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After a few weeks of pretty slow sales, last week on eBay was pretty strong as I ended up just a few bucks short of $1100 in gross sales. Interestingly, my sales were 100% within the trading cards category for the first time in quite a while. Out of 26 sales, just one resulted from a seller initiated offer! The numbers can break down in strange ways like that sometimes, and it’s good to be aware of them but even better to get back to basics with reselling. List good quality items and price competitively. Mess around with older listings in a way that gets them sold, or at least gets eyeballs on them. Strategize your next moves while remaining open to the possibility that your next big scavenging haul might be in the place you least expect.
I’ve been pretty locked in lately on organizing my trading card inventory, which has been very rewarding. It’s not so often in life that you get to see visual evidence of your own progress! It is leading to me locking in more on a selling strategy that I’ve been refining over the last year, which is to create at least 3 or 4 new team-based 10 card lot listings every few days. I sort out a few piles on the desk, get the cards into their appropriate protective cases, get the scans done and put the cards away. Then I create the listings (easiest part of the job) and start the process all over again. The trick with modern cards is understanding what makes them valuable to a collector or a flipper. I think I have a much better sense of that than I did even 6 months ago. Terapeak has become a supplement to my own knowledge and instincts rather than the basis for it.
All of this is a long way of saying that I was happy with the full-priced sale of this Pittsburgh Pirates lot, featuring one $2 card of their pitcher Paul Skenes who is the talk of MLB right now with his incredible debut starts. The other cards in the lot, especially in the first picture, have some value. These lots wouldn’t sell with all junk cards, and I feel like I’ve found a nice formula where I include all of the different types of cards that collectors and flippers look for (autographs, jersey or bat cards, rookies) and the key players who are more collectible. I made a $20 profit on this $30 net sale, and I’m hoping that’s going to be a trend as I create more and more of these listings over the next few months and hone this new specialty even more. It is a little more work than just sending all of the cards to the consignment site I use where all I have to do is price them out. But I can’t do lot listings on there. So eBay is the perfect platform for what I’m trying to accomplish here.
My sales were split about evenly between singles and lots this week, 53% to 47%, and while my highest individual sold listing was about $70, I cleared almost $150 in gross sales ($100 in profit) in autographed rookie cards of Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid, with this auto numbered to 18 being the highlight. Naz has been popping off in the playoffs lately, and even though his Wolves are on the verge of getting knocked out by the Mavericks, Naz cards have reached a new high and will get a bump for a little while. It helps that he was not a highly drafted player and doesn’t have cards, let alone autographs, in many different sets. I like prospecting players like that. All the card speculators would say, now is the best time to buy because maybe Naz cards will go even higher next year. Card prices get so responsive to a well-timed good game, and it’s logical and absurd at the same time. I don’t know whether Naz has found a new level or not because I don’t watch the games, and even if I did I’m not a basketball analyst. But if I can find any Naz bargains in the next few months, you can be sure that I’ll add them to my cache in case the 2024-25 basketball season plays out like this one has.
What did you sell this week?
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Picked this up in Seattle because it was Disney https://www.ebay.com/itm/335320261840
I’ve found a few profitable items in the bags, which I wasn’t looking in until I decided to try live booth selling.
Sold this vintage NIP sheet set https://www.ebay.com/itm/335252634297
This print seemed less valuable than some other Mickey sheets I have seen before used.
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Christine, what do you think makes that Mickey sheet set less valuable? If it’s overproduction, is there a way to tell that from feel or packaging or something?
It’s sooo 70s that I’m surprised it wouldn’t sell higher. Though judging by Terapeak you did quite well for yourself…
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What are your thoughts on Ant being Jordan’s son? I’m not a big conspiracy guy, but a coworker made his case and I was sold!
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Lmao. I don’t really miss having coworkers but I do love learning people’s weird conspiracy theories about sports and pop culture, as long as it doesn’t veer into lizard people controlling the government territory.
I can’t believe I hadn’t heard Anthony Edwards is Michael Jordan’s long-lost son until now. I am blown! Blown away. Blown George. Blooooown!
I always like to see a new team rise up and Ant is such a talented player. Besides looking like Jordan. I hope in a few years that Jimmy Butler goes to Minnesota so MJ’s two sons can win a title together.
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A sampling of sales for the week:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266450497403
Alan Flusser Blazer NEW Linen Blend Cream Sports Coat XXL Jacket Vintage
A hoarder item. Sold on offer for $80.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266606417339
Geri’s Game VHS Tape Pixar Short Film A Bug’s Life Vintage 1998
Picked this up at Goodwill for $2. Sold on offer for $20.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266371211741
Verbatim Imation Multicolor 3.5 Floppy Disks Lot Of 81 New
Paid a couple bucks at Goodwill. Sold for full price. Obsolete unused media is always a great pickup.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266801020103
Camel Lights Joe’s Place Metal Permanent Match Striker Cigarette Lighter Bustah
I picked up a bag of lighters at a yard sale a couple weeks ago for $10. I’ve sold a couple of them already – not big sales but they add up. I love little pipelines like this. I listed/photographed them all on break at work at my desk.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266595098388
Izod Chino Shorts Mens size 32 White Flat Front Saltwater Casual Stretch NWT
I don’t buy a whole lot of clothes right now but I always buy NWT clothes of the nicer brands. Paid $4 and sold for full price.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266321087607
Memento Shelby Leonard 2-Disc Special Edition Case File w/ Slipcover
I always scan DVD and VHS section for things that jump out at me. This is one of those items. Paid $1. Sold for full price. This is an AWESOME movie if you’ve never seen it.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266827997493
Tupperware Lunch Box Set Pack N Carry Vintage Lot Red Orange
Paid $1 at a yard sale last week. Sold quick for full price. I have no interest in piecing out tupperware on a per item basis, but a lot like this was a no- brainer.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266819797510
SKIL SC118 9.6V-18V Volt Power Tool Battery Charger Genuine OEM TESTED WORKING
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – tool chargers are a BOLO. Paid $3 at goodwill – sold for full price in a week.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266804311039
Back to the Future: The Game 30th Anniversary Edition Microsoft Xbox 360
Most Xbox games are a dime a dozen, but this one looked like it would be a good one. I bought two games at a yard sale for $1 each. My hunch was correct – this was a good one. Sold on offer for $20.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266828003306
Wild Wonderful West Virginia State Trucker Hat Blue Cap Vintage Patch
I bought a handful of vintage hats at a yard sale a week ago. I’m really torn on hats. They are SLOW sellers but I get a kick out of selling them. I have a bin in my inventory shed dedicated to hats. I try to keep it full so I limit my sourcing on hats so I don’t go past that one bin. This hat surprisingly sold quick for full price.
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I really loved Memento the one time I saw it. I’m almost afraid to go back and rewatch again 10+ years later. Strange because I return to a lot of my favorites (books, music, movies) over and over, like a comfort food.
You killed it with media this week! Pretty solid basic how-to guide for media from your sales this week: special editions, old unused, and something obscure from a known studio or band. Check the discs to make sure they match.
Great work on the title of the Joe Camel lighter. How do you keep smalls like that organized? I assume a separate bin like you do with hats, but any method beyond that? I alphabetize my individual cards for sale and then sort the rest by team. Other than that, a lot of piles and stacks. Working through it!
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