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Is January flying by for everyone else, or is it just me? I think its a combination of winter weather in the Philly area (first time in a few years we’ve gotten some true snow!) plus spending a lot of time and energy on my card consignment port. I have a shipment of over 1000 cards from back in September which should finally hit my consignment account this week (deadline is Friday) and it will be fun to price it all out. Last week, I spent a lot of time organizing a shipment to send out later this week since I have nothing much hitting my account in February. But these projects take up a fair amount of my time. eBay was not the priority last week. In fact, I listed just 12 new items, my lowest total since I started tracking my weekly items listed in August. Combination of these other reselling projects plus I ran through my backlog of photographed items.
As you might expect, since I wasn’t listing much at all, I…actually had a strong week of sales on eBay with 27 items sold for just over $1100 gross/$800 net. I’m not going to pretend that I can explain it. Sometimes these things are random. I’m just going to enjoy a good week of sales and get back to consistently listing this week.
I did run an end and sell similar on my store about a week and a half ago, if any of you need the motivation to do the same. I don’t think that was the main reason my sales were good this week. But it sure didn’t hurt
The big mover this week were my curated card lots sorted by team, basically everything that doesn’t make sense for my consignment port. I have about a half dozen big monster boxes each with a few thousand (mostly) organized cards sorted by team, so this should continue to be a good chunk of my business for a while. Teams in the news always do well, like the Ohio State Buckeyes who recently won the college football championship. But I also sold a 10 card lot of last-place Charlotte Hornets cards this past week. These lots definitely take some time to make and list correctly. I have changed my process a bunch over the last year and I’m sure it will continue to change. But the whole process has become probably my favorite part of my reselling business, especially when one team sells and I already have the “perfect” 10 cards picked out for the next lot without having to hunt through different boxes or spend a couple bucks on a fill-in card of the team’s star player or hot rookie.
My high sale of the week was this signed Bruno Fernandes kit card which went for full-price of $100. Terapeak history of this card tells an interesting story, as I have the two highest sale prices. Sometimes patience is the name of the game.
I sold a couple other oddities which padded the numbers a bit. This golf flag signed by retired golfer Shanshan Feng went for a $35 offer, or $27 after fees, and I paid $14 for it back in August. The flag was in a long, flat Upper Deck box, so I wrapped up that box in bubble wrap, taped in between cardboard and made a “box” around that out of cardboard scraps which I then covered in brown paper. I don’t know if that’s the most efficient way to package something like that, but it gets the job done and I’ve gotten pretty quick at it. I used to dread packaging weird items like this, but now I look forward to it. Well, if they sell for $50 or more — this one was a little below that threshold, but at least it’s not my problem anymore!
Here’s a longtail flip for you. I bought this 1965 Kansas Chiefs program back in March 2023 for $7.50 and it sold this past week for an offer of $25. However, it was sitting in one of my death piles the vast majority of that time. It actually sold in less than a month. Death piles!!!
This Lukas Reichel signed Germany hockey puck was the kind of flip I love, bought in July (out of hockey season) for $6.50, sold this past week (in the middle of hockey season) for $19.49 net. Nothing crazy but an easy one to photograph, list and ship. These little $10 extra profits without a ton of extra work really start add up over the course of a few weeks or a month.
What did you sell this week?
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What are your thoughts on the Paul Skenes 1:1 card? Did you buy any of the chrome update boxes?
Man I couldn’t imagine as a kid asking my parents for a $350 box of cards!!! I left the hobby in the late 90’s when they started selling “super ultra awesome sauce” packs of cards that were $7-10 per pack of only 4 cards and EVERY card was special in some way. I could afford $1 packs… what cards was becoming just….wasn’t for me.
Same for comics. I balked at the death of superman special black bag edition – it was $8. The comic stores were pushing it HARD – “You should buy a couple of them before they are gone! They’ll be worth THOUSANDS one day!” I just got the standard issue and read it many times. Looks like I was on the right side of history for that decision! My Brother in law has 20 copies! The day I got to show him how worthless they are was a GREAT day.
