This Momentous Dallas Estate Sale is an Equestrian Dream

Vintage Halston dresses, Frederic Remington sculptures, fine crystal, countless antiques, and a lush green rug from the White House Treaty Room… these are just a few of the highlights you’ll find in Marilyn Hoffman’s historic Lakewood property, home to one of the most interesting estate sales of the year. “I think people are going to be here for hours,” says Dallas Estate Sellers co-owner Stephen King.

King, who runs one of the top estate sale companies in the city alongside José Tamayo, only works with the most rarefied collections of assets. “We turn down more than we take on,” notes King, “The size of the house usually doesn’t matter — it’s about what’s inside.” 

The 8,000-square-foot home of the late Marilyn Hoffman, a longtime Dallasite and luxury realtor who once made history listing (and selling) the most expensive home in Texas, certainly fits the Dallas Estate Sellers’ bill. 

In addition to her illustrious real estate career, Hoffman showed and bred Arabian horses, a passion that serves as a throughline for the sprawling manor, where she lived with her family for about 50 years. Equestrian-inspired statues, paintings, textiles, and duster coats can be found at every turn, along with an array of larger-than-life family photos and portraits, which the DES team decided to leave in — an unusual move for high-end estate sales. 

“I don’t think you can showcase the house without having her influence in it,” shares Marilyn Hoffman’s daughter Gina Miller, who grew up in the home. “It really symbolizes who she is and what she loved: horses, real estate, and parties. She was a true Dallas party girl — and I don’t say that with any negative sentiment.” 

It was a marquee home for the city, but for Miller, it was a magical place to grow up. Originally about 22 acres when her family purchased it in the 1970s, the property is located just a few doors down from two filming sites for the 1980s television show Dallas. “I used to sneak downstairs to watch the night shoots,” shares Miller, a longtime sportscaster who serves as the VP of media and communication for FC Dallas. 

When referring to the elegant green rug that reportedly resides in Washington D.C. (a framed newspaper clipping serves as evidence), Miller recalls romanticizing the piece. “You could have an active imagination in a house like that,” she says. “I used to pretend I was attending State Dinners at the White House. It was such a special, special place to grow up.” 

An Epic Dallas Estate Sale

It typically takes the Dallas Estate Sellers team about two weeks to put on a sale — Hoffman’s took closer to a month. It’s the company’s largest collection of ladies’ designer clothing and accessories by far, and one of the team’s favorite sales since founding DES 10 years ago. 

Everything in the home has been thoughtfully moved and arranged by the Dallas Estate Sellers team to create an easy flow of traffic. Each room becomes its own antique vignette or high-end vintage boutique. Shoppers will also find a staggering amount of jewelry (costume and fine) arranged alongside a rare coin and stamp collection accumulated by Hoffman’s third husband, the late Ed Hipps, a numismatist who owned a gallery across from NorthPark Center in the 1980s. 

But the jewel of the sale may be the master closet, home to rows of vintage Halston, Gucci, and Prada shoes, gowns, and purses, alongside high-end westernwear, equestrian boots, and sculptural furs that lucked plucked from the set of Dynasty. 

The three-day sale will take place during Memorial Day Weekend, from May 23 to 25, 2024. To stay up to date on this and future sales, you can sign up for the Dallas Estate Sellers newsletter. All estate sale addresses are sent at 7 am the morning of the event.