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Simon, do you see any patterns or draw any conclusions from your stats aging inventory? My garage probably looks like your garage. My husband does not love the recycled packing material. Thanks.
I’m busy also and like both RA and vintage goods. I find good online deals early in the morning (8am east coast time). I get email and facebook notices when the sales begin so I can shop the best selection. If you are not already, I suggest that you check the price adjustment policy. I often get additional percentages off when a sale runs within 14 days even if the items are then out of stock. I just need to remember to email customer service.
In our area there are a handful of monster rummage and charity sales. If I had a partner I would like those even more. Perhaps if they coincide with estate/yard sale season in good weather, that would be a strategy for an experiment.
Re the threat of porch piracy for the moving caller, I asked our postman about a box. He found it ludacruis that I would expect them to maintain keys. You can protect incoming small to maybe medium size packages with an Elephantrunk. Elephantrunk
• Total Items in Store: 364
• Items Sold: 16
• Total Sales $528
• Highest Price $100 (Paid $1 Giant Vintage Santa Litho
• Average Price Sold: $528
• Cost of Items Sold: $107 + $33 free shipping
• Cost of items purchased this week: Maybe $100 online RA
• Number of items listed: 8Congrats on the new building getting up. I’m sure it will feel pretty amazing to rework your inventory organization and move to a system. I’m really curious to hear later about how many listings have dropped off and how you choose to organize. I’ve sold enough this season to see some empty spots in my storage areas. My father-in-law gave me some matching bins and has more so I’ll be doing a mini-version of your process in the new year. I’m the kind of nerd who enjoys organizing.
Glad you are considering longer sourcing trips to the cities. Maybe get a locking camper shell? I don’t know anything about auctions and – to clarify a fine point – I wasn’t suggesting you go looking for very expensive and antiqueish items. I think you will find that you can hit moving, garage, estate sales and thrifts like you do in your area, just with faster moving and more in demand product coming into your pipeline. I was thinking more middle ground stuff that you have the eye and brand knowledge for but is sourced higher than a buck or two.
Computer is fixed but crazy again and no time for new listings. Have a great week.
Crazy week outside of Ebay. Today I’m catching my breath. Sharing some used item Ebay sales. For my small store going into my third year of reselling, I’m definitely starting to think more and more about a seasonal approach.
I sold my second and (sadly) last one of these. Paid $1 at storage unit hoarder thrift shop. These lithos got a lot of attention and offers. Sold BO $100. 1950s Jumbo Santa Litho I have a stash of ephemora. These poster sales make me want to list some more. I just grabbed this one to list because it was xmas. Hey, paper goods are easy to ship too.
These sales helped me feel better about binging at the indy thrift holiday boutique. Paid for more of the items I bought. I paid $20 for this two weeks ago. New Williams Sonoma Textiles Paid $12 for these Pottery Barn Stockings
If I find more vintage Christmas items I’ll be picking them up and saving them for next season. This sold in a month. I paid $1 or less at a garage sale. Vintage Christmas Topper A recent listing showing that I’ve given in to photographing everything on my dining room table just to save time and get more stuff up. There is a big window but the lighting sucks.
I thought this was great but it took forever and a day to sell. Someone finally discovered it. In the meantime I found a bought another one in the piles. Paid $7 thrift (too much). Vintage Mold
My dad dabbles in picking for me. Often he finds stuff with condition issues. But, he gets a little thrill when I sell it and he got it free or for a buck. Fun. Vintage Mushroom Trivet
For some reason, this thread reminded me of a great old tv show (from the 1980s) called Ethics in America. For those you enjoyed this debate, you might enjoy listening while you list. It’s free here Ethics in America Episodes Video Link
Total Items in Store: 432
Items Sold: 20
Cost of Items Sold: $263 + $35 free shipping
Total Sales: $932
Highest Price Sold: $170 (Plates from last year’s day after Christmas sale Plate Set
Average Price Sold: $47
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $250+ (Part 2 Indy thrift Xmas boutique plus some online RA)
Number of items listed this week: 16Great week for me, though some days were completely dead. Saturday was the best day. Friday felt like no sales. This time of year is so busy it’s like whack-a-mole. What do I need to take care of next? The post office drop bin is always full and people drive like crap. My kids also inadvertently downloaded a bunch of bugs in our computer and my credit card number was relayed. Still trying to fix that and we are not techies. So, ground my listing to halt and I’m shipping on the phone and posting this at work on a break. Enjoyed the shopping binge up to Thanksgiving and now plan to keep sitting out until the day after Christmas clearance. So busy with the kids, relatives I missed a couple of price adjustments on RA – doh! I hope this is a good week for everyone on Ebay and that I can get back to listing on a clean machine this week. The phone is so small to list, I need the keyboard.