The series I REALLY wanted to read was Batman Knightfall but I couldn’t read the whole thing because speculators were buying them all up. I couldn’t get all the back issues because I wasn’t gonna pay $20-50 markup for a copy I literally just wanted to read! So I never got to read the first half of knightfall…maybe someday I’ll read a digital copy just for fun.
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What are your thoughts on the Paul Skenes 1:1 card?
In case anyone is not familiar, here is the story Retro is referring to. Basic summary is, last year was the first year that Topps partnered with MLB to put special patches on the debuting rookies uniforms, and then those patches were inserted as very rare special inserts into boxes with odds of like 1:50,000. Most of the cards you will pull out of boxes are regular base cards, sometimes insert sets which appear one in every few packs, and so on. But not every box has an autograph, let alone a special autographed patch with MLB debut patch from the player’s actual uniform.
If that’s not enough, Paul Skenes was the #1 rookie last year who had one of the top rookie pitching seasons of all-time, so his 1/1 card is by far the best one…the hype is real with his cards and, in my opinion, justified. And this 11 year old kid from California pulled the 1/1 Skenes auto debut patch card from his one Christmas box. Amazing!
Like most card people, I was extremely cynical when I first heard the news that it was all a bunch of marketing bs. But the NY Times article does some good reporting. Seems like the story’s real. So all I can say is…good for this kid! I think it was smart of him to pass up the Pirates offer for the card to send the card to a big auction house. This is a $50,000+ card. Maybe more. High end modern and vintage cards sell like high end pieces of art. But what I love about cards, as much as I kind of cringe at these prices, is that I don’t think there are any 11 year old art dealers out there!
There were still cheap-o $1 and $2 packs of cards in the late 90s, but you’re right that higher and higher end packs and sets became normal. The hobby changed like crazy over the last couple decades. But I think it was going to end up this way no matter what. Technology and streaming really changed a lot of industries, and continue to change them, collectibles being one and online auctions another. It’s different than it was when I was a kid buying cards at the local hobby shop! But I like change. When you’re a scavenger, change is a way of life.
Every time I’ve gone to a card show in the last couple years (always to drop off a thousand or more cards at the consignor I use, then I leave and find a nice hole in the wall to get lunch), there are always kids like 8 to 14 years old (I don’t have kids…terrible with guessing ages of kids) walking around with thick Pelican briefcases that are mostly full of graded modern cards which are worth about as much as my entire eBay inventory. They know what they want to trade for (all the big names in a gem mint PSA 10 or a 9 at worst) and they know all the sold prices on eBay. It makes me feel old and it blows my mind at the same time. But at least young people are still involved in the hobby! That gives me a little more hope that I can still live this scavenger’s life, with cards a central part of it, for at least a few more years. I’m really happy about that.
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@craig-rex – I assume there is near hysteria in your area over the game this past weekend! I went to college up in Hoboken, where it was definitely Giants territory. However, after working in the East Windsor and then Newtown, PA, I definitely felt I was hanging with mostly Eagles fans. Here in Central Jersey, I live in a in between area, but I’m sure everyone is going to be routing for Philly in two weeks!
Having only sold 8 items last week, I don’t have much to discuss. The only reason I mention this mug (apart from needing something to talk about) is that it has been in my inventory since I started selling on eBay in 2016. I paid $1, and, even now, I thought it would sell for more than the $6.76 offer. It’s vintage and kinda cute, but I guess not that cute?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/186123771663
This antique book was a commission for my neighbor. From my research, the author was an orthodox Jew who converted to Christianity. However, to make a living, he translated religious text to Yiddish, since that is what he knew and he had to make a salary. The soft bound book was not in great condition, but it is pretty rare. It sold for $36.
