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Hey guys, just found out our next assignment so that means it’s moving time! We’re excited to be moving across the Pacific again (Hawaii this time) but each time we do that it means severely downsizing. I have a relatively small amount of inventory (compared to some of you!) but it’s still making me anxious (not sure where I’m going to keep it when we arrive!).
I deal almost exclusively in clothing. I probably have around 300 items in total (listed and unlisted). What are your best tips for moving inventory? Where in the moving timeline should I pack it up (early or as late as possible to keep selling)? I’m also considering getting rid of anything that hasn’t sold in the last year.
Thanks for any advice!
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Thanks, yes we’re excited! Yes the military pays for it so cost isn’t an issue, it’s more about organization/timing/things to think about that I may not be considering. And maybe some compact non-standard storage tips for once we get there. Right now I have a little room about 100 sq ft to store everything in but I won’t have that luxury once we move.
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Congrats on your desirable PCS. Been through many – the OCONUS ones can be a special kind of difficult, right? I was always very happy when the move was drivable and I could do a partial DITY move (now they call it PPM I think?) and rent a trailer or truck. I’d beat the movers there and be up and running right away. Early on I’d just shut down eBay for a move before I learned here on SL you could actually set 30-day handling and sell things. Now with Time Away, it’s more complicated. And you don’t have the luxury of a partial DITY to Hawaii. You’ll have to look at the timelines they give you and see whether you can use Time Away or you’ll have to shut down for a while (or a combination), especially taking into consideration the time performance windows your movers get. If you end up using Time Away at all, remember all the usual precautions like setting it to start ahead of time and not sending out offers for a while ahead of that so you don’t get pinched by someone paying for something after you’ve left and you’re stuck with your previous handling time on that sale.
In your situation, I would pack all the inventory myself ahead of time, using the small size (book) boxes, number them (don’t mark them “inventory” – there is a prohibition on the government paying to move items for resale so it’ll be best to let everyone think you’re just a hoarder) and create a detailed packing list for each. That way it won’t be too much trouble to sell out of them ahead of time and after you arrive without unpacking them all. If you leave it to the movers, they’ll use large boxes for clothing and you won’t be able to do a detailed packing list while they’re stuffing them. If your inventory is already in bins, you don’t want to leave it like that. The movers will simply tape them shut and load them on the truck as is and many of them will arrive broken, risking missing or soiled items. (I made that mistake once.) You’re not allowed to self-pack boxes for movers but I found it was not an issue if I left the boxes open so they could look inside to their satisfaction and seal them up. If they really object to all the small boxes with comparatively lightweight items, they can stack them inside wardrobes or something to put on the truck but you’ll still be way ahead of the game upon arrival.
If you’re up against your weight allowance, unfortunately your computer and inventory cannot be included in the 500 lbs you get for spouse pro-gear but there may be some stuff you can include. Again, don’t mention your store inventory to anyone.
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Thanks @Temudgin! We actually are planning on doing a PPM (words I’d never thought I’d say lol) since the new generous paternity leave policy and increased PPM incentive falls right within our PCS timeline. No worries about being near our weight limit–probably the opposite since it’s a PPM but we also have to downsize to fit into our new place. This is our second OCONUS PCS but first with kids, eBay store and all the extra logistics that entails.
Yeah it’s crappy for military spouses that they attempt to forbid inventory movement; it’s hard enough for us to get jobs because of the constant uprooting and having to extend our home hours to accommodate the service member’s weird hours/TDY times. I think a lot of spouses fall prey to MLMs partially because of this but that’s another topic.
How large was your inventory whenever you moved?
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How large was your inventory whenever you moved?
Hard to say; it was different every time. I was already a collector, picker, and occasional flea market/antique mall seller when I enlisted in 1979 and our last move upon my wife’s retirement was in 2020. When I was active duty, there were many extended selling breaks for deployments and TDY and for PCS I would sometimes put everything in long term storage and pick back up upon the next assignment. For many years my selling inventory would turn very quickly – I’d take it around to dealers or blow it out at a flea market, send it off to specialty mail-order auctions, or for the first 10 years or so of eBay I could put just about anything up for a 99-cent auction and it would be gone, not leaving a lot of money on the table.
After my retirement the collections got bigger and the inventory got fatter but my wife was still AD. I remember one move we had 100 boxes of books when I was selling a lot of those. For another move I filled a large U-Haul truck for a partial PPM with my “collections” which was actually mostly unlisted inventory. Our last move in 2020 wasn’t too bad, with an active inventory of about 300 mostly smalls in several bins, some miscellaneous larger items, and maybe 10 more boxes of unlisted.
Times change, I forgot you can do a full PPM just about anywhere now. That’ll be a lot of work but I think a lot less stress, too.
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