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Loving those disc washers… I’ll have to keep an eye out at these estate sales with huge record collections I’m digging through. Also on the boots – I grew up in Gettysburg, so I knew a lot of enthusiasts/reenactors and they are fanatic about high quality gear.
Some interesting sales recently:
NWT Coach Wool & Leather Gloves
http://www.ebay.com/itm/191923278904
Bought three pairs of these two years ago at the Coach Outlet after Christmas sale – original price was $98 and they were 75% off so paid about $25 + tax. Had them listed for $80 and there was no action for two years, but all three pair sold over the past two weeks for minimum $65 best offers.Vintage Leather & Suede Italian Leather Gloves
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201739009506
Gently used, picked them up at an estate sale about a month ago for $5. Gently worn on the palms & finger tips, but still very nice. Sold for $40.c1970 Newfoundland Dog Club of America lot
http://www.ebay.com/itm/191889402106
Found these at a hoarder estate sale…literally floor to ceiling of stuffs. They were inside of a handmade early 1900s humidor that I picked up (and sold here http://www.ebay.com/itm/191889402106). Paid a dollar or two maybe and sold for $20 best offer.1980 Empire Strikes Back Imperial Ice Base playset
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201593195149
Mention this in the weekly sales podcast post yesterday as an example of 1) post Christmas self gifting and 2) paying more for an item. Bought along with a bunch of other original Star Wars toys with boxes at an estate sale over the summer – paid $35 and sold for $89 best offer.1979 Star Wars Imperial Star Destroyer die cast
http://www.ebay.com/itm/191883716368
From the same lot I bought above. Self gifting & presumably renewed interest with Rogue One in theaters. Bought for $10, sold for $40.c1909 Washington DC Playing Cards
http://www.ebay.com/itm/192032214901
I always pick up decks of cards – Ryanne’s talked about it on the podcast many times… they’re so cheap to buy at sales (no more than $1) and there are big time collectors. Not every deck is a hit, I might buy a whole box any only one or two are good. It’s such little risk. This one sold for $40. This with 40x return nicely balances out the Star War stuff above that only has 3x return.Just catching up and listened to the podcast today on my way [back] to work… love hearing yinz mention me! Yes, here’s a site that shows all of the sample sales in NYC (there has to be one for other cities/areas): https://www.chicmi.com/new-york/sample-sales/
Dec 25-31 2016
• Total Items in Store: 719
• Items Sold: 11 (1 Amazon)
• International 2
• Total Sales $305.53
• Highest Price $89 1980 SW ESB Imperial Ice Base Playset
• Average Price Sold: $27.78
• Returns: 0
• Cost of Items Sold: $87
• Cost of items purchased this week $0Slower week, but definitely picked up a bit later in the week after Christmas. Based on the items I sold, I bet we’re getting into the “self gifting” phase of the holiday that usually lasts until end of January.
On the ongoing topic about “spending more on higher dollar items”, I do this quite often in my estate sale finds in the NYC burbs. There is always a lot of high quality stuff, but because the competition is so fierce and the sellers are checking eBay, the prices can be higher especially on the opening day. It all about getting a balance in your stores… I have probably 50%-60% of my store bread & butter $1-$3 items listed for under $50 and then some higher dollar items that I’ve paid up for that I might only double my money on. For example, the Star Wars play set I sold this week for $89 I actually spent $35 on. I knew there was room on it, but not 10x-20x that I might get for a $2 item. Earlier in 2016, Ryanne might remember me selling those Cartier sunglasses for $950 – I absolutely did not pick those up for $3, I paid something like $280 for them – only 3x my money but that 3x = $600ish profit.
As another example, I recently from an estate sale bought 40 NFL hall of fame autographs. They were not authenticated, so I paid an average of $5 each (already $200 right there). I just packed them up to get authenticated at $20-$30 each (another $900 for that). I’m already up to $1100 invested, but once they come back with certification each one should be worth close to $100 putting the profits close to $3000.
Walmart.com, like Amazon, now allows third party sellers on to list on their site. The $60 version of Perfection that you are referencing is some sort of “retro” version with the original 25 pieces sold by a third party:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Original-Game-of-Perfection/894799
There is also a $15 version the looks like it only has 9 pieces:
Great find on those Star Wars tapes! I think there is some self gifting from fans, as I’ve sold the below all since Christmas Eve:
1980 Imperial Snow Base:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2015931951491977 X-Wing Necklace:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/191867528460Star Wars Lunchbox (new reproduction):
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1919199437251979 Imperial Destroyer:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/191883716368Can’t wait to listen to the show – I’m a day behind because of the holiday. All of these experiments have been fascinating to hear how others are tweaking and sharing results!
Week Dec 18-24, 2016
Total Items in Store: 731
Items Sold: 10
Cost of Items Sold: $33
Total Sales: $248.48
Highest Price Sold: $42 (vintage beaver leather hat)
Average Price Sold: $24.85
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 0Another week of having the store on auto pilot during construction, so anything I made was a welcome extra. Like you guys, it was a much slower week than the previous three.
Amazing finds! Who gives a vintage Burberry hat to Goodwill?!?!?
Awesome stuff as always!
