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I am on Cloud 9 after ending my year with the biggest sale I have ever had. I sold a 1966 unsmoked Dunhill pipe a week ago for $2500. I bought it from a thrift store glass case for $150. It was listed for about a year and a half and it had the best offer option, but the buyer paid full price without making an offer. Of course, I’m anxiously awaiting positive feedback (which I may never get) and am a little nervous about the possibility of return or other problem. Nevertheless, I still squeal from time to time thinking about it. What is the highest priced/ biggest profit item you have ever sold? P.S. I learned to look for pipes from my awesome friends at Scavenger Life!
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Awesome sale.
I have had some great sales on Amazon, but for ebay the highest would be a collection of items. I bought an entire appliance repair store in New Jersey for $1,500. The owner didnt pay taxes for over 8 years and the NJ Taxation office seized his store. I put the bid in not thinking I would actually get it. But, surprisingly I was the only bidder. I rented a 26ft truck and drove up to the store. Tax officers meet me at the store and luckily I didnt have to take everything. In fact the only thing I was interested in were the small loose appliance repair parts. I left all of the furniture and half repaired appliances except for a sub-zero wine rack. After a few weeks of educating myself on appliance parts I had over 800 listable items and almost 1,100 items I couldn’t identity or didnt have much value. The first month of having the parts listed I made over 3k and I continue to sell several a month. If I had to guess I have made over 10k on the whole deal. The remaining 1,100 items I sold to an appliance repair guy in North Carolina for $450.
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We bought a little glass dog at a yard sale. My husband said “That’s junk from Walgreens.” Turns out it was an Akro Agate dog that would have been filled with candy when it was new. It was a peachy pink color and I think it was a Scotty. We started getting helpful emails telling us what it was and updated the listing. Cross category appeal made our $3 buy sell for over $400! That was years ago, still looking for a repeat.
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Yesterday we sold a necklace for $1600. Maybe something is in the air!
We’ve been sitting on the necklace for two years, turning down low offer after low offer. Buyers telling us we were crazy. Finally someone bought it at full price, even though it had “make offer”.
We bought the necklace for $150 two years ago in NYC at a sample sale. We did get a 1000% return on it, but it certainly wasn’t a quick flip. It really is a game of patience.
This is one of our biggest sales during our selling career. 99.99999 of our sales are under $200.
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I sold a one of a kind Japanese woodblock print for $1500. Had $75 in it and it took over a year to sell.
The second best sale was for a lot of 20 Oral B Hummingbird battery powered dental flossers. They are a discontinued product. Picked up all of them for $20 at a garage sale. Put them on eBay for $55 each and the next day a reseller bought all of them for about $1100.
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Awesome stories! Back in June, I bought a brass ostritch/emu figure that opened up. Inside was a crystal egg. I couldn’t read the inscription on the bottom; it was very faded. I took a chance and purchased for $5. I had to use a magnifying glass to read the bottom; but it was from the 1970s and from a designer who now only designs silver plated items. Took a best offer of $175. Bought a rather dirty, beat up LL Bean leather briefcase for $10. Cleaned it up and sold it for $150, buy it now.
Also sold a fanny pack made by a German designer for $200.Nothing over $200 yet but I’m hoping!
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I’ve sold 3 persian rugs now after learning about them from Jay and Ryanne. One sold for $400 on etsy. I can’t remember what the other two sold for. I also can’t remember what I paid for them but the profit was very good.
One of my very first sales was a Walt Whitman early edition of the book Leaves of Grass. I purchased for a $1 and sold for $100. It was exciting because I had no idea it was worth anything. I only purchased because I thought it was a nice looking vintage book.
Awesome sales everyone. Fun to read and motivating
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Great stories everyone. Amber, I’m blown away by the pipe sale. I sold a couple of my grandfathers old Dunhills for $125 each, and ever since I keep an eye out for old pipes. Discovering an unused vintage Dunhill pipe in the thrift store glass case is a once in a lifetime find!
My highest sales were $350 for a 1930s book of cocktail recipes based on the zodiac. It was called Baroscope and had wooden covers. And $305 for a broken Sheaffer fountain pen.
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My biggest sale of my short time selling on eBay was also my fastest sale. It was a new in box micro transcriber. I picket it up at a goodwill for 8 bucks, took it home and shot a few pictures. I listed it for 190 dollars plus 10 bucks to ship it. After I hit list it, I got a Cha Ching within like 15 to 20 seconds. I couldn’t believe it. I sent it out a half hour later and I did get positive feedback as well. Crazy stuff but I’m hooked on scavenging. Thank you all for sharing.
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Sold a wood toy, Kay Bojesen ‘Conversion Car’ that we found at an early spring yard sale. The guy said his kids played with the car when they were growing up but had no interest in it so he was ready to sell. Bought it for $2 and sold it on best offer to a buyer in Japan for $400! Kay Bojesen is known for wood monkeys, but this car was a rare find.
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Two of my biggest returns were both this year. I found two Oakley sunglass display cases at a moving sale. Paid $60. 2 weeks later they were sold and headed to a buyer in California for $1500 plus another grand in shipping costs!
I’m still in the middle of my best find though. 4 dozen plastic auto parts signs nested into a pair of boxes with a 1985 shipping label. Gave $4 for both boxes. Currently selling them for 60-75 each. I’m a little over half way through them but when it’s all said and done I should clear about 3k.
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That’s a great sale Amber, you took an educated gamble and won!
I’ve sold an MG sports car I bought in 1985 for $3000 and sold it on an eBay auction for $9000 in 2010.
I bought a turntable for $75 at an estate sale and decided I liked it a lot and would probably keep it, but everything has a price so I listed it at $1200 over the highest ever sold and someone still bought it for $2000.
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Some of you may remember that earlier this year I sold a blank, designer writing journal for $1,350. It was made by famous Italian designer, Gabriela Crespi. I almost overlooked the small signature in the brass while listing it. I paid $1.50 for it. The journal is currently up for sale on 1stDibs for $3,800: https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/decorative-objects/desk-accessories/more-desk-accessories/rare-gabriella-crespi-cork-brass-notebook/id-f_5090413/. I hope the guy gets it!
Definitely a good year for me in the high priced items category!
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