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I had a pitiful week of sales to end the holiday season, with a mere 20 items sold for just under $800 gross and only $400 (!) net. But numbers are always relative, not absolute. 20 items sold isn’t all that bad since I culled my store one final time before the end of the year. Now I’m back down to 350 items in the store, though my goal is to get to 400 by December 31st.
These numbers reflect my listing habits in the last few weeks, which haven’t been great. I listed just 18 items last week after creating 23 new listings the week before. I’m usually in the 30s or 40s in terms of new listings each week. But there was a little bit of intentionality behind this. I wanted to spend some extra time getting my inventory for my card consignment business sorted, and I wanted to reflect on how my eBay store has changed this year and my plans for 2025. I still have plenty of inventory to get listed while winter is here, and I’ve sold a lot of stuff this year (even this week) that I never thought would sell. I’ve developed a much better eye for what will sell in 1 month vs 3 months vs 6 months or longer, and I’m focusing most of my buying energies on those items that sell faster. It’s nice to have that stuff in death piles and not a bunch of junk which may or may not ever sell, or I don’t know what to do with it. It should be a good first few months of sales in 2025 for me, as long as I keep at it with listing.
As far as what sold this week?
This hockey stick blade signed by Chicago Blackhawks Andreas Athanasiou netted me about $16 and sold in about 8 months. I only paid $3 for it, and I had a perfect sized box to fit it, so I’m counting this one as a win.
It took me just under a month to sell this Harrison Phillips (Minnesota Vikings) signed cleat. $8 COGS, $27 net, shipped it in the same box I received it in. Love it when a plan works out like that.
This PSA authenticated Penn State vs Iowa football ticket stub from 2004 cost me $4 in May and my net was $20.52.
On the card side of the business, I sold just $200 in singles which has to be one of my lowest totals since I started selling on eBay. But I sell most of my singles on another platform now. It makes the most sense for my business in terms of profit vs time. My favorite card that sold this week was this Thurman Thomas card with a piece of the football from the Super Bowl. My cost was $25 and my net was $56. Runner-up was this Pete Rose jersey card with a net of $21, a very recent pickup, less than a month. Love those quick flips…and I have another Rose jersey card coming in the mail this week, COGS was just $4.
A much larger chunk of my eBay card business the last few months has been the 10 and 20 card lots that I make, organized by team, which I sell in the $25 to $50 range. I’d love to net $250/week profit from these lots in 2025. While the big-name teams like the Yankees and Lakers and Eagles (go Birds) always do well, I’ve found a lot of success with more niche teams and sports where there haven’t been as many cards produced. This week, I had a nice sale of cards from Caitlin Clark’s WNBA team, the Indiana Fever. I also did well with a lot of Penn State football cards, no surprise since they made the college football playoffs. There have been college cards produced as far back as the 80s and 90s, in fact some of the first autographed sets were college players and some of the earliest and most valuable cards of the all-time greats are college or minor league cards. But these cards have historically been kind of an afterthought in terms of quality, very inconsistent. College cards are mostly still an afterthought today. Manufacturers might put out 5 college sets a year versus 40 (or more) for each pro sport. They still do all the modern tricks with these cards, autographs, serial numbers, jerseys, shiny foil, but it is just a more limited market. Most flippers, if they are doing college cards at all, will try and turn over singles as soon as the set comes out, or when certain players grab the sports headlines for star performances.
I think all of this works in my favor with the lots I make. I am doing something a little different, using my knowledge of the cards (and players, to a lesser extent) to make listings which have some flip potential, but are mostly targeted to collectors. Presentation helps with these listings, too. I am meticulous about showing the exact cards in each lot, front and back, and I make sure to put them in the appropriate sized sleeves. All things collectors appreciate, all things that take too much time for the big consignment seller and require more knowledge than the amateur seller has. I’ve carved out my own little unique space on eBay making listings that are different from a lot of other sellers in this niche, and I’m very happy with that in our era of handheld scanners and listing via barcode.
What did you sell this week?
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When I was helping my neighbor to downsize, I found two multi-piece wool suits in a junior or teenager size. One already sold. The other had moth damage, but I find that this does not necessarily prevent a sale if the outfit is unusual enough. This one sold for $50.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/186253194427
I purchased this Christmas plate as part of a retail arbitrage purchase I made over a year ago. I have sold a few items, but I would say it wasn’t the best investment. I’ll stick to the used stuff. It sold for $49, and I bought it for $17.50.
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/335651282994 I like this Scandinavian pottery (a rare find here). Paid $4
This sale is what Ebay is all about. A doctor wrote to me to get fast shipping on this item for his wife, who had these as a child in Sweden. https://www.ebay.com/itm/235819204323 I paid like pennies I think.
Death piles and super duper stale listings – thank goodness out the door! https://www.ebay.com/itm/235819208764 https://www.ebay.com/itm/335658535177 Purchased in maybe 2014. This ornament series I think used to be worth good money. It’s been listed for YEARS
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/267006981478
Adidas ADI Firebird Tracksuit Vintage Red White Size XL Men’s
Sold this previously and it was returned for fit. So far this one has stuck. SOld on offer for $150. Paid $2 at a yard sale.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266628886459
Red Man Select Tobacco Corduroy Snapback Hat Cap Redman Vintage
Sold another one for full price. I bought 4 like new at a yard sale for $1 total. Noice!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266535408834
Columbia Yellow Anorak Hooded Jacket Mens Size Large Waterproof Omnitech
Columbia is hit/miss, but this one was a hit!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/267096174348
Super Nintendo SNES Box with Inner Packing and papers ONLY NO SYSTEM
Another of my wife’s childhood nintendo boxes.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/267093965208
ARIAT Jeans Mens 34 x 32 Blue Denim M7 Slim Fit Straight Leg Western Cowboy
Ariat is a great BOLO brand for shoes and clothing. Extremely well made.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/267045955974
Porsche Design Sunglasses P’8613 64 mm White Aviator P8613-C-6414-135
Hoarder item. I have a bunch more Porsche sunglasses still to list. I even have another pair identical to these as the original owner like to have a “wear” pair and a “collect” pair.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/267095283575
Grundfos Comfort System Instant Hot Water Circulator Pump UP15-10SU7P/TLC New
I bought this as a personal item years ago for $100 and never installed it. Turned a swell profit.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266577085580
Sony Playstation 2 SCPH-30001 R Tested Cords 1 Controller 11 Games 3 mem cards
Bought this lot at a yard sale for $20. Took a year to sell.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266832892858
Mr. Christmas Disney Mickey’s Clock Shop Animated Musical Complete Vintage 1993
I bought a bunch of these Mickey christmas sets at a yard sale this summer. I still have a few and I’m hoping for a post Christmas run on them. This was weird timing for this sale as it wouldn’t get there in time for Christmas.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/267102899265
Xfinity Home WiFi Router Modem White XB7-T w/ Power Adaptor
I love selling routers like this! Sold same day as I listed it. Paid $4 at Goodwill. Ironically, on the model tag it says it can’t be resold. Whoops!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/267102998764
Kalso Earth Women’s Solar Black Mary Jane Shoes Size 9.5 B
Sold within a day. This is a BOLO brand shoe I’ve always done well with.
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