Some of my interesting sales over the past week:
1870s Antique W. Taylor X Q Site Exquisite straight razor without handle:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/191963402333
This was tossed in with a box lot of razors. Initially thought it would be worthless without a handle; didn’t recognize the maker but but recognized that it was made in Sheffield, England. Turns out this was a very small but high end maker that is long out of business. Just this blade in AS IS/NEEDING REFURBISHED condition sold for $40 best offer to a buyer in Russia, plus $53 shipping. Not bad for something I was nearly about to throw out.25 Yale & Towne keys:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201723526719
I bought a massive keyring of random keys at a recent estate sale… probably 300+ for $20. Estate owner was a former building manager for several properties in NYC, so I separated the keys into like lots by manufacturer and type. These 25 of the 300+ sold for $30 so the rest (many more higher end, are pure profit.2016 Omega Watch Catalog:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201625861121
Got this in the mail from the local mall totally for free. Sold for $25.Vintage Resitol Beaver hat:
http://www.ebay.com/itm191951075131
In pretty much pristine, NOS condition; paid $3 for it. No action on it for a long time so I took a really low offer of $45 for it. Happy it’s no longer taking a whole cubby in my closet anymore.Vintage Seagram’s 7 swizzle sticks:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201181372924
Not a huge seller at only $10, but I bought a bag of like 1000 swizzle sticks for $1 on the last day of an estate sale and grouped them into sets and/or like destinations and have been slowly selling them off over the past year. Pipeline!I too have things very light/easy to pack listed with Free Shipping. Those things usually sell in waves, but just like anything else in many of our shops there’s little to no rhyme or reason. I’ve found that even with charging shipping, people will make offers to either give them free shipping or make an offer that with shipping it equals an even total.
Week Dec 11-17, 2016
Total Items in Store: 745
Items Sold: 22 (1 offline)
Cost of Items Sold: $70
Total Sales: $594.18
Highest Price Sold: $70 (Masonic bible)
Average Price Sold: $27.01
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 0Another strong week in sales volume. A lot of records and smalls – perhaps white elephant/secret santa office gifts? The Masonic bible I mentioned on the Wednesday what sold post – was dated & named, which I think made it a bit more attractive to blank editions currently listed. Sold a WWII era drafting kit to someone who works on the same street as me in NYC, so we met in my lobby and she paid cash. Nice little $50 sale made easy without shipping or paying fees.
Still have my store on auto-pilot while our master bathroom/bedroom renovation continues. Progress is being made – new electrical & plumbing done; but a lot more to be done – tiling, fixtures, and then finishing touches. Fingers crossed there are no more snags (some unexpected plumbing issues put us a couple days behind schedule) and we’re done by the end of next week (12/30); but even worst case scenario shouldn’t be done later than 1/6.
Awesome… I’ve gotten plenty of $1-$5 lots and they charge reasonable shipping prices that I consider when bidding.
WE ARE!!!
Do you ever go to Michael Dillard auctions in State College? I found them on Proxibid accidentally and have gotten some decent deals, albeit with shipping required. If you’re there, you can probably snag some stuff super cheap:
https://www.proxibid.com/aspr/Michael-F-Dilliard-Auction-amp-Realty-Company-LLC/5700/AuctionsByCompany.asp?ahid=5700Killer sales! The Walkman is so 80s. Those pencils are awesome too – where’d you get them and were they super cheap (I’ve done well on vintage pencils too)?
PS – saw you’re from Central PA… I grew up in Gettysburg and went to Penn State 🙂
The pups are really enjoying that snow, Steven!
Some of my sales of the week:
Silverplate wine opener from Italy
http://www.ebay.com/itm/191757101917
I’ve had this for about 2 years and actually sold it twice over that time and the buyers never paid. Third time listing, had it one sale and sold for $40. I think I paid like $10 at an estate sale because it was silverplate.1889 Explanation of the Constitution
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201262140235
and
1905 History of the Republican Party
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201621425199
I’ve had both of these books for some time now. Without getting into politics, it was interesting they both sold on the same day, perhaps because of the election results. The Constitution book sold for $25 (paid $1) and the Republican History sold for $37.50 (paid $5) – both on clearance sale. I certainly wanted/expected way more for both but needed to clear out super old inventory.1957 Masonic Bible
http://www.ebay.com/itm/201651489444
I’ve had Masonic bibles, books, items in the past and some sell well and some don’t this one sold for a $85 best offer and relatively quickly (I think I listed in October), perhaps because it had hand inscriptions, a name, and dated. Paid $10 at an estate sale.Unicorn business card holder
http://www.ebay.com/itm/191980033590
Quirky item at the bottom of a box lot. Probably not vintage. Probably for a gag office gift. Sold for $20.Vintage Arpege Lanvin
http://www.ebay.com/itm/192005649624
Vintage perfumes – another thing R&J got me into that I probably would have passed up in the past. Paid $5 about a month ago, sold for $80.Ah, I know this guy now… from Thrift Hunters. I also follow his other store “Mr. Bigfoot”.
Thanks for the info! I’ll browse his items and then possibly contact him via Facebook. Has he been active on here? If I say “I was directed to you from SL” will he know what I’m talking about?
You’re partially correct from what I’ve been able to piece together so far – that FedEx automatically has insurance up to $100. But (assuming you buy a FedEx label through eBay) because you don’t pay for FedEx upfront (it’s added to your monthly statement), eBay is actually the shipper and we are 3rd parties in the transaction. By those rules, only eBay can file the claim. I will be calling eBay this evening to see what more they can do or if they have more info.
