Scavenge of the week November 12-18, 2023

[craig rex]

I missed two of my favorite local library sales this past week, continuing a few months streak of not scavenging much outside of my reliable trading cards niche despite confidence that I can research and sell other items. 🙁

One of my favorite consignment sellers did have a few sports-adjacent auctions this week which I was lucky enough to win. This 1980s statue of the late, great catcher Gary Carter will be an easy $5 to $25. It’s a really good example of how sometimes auctions are not the way to go with certain items — every single Terapeak sale from the last two years and every active listing is in the $20+ range, but the hammer price on the auction I won was $3.94. Writing out this post is like a memo to myself sometimes, and this is another example why. I have a bad habit of undercharging the shipping on items like this, but I will do it right this time.

In the same order, I also snagged an Oregon Ducks hat signed by NFL linebacker Noah Sewell which should be another $5 to $20+ flip. And I picked up a few Seattle Mariners bobbleheads as well, a niche I swore I would never go back to again because of weak, slow sales in the past. But temptation got the best of me! This seller listed quite a few Mariners bobbleheads over the past few weeks (someone’s consigned collection, no doubt, accumulated from years of going to games where the bobbleheads are giveaways with a ticket) and I have a plan this time. Instead of listing each bobblehead individually for $20 + shipping, I’m going to make a bulk lot and see if I can get $100 (or more?) for a box full of Mariners bobbleheads. I’ll even price the shipping with the expectation that the lot will end up in the Seattle area. Either I’m leveling up with my scavenging and listing, or this plan is too smart to actually work. We’ll see.

What did you find this week?

[Retro Treasures WV]

No awesome finds for me this week. I didn’t really do much scavening either. Just some bread n butter shoes. The goodwill close to my House started pricing most shoes in the $3-4 range again. That is a nice return to reality!

I was listing from the hoarder collection yesterday – kinda like scavenging because I have no idea what is in the bags. I pulled out a $300 Ralph Lauren cashmere sweater (YAY!!!)…..that had moth holes ok both sleeves (BOOO!!!)

I still listed it for $150.
I’ve pulled several cashmere sweaters from the hoarder haul that moths have gotten to. They leave the wool alone though – snobby moths!

[ChristineR]

I went to the Christmas sale at my favorite thrift and it was actually kind of disappointing.  Their prices were higher and getting out of comfortable reach for resale.  They for the first time decided to limit the amount of people to go in and I just missed that first big group by a few.  I did buy some Pottery Barn Christmas and non-Christmas linens, which as usual were being ignored by the first group of shoppers.

Last weekend my daughter and I stopped by the Goodwill bins (on our way back from going out of town) for only my second time.  This time it was WAY more crowded.  We got to see the bins coming out process and everyone attack them. LOL.  It was actually pretty civilized but a little bit of personal space issues.  I went through the hard good bins that had already been attacked and found the following items that had been passed over:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235303336537

https://www.ebay.com/itm/335127010099

https://www.ebay.com/itm/335127032018

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235305820510

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235305826615

There was at least one or two other women looking for vintage linens in the soft goods – pulling out afghans and such.  I didn’t find anything good and complete despite sticking around and getting into the melee for a bit.  People seemed to be respecting the carts along the edges of the room but I did see some men keeping guard there too.  There were a couple groups of Gen Z boys digging into the clothes.  The whole scene was facinating and it was pretty fun.  It would be interesting to go during the week and see what it’s like.

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