Search Results for 'bolo'

[Temudgin]

I can’t recall the last time I have seen one of those album racks in the wild. Good reminder that they do break down for shipping, however, if I do run across one.

Great radios, Sharyn! Nice to see they sold well even though a bit beat up and unrepaired. Speaking of flea markets; how is Englishtown these days? I used to go occasionally when I lived in Phila in the ‘70s, getting there at 0-dark-thirty to rummage with a flashlight. The market was huge and pretty insane.

My stores always get into the doldrums in the fourth quarter for some reason. It can be my worst quarter of the year and this year is no exception so I have been very slow. This year I’ve tried sending out offers to buyers but the result has been crickets.

This challenge coin for the destroyer USS DEWEY is from Raytheon, a large defense contractor. I don’t know why but the contractor coins can sell well and often at a premium over a regular ship’s coin. This one went for $39 plus shipping.
https://imgur.com/U6vDxnK
This ‘80’s vintage Nomex flight suit was not in the greatest condition with discoloration, fading, stains, etc but it sold on a best offer at $35 plus shipping. This was a yard sale find for $5.
https://imgur.com/GTks8sO
Another type of challenge coin that demands a premium is one for a senior civilian government defense official. I took a best offer of $75 plus shipping for this Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus coin. Some SECNAV coins bring more but Mabus had a long tenure so it’s a relatively common coin.
https://imgur.com/vWrocHj
Steven, your great backpack sale (my personal large camping pack is a Gregory) reminded me of this Camelbak, another desirable brand to BOLO. It sold at the listing price of $100 plus shipping. It was $18 at a Goodwill.
https://imgur.com/sHmVwk0
Another BOLO for higher value coins are Chiefs’ mess coins. Making the rank of Chief Petty Officer (E-7) in the Navy is a big deal, and among other things entitles one to join what’s called the Chief Petty Officers’ Mess. On a ship (and some shore units) there is a separate dining room – the “mess” – for Chiefs and it’s also an unofficial fraternal association of sorts. They’ll typically have their own coins made. This one for the USS CHIEF (a mine countermeasures ship – FKA a mine sweeper) sold on a best offer for $60 plus shipping.
https://imgur.com/2m2ab7y
The Chiefs’ mess coins will usually have some variation of the three anchor rank designs on the back that you see here:
https://imgur.com/2r3iT37
This original WWII US military rifle bayonet was designated M4 and designed to fit the M1 Garand rifle. Mentioning either one of those facts in your listing can trigger eBay’s take-down ‘bots for “assault weapons” though many sellers do and get away with it. I never get away with it so I don’t use any bad words. Fortunately the collectors know what they’re looking at but I do have to take good photos of every little thing (the buyers fear reproductions) and it may take longer than usual to sell. I had $80 in it and it sold without a scabbard for $200 plus shipping.
https://imgur.com/xk2yxQz
Many US bayonets have markings on the guard – something to look for that sellers will miss:
https://imgur.com/Fyp35ZA

[AtomicStar]

Knowledge is your gateway to success in this business. It has taken me years to learn all the different places to look in a thrift store or a garage sale. I’ve watched countless bolo videos and have spent many hours in high end department stores familiarizing myself with brands. Devote time to learning what to look for. It will pay off in spades.

[Mark S]

Silentowl,

I don’t think it is too soon to start looking.

However, you will have to have the additional space to store everything you find. But, what are you going to find that is worthwhile? I have found Bicentennial memorabilia here and there and it has not been worth much. If you find some good pieces, I think you could make some good money with your strategy. I would just do a BOLO (Be On Look Out ) for these pieces, I wouldn’t spend extra time on it.

Mark

[almasty]

pdf BOLO lists? Yeah, I never understood those. I also don’t get paying for webinars. I guess they were for clothes? Toys? Current popular items?

Ebay and Terapeak provide free information on current trends and pricing. Going to Target/Walmart/Best Buy/other websites shows what people are looking for and buying now for new items. I really don’t see the advantage of paying someone else to do the work, because you’re just paying for relatively current information. You’re not paying to learn how to figure it out yourself and create your own BOLO lists.

[WisePrey]

Hello all, I’ve been truly curious that last few years where people get the leads on the hot / rare Q4 toys every year? It seems like there has to be some toy industry type websites / forums where the rare toys that will be hard to find start getting discussed.

Last few years, I’ve been stuck finding out the BOLOs through reseller channels, and then it’s almost too late to really get in on the action as everyone is already clearing the shelves by that point.

Although I did manage to get 6 copies of Monopoly for Millennials last year, I want to do better this holiday season!

[Julie B]

This post reminds me of when Christie’s auctioned Marilyn Monroe’s makeup case back in 1999. It contained all kinds of used makeup. If I recall, the auction house did not expect many bids. I can’t find it now but I think I remember Christie’s estimating its value at something like $5K. It ended up selling for $266,500! People wanted the stuff that had touched Marilyn’s face. So BOLO, I guess – har har.

What Was in Marilyn Monroe’s Makeup Case?