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Sharyn, I think the dividing line for North/South Jersey is around Trenton area. Everyone down here thinks Central Jersey is a myth, but I think there is that section of the state like Monmouth/Middlesex/Mercer counties that really is an in-between. Not close enough to NYC to be considered North Jersey but not far enough south to get fully consumed by hoagie and wooder ice culture.
I live down the street from a dive bar and love hearing everyone go nuts when Philly sports are having a moment. I’m hopeful the Eagles pull it out, the Chiefs have had enough Super Bowls and it will be good for someone else to get a turn.
That old Yiddish book is so neat looking! Did your neighbor collect these types of items for their value, and now they’re cashing in, or just downsizing and happy to make a buck from these things that they don’t need anymore?
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@Craig-Rex – This was my neighbor who downsized and bought a smaller house in an active adult community. I have new neighbors now, who are pretty awesome.
The story he told me about many of his older books was from when he was growing up in South Amboy. There was a used book store across from his house that was going out of business. His parents ended up buying lots of books from there as the prices went down. I believe that this was one of them. He is now in his late 70s, and he had held onto them for long enough.
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/267091216078
Polo Sport Ralph Lauren Adjustable Leather Strap Hat Green Flag Vintage
Sold another of the hats from the hoarder collection. I love the unexpected homeruns!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/267131646730
TiVo Roamio TCD846500 OTA (Antenna) or Cable 4 Tuners W/ Remotes No AC Adapter
Bought this at an estate sale for $1. I was soooo hoping it had a lifetime subscription – alas it does not. Still sold same day as I listed it. I tested it with a neat little universal power supply I got from amazon. If you do electronics, I highly suggest getting one of these:
That bad boy will let you test pretty much any DC voltage electronic just change the tip and dial in the voltage.
I also used it to test a dictaphone I was going to list untested. It used an unusual 19v ac adapter. I was able to test it and list it for $40 more than I planned to and it sold quickly.
Anyways, back to your regularly scheduled program…
https://www.ebay.com/itm/267113286577
THE BEATLES WHITE ALBUM 1978 Capital SWBO-101 with Photos WARPED RECORDSWhen I originally got this the records were perfect. Oooffff….brutal. This record had a great serial number too – I was going to be listing it high. Oh well – the buyer was ecstatic and left me glowing feedback and it was still an amazing profit off of the original purchase.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266891101400
Mad Catz Universal MC2 Steering Wheel Game Controller GameCube Playstation
I think I paid $5 at a yard sale this summer? Sold for full price.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266897958036
PACO LUI LAU Leather Croc Print Mens Loafers Shoes Size 11 US Spain 44 EU
Ah yeah, this is probably a 2016/17 listing. Back when I listed on an end table with a posterboard background and I had 75W daylight bulbs in the regular room lighting. One of my earliest shoe listings. Jay encouraged me to try shoes, and here I am many years later with almost 1000 active shoes listings!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/267102897469
PetSafe Wireless Fence Pet Containment System PIF-275 Collar RFA-443 Lot
Wireless pet fences are BOLO! Paid $20 at a yard sale. I have sold 5 or so of these over the years.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/267130540418
Ghostbusters Ghost Trap Lights & Sound Doors 2019 New in box
Sometimes a death pile pays off! I’ve had these sitting on a shelf for a few years. I bought 3 traps and 5 meters on clearance at walmart. I paid somewhere between $10-20 each for these when I got them. They were only going for $50 or so when I bought them, so I said I’d wait until Halloween time to list them…then missed it and said “next year”…then again. Well when I was cleaning up my shipping supply rack I decided the price was right and got them drafted and then finally photographed/listed a week ago. Sold for full price. See kids – procrastination pays!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266461524251
FORD MUSTANG 31” Stainless Steel Antenna Complete assembly with wiring
Sold for full price to a buyer overseas. Paid $3 at Goodwill.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/267136955996
Boys Carhartt Green Y06MOS Coat Hooded Full Zip Bomber Jacket Size Large L
Sold same day as listed on offer for $25. I was going to sell it for $50-60, but then I noticed the sleeve cuff damage. If an item is desirable enough, it really doesn’t matter if it is damaged. It will still sell!
