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I’ve hit a pretty decent stride over the last month with around $1000 in gross eBay sales every single week, this past week slightly under $1300 gross with $900 net. There are so many ebbs and flows in reselling that it’s almost a surprise to have such consistency, so I’m always happy when it happens. I’ve created 30 to 40 new listings each week for the last month, so I’m sure that consistency has helped. If how much we list matters, then hopefully my next few weeks of sales will be even better since I created 51 new listings last week and I’m going to really push myself to create at least 55 listings this week even though I took today off from listing. I think I can still hit my listing target anyway!
One of the new trading card areas I’ve started buying and selling this year are modern non-sports cards, and Marvel cards do particularly well for me. It took a couple months of waiting for the right offer, but I got a $150 offer on this 2020 Upper Deck Marvel Anime Capsule Characters mini, and I had two copies so that was a cool $300. The serial number, set and character are what make these mini cards valuable, but I didn’t know that until stumbling across the two auctions and doing a little Terapeak research. I paid $71 for one mini and $42 for the other even though they ended on the same night from the same consignment seller who used the same exact listing template/software. Auctions are often strange like that. There is a logic to how bidding patterns can work, don’t let anyone convince you it’s completely random or that all auctions suck, but a lot of times auctions work out in the buyer’s favor.
I expected this game used baseball from Game 3 of the 2011 American League Championship Series to sell last month, during the baseball playoffs. Instead, it sold this past week for a 20 percent offer after a nice end and sell similar. $60.33 net, cost me $20 in September. Original listing wasn’t too bad, but this isn’t the type of item that does great at auction.
Here’s a reminder to never sit on inventory: this signed 16×20 playoffs photo of St. Louis Cardinals outfielder So Taguchi sold for full price of $29.99 in less than a week. I bought 3 of these signed photos back in April of 2022. After two years of them sitting on one of my two doom shelves, I finally made a listing for one of them last month and now I’ve sold two of these signed photos in two weeks. This isn’t a timing thing: Taguchi has been retired for years and he was a pretty nondescript player even when he was at his peak. But it’s a perfect mancave type of item to sell in that $20 range. The lesson, as always: list your stuff. Figure out a title, take bad photos, take a guess on how much shipping will cost, do it all wrong if it gets the thing listed because getting it listed might get it sold.
One more signed photo this week: this autographed picture of women’s pool legend Jeanette Lee, sold in less than a week for $49.35 net. This cost me a fiver as part of a large signed photo lot which is now over $300 in profit, mostly in $5 and $10 photo sales through my consignment port. I don’t do a ton of bulk buys, but I jump on them when they make sense and they can be really profitable as long as I am willing to do the work of getting stuff organized and listed.
What did you sell this week?
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My big sale of the week was a Antique Stratton Brothers Wood Level. I saw a few sold for $130 – $150 (with a $200 outlier), but they all were in good condition and still had liquid in the vials. The others were listed at $90-$100. Mine did not have any liquid left, so I listed it at $98, and it sold in just a few minutes! I guess I left money on the table, but I’m not sure.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/186787772290
I sold this organ grinder vinyl record for $15. I’m pretty sure my parents bought it in the 80’s when we visited Luray Caverns on vacation. This guy was playing the organ demonstrating the cool acoustics in the caves. There is a organ still there if you visit today, but this guy had decided to bring his own. At least, that is my memory. My parents had him sign it to my sister and me.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/186717590797
One buyer bought three listings of porcelain serving platters in the same pattern. I wonder if he has the matching place settings or he just wanted matching serving pieces. The total came to $70. These are on commission. Here is one:
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I saw a few sold for $130 – $150 (with a $200 outlier), but they all were in good condition and still had liquid in the vials. The others were listed at $90-$100. Mine did not have any liquid left, so I listed it at $98, and it sold in just a few minutes! I guess I left money on the table, but I’m not sure.
This is always such an interesting question to me. I think when something sells immediately, it’s often a sign that the listing is underpriced or not listed correctly. A few months back I sold this Wimbledon tennis ticket for my full price of $50 within a few minutes. About a week later, some knob (not the buyer) messaged me “just to let you know” that my ticket was worth $200+ easily. But there were plenty of solds under $100 too. I paid less than $10 for the ticket, so I was happy with the sale before the message and decided I would continue to be happy about it even if I theoretically left money on the table.