[oatesey]

Bahaha, well you stumbled upon a good primer. Lol

It can be a very “bro” culture. Not always, but yeah. I’ve been to a cloud comp or two. I swear that dude from the video was there. 😂😂😂

Jury’s still out on vaping and public health but anecdotally, many folks at my shop seemed happy to transition to what they saw as a less harmful way to get their nic after many years of smoking. Some studies have backed up those observations as well.

I would say the genie’s out of the bottle tech wise so I think vaping is here to stay. I wrote vape articles on Fiverr for a while, and some articles for Vape magazine. But personally, I’m no longer very interested in it.

I just sold a book about vaping on ebay the other day. So bolo. Bahaha. The vape swag like cleaning cloths and shirts and whatnot is probably collectible. Some of the brands have their loyal fans.

[Steve List]

Store: steve-list
Numbers for June 2019

Total Listings: 1022
Had 50 Sales for a total of $1347.10
Cost of Items Sold: $86.73
Highest Price Sold: $300 – Vintage Riding Spurs
Average Price Sold: $26.94 – Average Cost: $1.73
Spent on new inventory: $206
Number of items listed: 55
Longest Listed Item Sold: Listed Sept. 2015 – Local History Book for $60
GSP: 1 Canada

The Riding Spurs were a late in the day estate sale purchase for $10. Second best sale of the month was a C Ration can of Pan Coated Chocolate Discs (M&M’s) from 1970 that went for $81 at auction. A BOLO are pre 1975 military C Rations that still have the accessory package in them. Many times the outside of the box may be gross from one of the cans leaking, but if the accessory pack contents list cigarettes your in the money. Note that not all of the packs had cigarettes and they stopped including them after 1975.

[Sigilini]

Daisy, thank you! I looked up the mugs you mentioned and will definitely be on the lookout. Here are my mug BOLOs: Some of the Starbucks mugs are good sellers, particularly the international ones with cities, also 3D Tasmanian Devil mugs. And some of the Mara of Mexico mugs.

Vintage Treasures, thank you. That is very helpful and gives me a direction on what to be on the look out for. I appreciate that.

Amatino, that is brutal! But that might work! Come to think of it, I did donated a bunch of stuff and it does make you think twice before buying it again.

[Curious Curator]

Sigilini,
I know exactly what you mean. I am right there with you. However, do be on the lookout (bolo)
for these mugs: Three Dots and a Dash {by} Tiki Farms”. I came across one-to be fair it did not look like a mug at all. It looked like a sea urchin. I thought it was a tealight holder and I picked it up and put it down 2x. Ultimately, I left it. Only to find out I could have sold it for about $80.! However, I did redeem myself when I went the next day to anther thrift store and found a different style of anthropomorphic mug with the image of what I thought was initially John Lennon, but no, it was a popular Chicago based mixologist/bartender by the name of Paul McGee. I listed it the 24th and it sold on the 27th for $150. I almost left it on the shelf and hemmed and hawed about paying the $2. sticker price! Sometimes, you just gotta follow your gut! I’m so sad I left the sea urchin.

[DustReader]

Hi everyone,

I go by DustReader and have been a seller on ebay since 1997, though never really seriously until 2013-14.

During that time, I focused primarily on comics, Magic The Gathering Cards, and Vintage Advertising. I built up enough sales back then to pay my rent at the time (I’ve worked full time in an industry I’m passionate about, but doesn’t allow a lot of freedom/pay). I tend to be a pretty frugal guy, but do enjoy traveling and can be a bit of a foodie.

In 2014, a series of bad luck, personal issues, and a family illness caused my attention to be ripped away from my selling pretty quickly and drastically. It ended up causing my ebay account to be suspended (3 unfulfilled sales… all it takes). Until two weeks ago, I suspected my privileges to be gone for good, but after talking to Jay Kraft of BoloRama, I struck up a convo with Ebay and lo-and-behold, they had taken me off suspension a year or two ago. I HAD NO IDEA!

Over the last week, I’ve been busy listing and am re-finding the joy of selling. I’ve listed 62 items (mostly brought over from my trickling Mercari account), sold six of them for a total of $564 in sales.

I discovered Scavenger Life through Reddit and have been hooked! I’m listening backwards through the episodes and learning a lot. Jay and Ryanne are living a life I would love to live, so I’m working my way toward it slowly and steadily.

I’m a thrift rat, antique junky, Yard sale vulture, and just in general always on the lookout for something unique, interesting, or priced at a good deal. I’m in an urban area, so the opportunities are contingent only on the time I can put into it.

Currently, I’m busy listing and listening and getting educated. I hope to have around 500 items listed by mid July and a steady system in place to create a side business… maybe even a full time business eventually.

Anyway, Thanks to Jay and Ryanne for the awesome content. Loving the list it and forget it mindset. Excited to be a part of this community!

[Sharyn]

Happy Birthday, Ryanne! You can join my family in celebrating milestones that are evenly divisible by 10 this year. My sister turned 50 in February, my husband’s and my 20th anniversary was on the 6th, and my dad turned 80 on the 7th. (Yes, we actually got married the day before my dad hit 60).

