The Numbers: Week April 14-20, 2024

Total Items Listings in Store: 950
Items Sold:  20
Gross Sales: $695 (including eBay fees, shipping, and taxes)
Net Sales: $423 (minus eBay fees, shipping, and taxes)
Cost of Items Sold: $208
Highest Price Sold: $88 (Set of four new bowls)
Average Price Sold: $35
Returns:  0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $150ish
Number of items listed this week:  26

Additional sales on Facebook Marketplace that I bought to sell of about $125 (paid about $20)

After a few months of not really listing and getting my status  downgraded from TRS due to OOS and a late scan, I have been doing better listing and Ebay is responding.  I also started a 40% clearance sale on about 150 items.  A few sold, but it maybe triggered some activity on non-sale items it seems?  I’m also cutting better offers to some buyers who reach out.  Is there a bulk way to drop your offer floor to a % on Ebay?

I’m getting very excited to debut at the live vintage pop up market.  Target date is 6/1 but I may do a “soft open” if they advertise a mother’s day weekend event, which I suggested to the organizer.  I have gathered tables and display items pretty expensively.  I got a sturdy rolling rack from Uline instead of a cheapie as my Mother’s day gift.  I’m going to do some clip sign general pricing but will need to tag a lot of items.  Currently deciding what should be included.  It’s been fun sourcing for the booth and I have some cool fabrics to use as tablecloths with a aqua/green/teal color scheme.  In my mind, it’s glorious.  Ha.  As usual, I’m overthinking it all.

I’ve been looking through thrift clothing and man, it’s wiped out.  Not a Levis in sight.  It’s funny to see the nerdy 80s and old lady clothes that are left.  It’s also sad to note that hardly anything on the racks is natural fibers.

I went yard saleing on Saturday and it was fun. Also did a couple of estate sales.  When I was thrifting, it kept to about an amount that I could handle and even dig on my piles at times.  The prices are pretty good at the yard and estate sales, but it opens up a lot of volume.  Makes me think things over and realize I should raise my standards again on what I pick up.

I have not been listing on the District platforms and have some likes on my BIN but only 3 sales total.  It seems like the live sellers do well there.  I do think I’m getting the hang of what to list on those though.  Kind of a bummer because the Crazy Lamp Lady stopped picking out favorite items and she used to pick a lot of mine so they got a lot more views that way.

Huge congrats to R&J for your success.  I’m pleased you are still doing Ebay.  I was thinking back to a favorite episode this week.  The topic escapes me right now…

Quick PS went to a sad hoarder house estate sale.  Recognized many thrift store tags.  I DON’T want to be that lady so better get more things moving out.

Total Ebay items in store: 3325

Ebay items sold: 10

Ebay Gross Sales: $1,533.38

Ebay net sales minus fees: $1110.55

Ebay COGs: $29

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FBM items: 80

FBM items sold: 4 (bookcases, flatware, patio cushions, and one Care Bear)

FBM Gross Sales: $680

FBM COGs:  $1

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Wow! Best week ever for me.  I grossed over $1700 last week.  My highest sales were:

– a Filson garment bag sold for $179, I found it on the side of the road on trash day.  It was a fluke that I drove down this one street while on the way to the gym, it was so dark that I could tell it was a canvas garment bag and I was happy when I saw it was a Filson!

– the “Winking Irish” Lucky Care Bear sold for $305.  Her shamrock was upside down, which made her a Maverick as a factory error bear.  She was $1 COG from a big house clean out I attended and spent $160 total on about 180 items.

– two blowmold Christmas carolers sold for $269 which I spent $20 for at a yard sale.

– 17 textbooks sold for $493, and two teacher manuals for $99.98.   I had answered a “free books” ad from a small private school last October and gotten 140 “Shurley English” textbooks for grades 3-6, and some teacher keys.   A school buyer bought all these, shipped to TN.  I almost sold all 140 to a textbook company for $100 in January, so glad I held out for the end of the school year when schools start shopping for next year.

– two larged carved Balinese bookcases sold for $600 together; I had found them free on the side of the road on trash day.  Sold FBM.

It was a great affirmation after the disappointing experience on Whatnot.

Items in Store: 2898
Items Sold: 28
Total Sales: $1,587.00
COGS: $201.00
Total Profit: $1,386.00
Average profit: $49.50
Average sales price: $56.68
New Listings: 0
Items scavenged: 14
2024 weekly new listings Avg: 29
Sourcing Allotment: 2
2024 avg gross weekly sales $1,543.44
2024 Avg weekly Items Sold 35
2024 ASP $44.58
2024 projected total sales $80,258.75

Brief note: I write this on Monday morning in a Word file and shelve it until the numbers post drops.

Whew man that was a rough week. Not much sleep, alot of stress at day job. I’m surrounded by people who can’t or won’t do their job. I’m very tired and frustrated. No listing this week. One night I needed to get some shipping done and I fell asleep in the living room on the floor while playing with my kids.  I woke up 10 minutes before midnight and had to try and mad rush as many labels as I could to avoid the overdue shipping marks on my account.

I wanted to wake up early Saturday to yard sale. That didn’t happen as I overslept until 8:30. That’s a rarity for me! I just had time to hit a big sale in my neighborhood before baseball games. I look forward to this sale every year as the guy puts out a ton of stuff – rich dude who replaces his whole family’s wardrobe and stuff every year. Must be nice! Every year I’ve bought bins full of clothes, shoes, and toys for resale and for my family. I think I spent $300 there last year. Anyways, this year I just bought a cooking set as their prices were INSANE!!! I was even on the fence on the cooking set as I paid $85. I only did that as while I was pondering I found one more pot with lid I missed before to make it the full set. I’ll make about $300 after it all sells. I may just sell it as a lot to get a quicker ROI.

I may not have listed anything but I have my draft bank up to 60 items. I’ll keep adding drafts at the least this week since that is done at work. I had planned on ending/sell similar 10-20 items a day during the work week…but that went to the wayside. I no longer have much downtime at work! When I do have downtime I have to leave so people don’t come bother me on my breaks/lunch. I’m “the guy” when it comes to all technical questions in all departments for the site. At least I’m paid like “the guy” now. I finally crossed the 6 figures mark on my base salary. Too bad that doesn’t mean much in this hyper inflation era. If you thought engineers made a ton of money, well they don’t. 6 figures as an engineer in my neck of the woods is ALOT. It seems inevitable that I will be the manager of either the engineering department or foundry within the next couple years. Depends on how things shake out. I was adamant when the subject of being in management was broached a couple years ago that I didn’t want it. Now I’m starting to realize that I have the skills, confidence and experience that I could do it (still don’t want to though). I’ve seen too many engineers pushed into management too soon over the years.

Premium Hoarder update:

Sold 7 items for $1151. Big shoe sales FTW. The highlight was a pair of Gucci loafers for $540.

I had a sort of lousy week as well. I haven’t listed as consistently on eBay somewhat due to my day job and somewhat due to Ruby Lane. I have to list 15 items a month so that I don’t have to pay a store fee there. I’ve only sold two items so far, but I still willing to keep up at it.

Week of Apr 14 – 20
Total Items in Store: 1629 eBay, 28 Etsy, 55 Ruby Lane
Items Sold: 11 eBay, 0 Etsy, 0 Ruby Lane
Cost of Items Sold: $12.60 + $67 Commission
Total Sales: $275.06 eBay
Highest Price Sold: eBay $120 for Vtg Lynn Stuart Womens Junior Suit Blazer
Average price: $25
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 16