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/335688139862 I sold a bunch of these local starbucks mugs last year for $35 each. Found one more hiding that I think I had planned to gift to my father-in-law. Sold for $250! Only one on Ebay. You bet I did not promote it.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/235840668747 Used Christmas stocking kit for $92. Also sold quickly. Keep an eye out for this Dimensions Gold, especially Christmas.
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I realize I am not one to throw stones, with a business centered around sports cards and memorabilia, but…$250 for a Starbucks mug?! Collectors are so weird.
Outstanding sale. Finding inventory that’s been hiding is the best kind of sourcing.
You ever think about those mugs you sold last year for $35 and think…why didn’t I just hide them all and sell at $250? But it’s so hard to know what’s going to be the hot collector’s item next month, let alone next year. Most things level off or go down in value.
I might need to educate myself a little bit on these different Starbucks mugs…
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https://www.ebay.com/itm/266628886459
Red Man Select Tobacco Corduroy Snapback Hat Cap Redman Vintage
I bought 5 of these at an estate sale a few years ago. I’ve sold two of them so far. SLOOW mover.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266461515430
TEAC LP-R450 turntable recorder USB CD cassette tape Player FOR REPAIR SEE DESC
Oh what could have been on this one… I paid $50 for this, got it home, and the record player didn’t work. I replaced the cartridge and still no-go. Turns out the amp chip was no good. It wasn’t readily serviceable and the company would have charged me about $150 (plus shipping both ways) to repair it. So I sold it as-is and it FINALLY sold for $110 on offer.
If the record player would have worked this would have been a $400-500 player!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266362020270
Nike Air Jordan XI 11 Retro GS 378038-003 BG Space Jam 2016 Sz 5Y
My favorite Jordan. I’ve sold multiple pair of the space jam jordans over the years. These went through the authentication process. I paid $7 at Goodwill. They somehow missed these in their markups – I assume because they were kids size.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266462415292
PRIDE QUANTUM Power Wheelchair Actuator Control Module
Years ago I went bonkers and bought a used junky looking mobility scooter from Goodwill. It still blows my mind I somehow got this loaded into the back of my van by myself. I paid $100 for it with the intent to part it out. There were ALOT of parts. I haven’t kept track of how much I’ve made but I would venture a guess it’s close to $1k and I still have a couple parts left.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266945984445
MR POTATO HEAD NEW YORK JETS NFL SPORTS SPUDS Sealed New
Jets fans…bless their hearts! So committed, even buying toys during such an…eventful season!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/266966410550
USA Leather USMC Marine Corps Black Leather Bomber Jacket Mens Sz XL
Paid $10 at Goodwill a few years ago. Such a cool jacket.
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LOL at Jets fans. Poor Jets fans! That sale almost makes me wish I would become a Sports Spuds guy! Then I look at a stack of bobbleheads I’ve been avoiding listing and think…nah. Imagine how much silly memorabilia Jets fans would buy if they ever get a decent quarterback…
Your wheelchair module sale and the story behind it really says so much about you and how you built your business. Really impressive, so inspiring. How do you look up all the parts to figure out what’s worth listing and what the names of each part and part number are? Manufacturer’s website? ebay solds?
Love those Jordans. I guess the price for shoe authentication is much lower than for cards (I believe its $250+) or maybe its just that all Jordans go through the authenticator? Occasionally I will read a horror story about the authentication process, but I’ve had a great experience with it every time probably 10+ times by now…
The turntable recorder sale is also really interesting to me…a less experienced reseller might have spent the $150 for not much more of an overall profit, or given up on the item and donated it when it wasn’t working. Take your $20 profit from that and move on to something else…or buy yourself a nice lunch on your next sourcing trip!
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The wheelchair was a combination of ebay research and online research for each part. There is quite a bit of sales data for most of the parts.
I’ve had a pair of $35 common (non-jordan) women’s nikes go through authentication. They are all over the place when it comes to Nike, but Nike is probably one of the most faked brands in the world.
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One Facebook friend has posted regularly about how hard it is to be a Jets fam, almost weekly …
On the other side of things, my son found that Jets tickets were very cheap on Halloween. He paid about $40 for him and my daughter to go. It ended up being a pretty interesting game and the Jets actually won!
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