What Sells On eBay: Hats, mailbox, 48 star flag, big boy pants, turntables, Jean jackets, Marilyn Monroe The Last Photos.

I talked your ears off last week because of the great sales I had had. This week, not so much, but I have two interesting items I’d like to mention.

Last week my kids were off school. My daughter had missed a field trip with her art history class to the MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art) in Manhattan, so I decided to take both kids there on Thursday (we live in NJ). After we had lunch, I connected with their Wifi, and I immediately heard a cha-ching. I had sold a ceramic candlestick holder in the shape of a boar that was a MET gift shop item. While we were in the MET. To someone who lived in Manhattan. About an hour or so later, I found the ceramic boar in the museum that the gift shop item was based on. Just a neat karma sort of thing that happened. I got it for free from one of my parent’s friends, sold for $33. Here is the link to the sold item followed by photos I took of the real thing at the MET:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182861968968
https://imgur.com/a/Q1Hi8

Two months ago, I bought four lamps in an auction lot for the minimum bid of $5. I sold the third one last week for $39. It is a vintage glass & metal hurricane style lamp.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182768618070

Those Monroe photos were an awesome sale! I did pretty well last week too. One of my few +$1K weeks, but they seem to be happening more often so that’s great news. Here are some highlights…

More hardware sold. I’ve really became a fan of hardware lately. I see it a bunch at auctions and usually buy it in lots for relatively cheap. Here’s a set of painted wooden knobs that were in pretty good condition. I knew someone would be looking for something like this for a restoration project or something. I paid about $12 for the whole box of handles and drawer pulls and etc., so each sellable item came to $.40 cents. These took about 3 or 4 months to sell, but they finally did for full price of $37.
Red and Green Wood Drawer Knobs

I acquired this Benjamin Franklin Target Pistol from an auction last year. I paid way too much for it at $75. Alas, I found out it wasn’t functional after I bought it. This particular auctioneer is known to not disclose damage before auctioning off items. I was a little disheartened about it and sat on it for a while. Then I finally decided to list it at $140 for parts or repair. It didn’t take long for a Best Offer of $120 to come in and I took it. I figured that was the best I would get for a broken air pistol.
Benjamin Franklin Target Pistol

A couple weeks ago, I sold a girls scout sash that I got at an estate sale. This week I sold the other item I bought with it. This is a YMCA Indian Princess outfit. I paid $2.50 for it on a whim. It took a little while but it finally sold for $25. It went off to someone in Canada.
YMCA Y-Indian Princess Dress

Here was my biggest sell of the week. This is a studio audio module. It’s use is really beyond me. But after I did some research, I found that this brand is pretty expensive. It came in that box lot of equipment I bought a while ago for $20. I’ve probably made almost $2,000 from that already! This sold for full price of $280.
RTS Systems User Station

Here’s a great sale, and a reason why I love my nearest Goodwill Outlet store. I found this Parker fountain pen in one of the bins at the outlet. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the nib was inscribed 18K. I knew these gold fountain pens could bring a lot of money. My total cost was $1.53. Listed and sold for full price of $130! Not a bad return of investment! 🙂
Parker Sonnet Silver Plated Gold Nib Fountain Pen

Thanks, Steve. Love those Marilyn pictures, awesome find and sale! Thank you so much for taking the time to make these videos, I always learn something.
I thought of you today at a huge estate sale, not run by a company, it looked like someone that bought out estates. Everything was outside in big plastic bins or on tables, looked like overnight and left out in the weather, tons of turn tables…with water on them…sigh.

I’ve had some busy weeks, listing just a trickle but I keep selling some good priced items, lots of shipping.

Franklin Mint Monopoly game, never used, paid $75 at yard sale, sold for $269.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/112614783481
I also purchased the Franklin Mint Chinese Checkers at the same yard sale, never used, for $75. Apparently a lot less of these were made, mine is the only new one for sale on ebay, listed for $499.99. I’ve had offers by messaging in the $300’s, but holding out.