Regarding the jacket, I almost didn’t comment. But, I decided to say that I hope you don’t let the discussion get you down. It’s easy to just write whatever on the internet. At the end of the day, we’re all learning and growing.
I agree with this and it’s my goal too, especially since I’m just time-challenged. Better ASP and better velocity. As I mentioned, I think R&J can achieve that by doing longer city sourcing trips. Sounds like you are considering it. “)
I belong to International League of Thrifters – new items ok – Vintage Ebay and Etsy Sellers, and Got Vintage Shops Dealer Support Group. There are many others I’m sure. I always pin the admins out of courtesy, the 2 required links, and then find people who are regular and are likely to have deep followings on Pinterest and pin their items in hopes they reciprocate. I can’t prove this helps but Ebay shows my traffic goes up from outside sources on the graph and I sell to people with 0 feedback often. Also, I have sold a few items on the same day I posted in the groups pinterest parties. So, I do know it works to some degree. If people aren’t thinking to go to Ebay, this is another way to get them in there. Good for my RA in countries that don’t have the retailer with a presence there.
Sales seem to be completely dead most days, but Saturday was a very good day for me. I encourage people to check out using social media sharing groups. I pin both my new RA and unique vintage items on a couple of Facebook groups via Pinterest. It’s free and I really feel like it makes a difference even though I spend very little time doing it each morning. I’m hopeful it might get me some hits this Cyber Monday.
You’re welcome. I’ve only found a couple of other singles. I would normally pass over standard Peets mugs, but this is an artist collaboration. Artist-retailer collaborations are one of my RA and Ebay gotos.
Thanks Steve List. I found an old forum post and got it shipped out parcel post in a ziplock with a large, large amount of bubble wrap. I took it in and checked on it. Luckily no line on Black Friday.
This week I shipped some gifts at FedEx, including shampoo. FedEx was pretty careful about it and had to read the label. I even had to unwrap it. I also found out by using a recycled Walmart.com box I had ordered bathroom stuff in that there is a diamond shaped sticker on hazardous material. Luckily, FedEx let me take the sticker off when I explained it was dishes.
Happy Thanksgiving Trash Elves.
I already shopped this morning. Bought $240 in bowls. 🙂 I’m sure this sounds amazing to you Jay. LOL.
I also put a search out on Brad’s Deals for a couple of electronic items for gifts. We’ll see. I really like that site, but haven’t tried their search function before.Steve, so sorry about your kitty passing. I need to go to my local thrift. I saw the same record holder full of records this week and thought of you. I think it was a bit rusty though. Impressed with that price.
I really loved these and paid $7, but they took a while to move and I took a best offer of $31 Model Boats from Maine
This smells heinous!, but I’m a good trash elf and looked it up. Paid $10 yesterday at GW in the case. Sold BO of $75 to a dealer with a search out. I believe the post office will ship this ground / parcel, correct? Stinky French Mens Colone
Paid $12 for this at indy thrift, sold bo $50. Buyer left positive feedback with comment “much smaller than expected!!!” but the measurements are in there. Small Midcentury Paris Painting
Awesome mug. My last of $7. Paid $16 at a garage sale for all of them. Cache is gone. 🙁 Arts & Crafts Mug
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Total Items in Store: 405
Items Sold: 17
Cost of Items Sold: $127 + $13 free shipping
Total Sales: $510
Highest Price Sold: $63 Arts & Crafts Mug
Average Price Sold: $30
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $200+
Number of items listed this week: 3 ugh, so busy.Pretty good week for me even without listing, though some days were completely dead so I’m having waves of sales. I have good luck with multiples and Pinterest with my new items. Super fun time this week sourcing an indy thrift Christmas Boutique. This store is manned by older ladies and located near an enclave in our town with homes in the multi-millions. They save their best and Christmas stuff all year for this event and I found some brand new Cutco, Williams Sonoma linens, Folkmanis puppets and other goodies. I was twice asked if I was a reseller that day so that was kind of a bummer. I just kind of sidestepped the question and told them about my youngest child. My contract work is very busy and we have family in town so very difficult to list at the moment. I got up at 3 am so I listened to the podcast and I’m posting this.
Thank you for the podcast and good luck with your high end items! I hope they do really well for you and move on soon. Don’t forget to consider spending more time in the urban areas to look for stellar deals too. Busy, well off working people (like your coffee machine movers) spin off good stuff due to convenience. I’m confident you would do well with that approach and get some shorter tail stuff in your mix. Best, Christine