I also thought about this meme I’ve seen on Facebook:
Welcome to your 40s. If you do not already have a mysterious ailment, one will be assigned to you shortly.

Week of Jun 9 – 15
* Total Items in Store: 1372, eBay, 3 Etsy
* Items Sold: 20 eBay
* Cost of Items Sold: $17.70 + $4 Commission
* Total Sales: $340
* Highest Price Sold: $30 – 1966 Facit typewriter nonworking
* Average Price Sold: $17
* Returns: 0
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
* Number of items listed this week: 7

I actually had a good number of items sold, but nothing was over $30.

Regarding travel golf caddies, they sell quite well. My dad gave me two over a year ago, and they didn’t take long to sell. Because they are meant to withstand rough handling, I just wrapped them in thick black sheeting, taped it up, and added the shipping label. Easy peasy, and definitely a BOLO.

[Brian Treasures from Grandmas]

Happy birthday, Ryanne!!!

Week June 9-15, 2019

Total Items in Store: 1006
Items Sold: 30 (1 Amazon, 4 FB)
Cost of Items Sold: $246.49 (21.7% of sales)
Total Sales: $1,135.66
Highest Price Sold: $99.99 (1960s Sterling Silver Torah Pen)
Average Price Sold: $37.86
Returns: 2 (1 started & received, 1 not yet shipped by the buyer)
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $370
Number of items listed this week: 19
Promoted listings test: 13 sales, 340.42 (30% of total sales), $16.55 fees (4.9% of sales)

Really great week for me. $1000+ weeks are usually reserved for the holiday season for me, but this is an awesome shot in the arm for the summer! Volume was high (avg about 17-18 sales/wk), avg price was good (exactly half of my sales were above $30 and half below $30).

The high dollar sale was one of 2 of these pens that I bought at a high end estate sale about a month ago. Didn’t even know what they were when I picked them up, just noticed that they were very detailed, likely vintage, and both sterling silver. Paid $30 for 2, sold the first for $100 so I’m pretty pleased so far. Other good/interesting sales included some of my old bread & butter items: bottle of Guerlain Samsara (BOLO for everyone out there, Guerlain just changed the bottle & formula for Samsara, so even though this style bottle isn’t very vintage, it will become sought after), 1960s French Cruise playing cards, and a briefcase backgammon game (ALWAYS pick these up for under $5 at yard sales if they’re clean & complete).

On my way home to PA to see my dad for Fathers’ Day, swung by a records store that I had heard about but never went to in person. It’s in a very random & depressing area, inside of a run down & sad mall where even the Old Navy went out of business (you can see the outlines of their letters on the wall).
Ended up finding some very difficult to find original pressings including Beastie Boys License to Ill, Depeche Mode Violator, Foo Fighters Nothing Left to Lose, and Soundgarden Down on the Upside STILL SEALED! These are the types of albums that you usually have to settle on recent repressings. This place will likely now be on my must stop list anytime I’m out that way.

[Mark S]

2019-05-05 – 2019-05-11

Total Items In Store: 2972
Items Sold: 13 (12 ebay, 1 Bonanza)
Cost of Items Sold: $40
Total Sales: $458.36
Highest Price Sold: $100.00 (CD Changer)
Average Price Sold: $35.26
# Items Listed: 36
Money Spent on New Inventory: $ 182

Gut Sales Report for the week: Yes, sales were really slow. 1 sale a day or so for a lot of the days.

Challenge of the week: The story of the week\month is buying awesome inventory on the cheap. Also, I am getting into items I have not dealt with before and am having success. One example of this is some Lacrosse sticks that I bought this week – that is a first for me.

Strategy of the week\month: I am trying to beef up my $75 and up items right now. I have 208 of them right now, which is 7% of my inventory. I really want to make an effort to get this near 20%. One of the ways I am doing this is by buying a lot of stereo\TV equipment. I am getting these for dirt cheap and some fetch some hefty profits. I am getting really good at testing this stuff out and having fun doing it which is always good. For example, I bought 8 items this week that fit this criteria. The average selling price of the 8 items is $108.74 (may not realize all that). I paid $43.74 for all 8 of them, or and average of $5.47 each. I went to about 9 sales this week, 3 of which
were rummage sales. The key to this is to go to a lot of sales and get creative while there.

Personal Scavenge of the week\month: My daughter has been asking for an acoustic guitar. I found a nice Fender electric guitar with an amp for $50 at a rummage sale. The combo worked great, so I gave it to her. I told her she can keep it or sell it on ebay (probably can get at least $150 for the combo) so she can buy an acoustic guitar. For now, she is going to keep the electric guitar. This is also a new area for me. I had bought a Fender Amp before, but never an electric guitar. So now I will add that to my list of bolo items.

Mark S

[Rhianna]

It was a 9000 piece puzzle! It was like 6 feet across. Giant puzzles are a BOLO for sure.