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That Ghostbusters sale is bound to get me right back on the procrastination train. Next stop…a mess of junk in a USPS bin that I won’t touch for two years! No, I won’t let myself get back there…I’m just going to congratulate you on a nice sale and go through a bin full of obscure books later this week.
Those warped Beatles records are such a tragedy. I loved your description and I think there are a select very few potential buyers who still read descriptions and would be swayed by such an honest description from a seller who truly appreciates the item. I hope that your buyer was one of them, and leaves you a nice feedback.
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@Craig I plan to do end and sell similar more often. I did a big one right after the election and got to make so many offers. January is flying by for me but I enjoyed a lot of family connection time. I should do sell similar on some things in February, historically a bad month for me.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/335776716602 Estate sale find. Artist was located on Instagram as a major small timer so I priced low and it sold immediately.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/335777097162 This went to Asia and sold in like minutes. I should have priced it higher because it was fairies but I only paid a buck, so great flip.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/335658551233 This took a while to sell but almost $30 for vintage dixie cups!
These last couple of items are definitely bolo sleepers. I sold some Strawberry Shortcake stationery once for $70
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Christine, I’m not sure if there’s a “limit” on how much to do end and sell similar. I have been trying to go through all my listings at least once a month. I’ll take some of my card lot listings down and change up the cards in the listing. Or with some of the other stuff I sell, I’ll drop the price by $5 or $10. Or, if nothing else, just a basic end and sell similar. The algorithm loves it when you “touch” your listings.
Besides the algorithm, I’ve found that this process helps me a lot more psychologically. When I engage with the items I’ve listed, then I start dealing with the inventory I haven’t listed. I cleared off a shelf the other day which was all full of framed or matted items. Sports memorabilia, autographs, music and concert memorabilia. None of it’s listed. I don’t even remember where or when I got some of this stuff. I might not have the time or energy to get it all listed this week…but surely I can do one or two of the smaller ones…and if I do one or two, I’ll probably do three or four.
Listing my death piles reminds me a lot of my favorite book when I was a little kid, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. If I give myself space for new inventory, I will fill it up and I will probably let those death piles grow. But I have been trying to flip that around this year and last year. If I go through one bin every few days, pretty soon I will have an organized space. It’s always a work in progress, but for the last couple months I’ve been winning the battle which makes those inevitable slow eBay weeks a lot more bearable.
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@Chrisstine…..I had no idea vintage stationary was a thing! I feel like I’ve probably walked past tons of those at estate sales!
@Retro… love the ghostbusters sale! I sometimes think about grabbing clearance toys at Walmart and Target (I love toys, this ebay selling started with selling off my personal collection). my concern is having a bunch of money tied up in inventory and storage room.
here’s a few of my good sales.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/196943971964 sold this quite large and heavy diecast airplane. No original box or packing materials so my big concern was mailing this so that the propeller doesn’t break. It shows delivered and no complaints so fingers crossed it got there ok. I sent something similar and it ended up going to Australia and showed up broken. Best I can figure out is Australian customs opened it and didn’t repack it at all. and sold for $55 and cost is about $4.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/196795874114 another plastic airplane model. A Malaysian Airlines B747. I like these as they are just snap fit so they can be taken apart and wrapped really well with virtually no chance of breaking in transit. Sold for $36 and cost is about $4
https://www.ebay.com/itm/196387456289 sold this new with tags Orvis flannel shirt. I don’t sell a lot of clothes to the point I keep some of it hanging in my closet. I pulled this out literally the day before it sold and thought about just keeping it. I even tried it on, almost yanked the tags but didn’t. Hung it back up and it sold the next day! Sold for $29.75 and got it for a few dollars at an estate sale.
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