Roger Capron set of 6 tiles, found in a desk on last hour of last day of estate sale, almost for free, sold for $195: https://www.ebay.com/itm/112628495175

Vintage Canvas Yuka Backpack, paid $5, sold for $59.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/112602469147

Disney Winnie the Pooh Curtains, paid $3 at rummage sale, sold for $32.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/112619969310

Men’s Hunting Jeans, paid $2 at yard sale, sold for $26.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/112598735788
Men’s Stetson Denim Shirt, paid $5 at yard sale, sold for $39.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/112629518510
Women’s Dennis Basso Faux Fur Coat, bought for $11 at little thrift store, sold for $69.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/112592084359

More tiki and Kitty’s Critters items from my big tiki score:

Moai Wood Tiki $89.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/112609733104
Kitty’s Critters Lucy & L’il Ricky $49.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/112604658654
Disney Trader Sam’s tiki mug $39.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/112618642259
Trader Vic’s bar menu $29.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/112613491133
Tiki Farm Tiki Mug $29.99 going to Japan: https://www.ebay.com/itm/112618641895
Disney World Four Shield Tiki Mug $29.99: https://www.ebay.com/itm/112628519073

Wow! Everyone in this thread has had some great sales this week! Quite inspiring.

My best sale of the week was a Ted Baker dress purchased for $6.99, sold for $125. I sold it before and it was returned due to fit. Sold it again to someone in London who kept haggling and wore me down from $155 to $80 on a day that I must have been desperate for a cha-ching. Once she realized global shipping fees were $40, she asked me to reduce the price even further. Nope. Relisted and sold within a day for $125. I love when that happens. https://www.ebay.com/itm/253257000976

Through retail arbitrage I purchased a toddler sized Ralph Lauren blazer that had original retail price of $375! I repeat, that’s for a TODDLER’S garment! I purchased it for $39 and after having it listed for quite awhile I finally took a best offer of $85. Not a great return but an interesting sale. I wouldn’t spend $85 on clothes for myself, can’t imagine spending that much for a messy tot who will likely wear it once. I’m guessing it’ll be worn for a family Christmas photo. https://www.ebay.com/itm/252720301757

Most unusual item sold this week was a Vtg Dr. Pepper Southwestern-themed leather drink coaster set. Coasters featured a covered wagon, an oil drilling rig, a cowboy hat- all things that everyone associates with Dr. Pepper, right? 🙂 I bought it for 50 cents at an Estate Sale where it was the only item worth buying. Sold it during a 30% off sale for $41.99. https://www.ebay.com/itm/252695339814

Only 19 sales this week but not bad considering I’m only listing a few items a week due to temporary outside work that fell into my lap back in February.

Finally, yesterday I saw a classified ad in the local paper. Someone is looking for an ebay seller to teach them how to sell on ebay. I’m gonna pass – it’s not a great sign when the person is posting the ad to a newspaper versus a local online classified forum. To me that shows they are already behind the 8-ball technology-wise and that’s more teaching than I’m interested in providing.

Hope everyone has a profitable week!

My favorite sales of the week:

Vintage Halloween Decoration – Paid $35 for a box at auction, sold for best offer of $140.00. This was the gem for sure, but there were a number of other pretty cool die-cute too, so I figure they worked out to about $3.50 each.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/232544247150

Vintage Valentine Card – Paid $8 for a box of these, so they worked out to about 83 cents each. Sold for $39.99.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/332399553266

Vintage Carhartt Work Jeans – These belonged to my father-in-law, who wore them for years logging in Idaho. Naturally worn and they looked pretty cool. My husband had them for some reason, so when we cleaned the closet recently, I decided to post them instead of toss them. They sold pretty quickly for $45.00.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/332387165907

IDAHOARDER: Love your holiday paper items, I’ll have to look out for those more.

My wife and I are super excited! As we keep adding to our amount listed and variety our sales continue to climb. Thanks to you all for being so open with you knowledge and help. Onto the sales of the week.

New in the box Oster food steamer: Paid $10 Sold $55

Vintage Disney read along cassettes with books: Paid $3 Sold $25

New in the Box Netgear 8 port 10/100 switch with firewall: Paid $5 Sold for $51