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This is probably one of our most anticipated conversations we’ve had with another seller. John (aka Spinach-eater) popped into our community a couple months ago and began discussing how he sells postcards on eBay. I guess for a lot of sellers, it’s a dream to only sell items that are easy to list, store, sell, and ship. With almost 15,000 postcards in his inventory, he has a serious system and does very well.
When I was talking to John about recording a conversation with us, I asked him why people buy old postcards. We talk about the success we have selling weird, unique vintage items because people are often buying “nostalgia”. They seek items you can’t buy on Amazon or at Walmart. I loved his answer because it’s so important to know your customer:
I think everyone is a historian at heart. They want to see what their home town looked like 100 years ago. That old hotel on the corner is now a McDonalds. That old view is gone forever, except on the postcard. Or they always went to a certain beach/boardwalk as a kid and want to hold on to those memories. Most of my repeat buyers are collecting from just certain towns, or holidays. Very rarely will I get a buyer, buying multiple cards of different views. They don’t buy one of a ship, one of a town, and one of a holiday. They almost always but certain, specific categories.
John was extremely generous sharing great detail about where he buys his postcards, how much he sells them for, how he ships them, and how he categorizes and stores them. He says he’ll keep an eye on the comments if you have any questions. Enjoy!
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