakata, Hino Ningyo and Musha Ningyo). The dolls were easy to photograph, describe and ship.  He later branched out to antique porcelain sake cups, kimonos, obis, woodblock prints, samurai swords and tsubas (the guard at the end of the grip of sword). Shop owners began to recognize Bryan as a prolific buyer and would often have consolidated items which they believe would be of interest to him. When Bryan returned to San Diego after a year in Japan, he had amassed considerable amount of ‘product’ to keep him engaged and selling on eBay. 

After 23 years on active duty, Bryan retired from the Marines in 2003 and took a job with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in San Diego as a Business Manager, Program Manager, and eventually Division Director. During his time working with SAIC, Bryan took vacation and attended training at the Certified Appraisers Guild of America in St. Louis, Missouri, and later opened American Personal Property Appraisers while living in San Diego. Bryan maintains his certification and remains active as an appraiser. 

In 2011 Bryan was offered and accepted a position with Marine Corps Systems Command in Stafford, VA as an ‘Interoperability Analyst’.  After two years Bryan resigned his position to pursue his passion and opened McDaniel Auction Center in Manassas, VA, where he conducted weekly live auctions.

During that time, Bryan also purchased an existing estate sale company, ‘Smart Move for Seniors’. For the next several years Bryan successfully ran the two businesses concurrently, often bringing to auction the items that did not sell at the estate sale and affording the owner a ‘second chance’ to sell their items.  

Bryan identified the best facets of his experiences as a licensed auctioneer, appraiser, eBay seller and estate sale services provider and combined their capabilities into a single business, which is ezDownsizing.com.

Bryan’s vision is that rather than shopping auctioneers, appraisers, consignment shops, online auction companies and estate sale service providers, attempting to find the perfect fit for your needs, "Why not make a single call?” ezDownsizing.com: It’s not just our name – it’s our promise!