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Sales this week a bit slow with just 7 sales total of $1156.00 down 253% according to eBay from the week before as I’ve been gone for a bit. Last weekend, I drove to Turlock California for an auto swap meet. On the way down from Tacoma, I stopped at three garage and estate sales and picked up a stunning old pair of long-tail snowshoes for $20.00, a like-new, DeWalt 18 volt drill for $5.00 plus several nice vintage oil cans and a killer, unused huge Wilton Vise. At a rest stop, I photographed the drill, listed it and, several hours later it sold. I found a box, packed it then dropped it at a FedEx store. Sold most at the swap meet plus I bought well there even listing some on eBay while I waited for the next customer.
So this week I sold a rare NOS 1960s Ford spotlight for $500.00 several Coleman lanterns, a 1908 navigation map of Alaskan waters, a nice set of vtg license plates for $145.00 and several antique aviation pamphlets. I did buy heavily yesterday (Saturday) including ten vintage signs, a big box of old tools, nice fishing reels listed already with bids and more vtg oil cans which I’ll list this evening. I have a big sale coming up on Nov 6 where about 300 vendors are set up.
I’m a digger, I have people who know what I buy and they look for me, I have a reputation for paying up. I do attend some big swap meets and buy there. The key is to become an expert in something that has promise and not just a generalist. I’m not a philosopher nor a collector so I don’t allow myself to become too attached to what I buy. I do buy everything from steam locomotives and steam engines to axes, neon signs and recently bought 600 back issues of Sports Illustrated including the very first year. I paid less than $100.00 and just sold three of the issues for over $480.00. I do have a deep knowledge of auto-related items especially vintage parts and have the resources to prepare them. Read and learn about something and become an expert. Then, you’ll see those things for sale when others overlook them.
My week was broken up by a weekend swap meet where I did $2988.00 for a one-day sale. My cost of goods for that was just under $400.00
However, my eBay sales are down with just over $2644.00 Sept 1-19. I only have 78 items listed. I also have two mall spaces I keep running. My average sale price month to date is $196.60 as I had one sale at $1045.00 at auction for a rare Coleman lantern. My cost on that was $150.00. Just tonight I sold a roll of film from a WWII Aircraft machine gun camera for $100.00 and kept the camera. I intend to focus on listing more each day. I don’t really have much merchandise under $25.00. In August, three of my sales alone totaled $10,600.00. Not sure how to show where I’m located but I’m outside of Tacoma looking at the sun setting on the waters of Puget Sound out my living room window.
My sales this past week are down due to a focus on moving into a much larger storage facility that allows me to drive my van inside. However, this post is regarding shipping materials primarily boxes and tape. Unless using a USPS flat rate box I source 90% of my boxes at a two of my local recycling centers. Massive amounts of cardboard boxes come in daily and we are free to take all we need and they are in every possible dimension from jewelry-size to a large television. I also source ALL my packing materials from there as well including air pillows and bubble wrap of every style. In another bin is packed with styrofoam pieces, boxes, sheets and more. For tape, I often buy mine at estate sales. I recently bought a commercial air-powered box stapler for $25.00 including 2000 staples. Hope this triggers an idea for you.
