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There are three types of sellers at the flea market. Only one type I can and want to buy from: the house clean out people who arrive late. The other two are pallet people and antique / vintage booth sellers, who have higher prices most times than I want to pay. We also have produce and flowers, neither of which are a very good deal vs Trader Joes.
Total Items in Store: 890
Items Sold: 9
Gross Sales: $395 (including eBay fees, shipping, and taxes)
Net Sales: $245 (minus eBay fees, shipping, and taxes)
Cost of Items Sold: $29
Highest Price Sold: $98 Halloween decoration
Average Price Sold: $44
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $200
Number of items listed this week: 1We are in transition and I took some time off last week after the crazy week prior. I’ve been remiss not doing Ebay photos. Have a bunch of listings in the queue. I have to say I don’t have a lot of Ebay mojo but I had better find some.
The vintage market booth was not great on fathers day – grad weekend. Disappointing and for us it was hot – 90 degrees. I’m doing it again next Saturday and hoping it is better for sure.
At the flea market this week a QVC addict had her employees liquidate her storage unit. I should have about $700 in listings from that, mostly bags and high end art sets (paid $85 for three moving boxes worth). There was also the college recycling sale today – I made it first to the cosmetics table and bought a bunch of water filter parts just to flip. Overall, again too much sourcing and not enough listing. It should be a good week to list I hope this coming week.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/235524386716 This was at the bottom of a huge estate sale box. I don’t even want to know what I missed in that box. Paid around $8.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/235562448767 Pottery Barn Halloween can definitely do well. I bought this at a yard sale and used it on display for a few years in my home. Great that it sold in June.
There was an eccentric guy selling art at the flea market. He has huge cardboard signs out saying he refuses to pay for his storage unit, no reasonable offer refused, etc. I bought a couple of pieces from him, one unframed one sold immeditely at the flea market $10 —> $80. I was so busy I didn’t even look it up but happy to get the flip. It wasn’t in my booth long enough for me to get a picture even.
Yes, it’s so funny the racks that used to be full of denim are picked completely clean in the mens department, womens is like Eddie Bauer and worse, or marked up super high.
On the flip side, I talked to other vendors and the kids do not deliberate if they really like something. Very impulsive buyers. I’ve been doing ok with my daughter’s clothing and some that I took a chance on and picked myself. As an old Gen Z I get a proud feeling if I pick something and they find it worthy. I’ve been able to pick up some Urban Outfitters skirts, etc. Sometimes they are very tiny but don’t even get tried on. Though I used to be that tiny at their age, it seems like nobody could fit in those XS short skirts.
Now, I hope Ebay is listening and gets a timely and superior ad campaign going for once. Stops chasing Amazon (and Temu, etc.) Mercari is hurting. Ebay has the volume and they need to focus on used! Posh is pretty established but I think Ebay could make a move to claw back some of the market share they lost. Now would be the time! Most income levels and certainly Gen Z are looking to save by buying used.
I think I managed to get one listing done. I am sitting here enjoying not dragging my teen out of bed and getting her to school for the second day in a row. Last week was super busy and stressful. Ahhhh. Just some medical appointments this week. I started a 25% off sale and have 5 items to ship out today. Lots of things just need pictures. I have a few July 4th linens and some PB seashell duvets. Need to get crackin’. My daughter took some photos for me last summer but I’m hoping she gets a regular job. Fingers crossed.
@Retro the other fun part of course is the bargain hunting! Can’t do that if we are at or near capacity as I think we both are. I am blessed with great sourcing here.
My son was helping transport and he asked me how long some of this stuff has been around. The playing cards, for example, I’ve had since R&J were talking about it on the podcast!
I did have two garage sales and went through all the death newbie coffee mugs last summer. I hope to make a big dent this summer in the rest and maybe even do the flea market or yard sale at the end of the summer. There are still things that came from my parents’ house. In the meantime, I have a lot of linens to put on EBay. I’m moving some very low dollar stuff from EBay to Mercari. I’m definitely getting a feel for multichannel selling.
Total Items in Store: 890
Items Sold: 7
Gross Sales: $211 (including eBay fees, shipping, and taxes)
Net Sales: $110 (minus eBay fees, shipping, and taxes)
Cost of Items Sold: $25 (plus one item ours, got money back)
Highest Price Sold: $36 (two new mugs, paid $16)
Average Price Sold: $30
Returns: 1 cancellation (broken item)
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $40
Number of items listed this week: 2Vintage market booth: Gross about $600, rent $80, COGS roughly $80-100
A very rough week on Ebay for me. I haven’t been listing for weeks but started a 30% off sale and sales definitely picked up already. I have a bunch of drafts ready for photos but life is a bit crazy with family and friends visiting. My youngest graduates today from high school. I literally can’t wait until next week when things calm down a bit next week. There is a big solstice parade the following weekend and the market is closed so I decided to go again this Saturday and it looks like the fog is going to clear.
I’ve already explained in other posts why I like doing the market. It’s a bit of work and a lowish hourly return but I enjoy it. I am clearing both some larger art work I don’t want to ship and a bunch of vintage smalls death piles and clothes I would have put on Mercari but never get listed. The foot traffic was actually better than I expected last time so I’m hoping for a good Saturday. Pricing for live selling is a bit tricky and my COGS is all over the place so some items I need to charge more and those tend to be people’s favorites. Some of the large art I only paid a buck or 5. The best sellers were art, small ceramics, tiny figurines, clothing, sunglasses. Not doing well with hats (though it was foggy), pillows, large ceramics.
I hope to get back to Ebay next week in earnest and following one of my youtubers make it the “summer of sales” taking offers and running out lower dollar stuff. If anyone knows a bulk way to drop my Ebay offer floor, please lmk. Thanks!
@Sharon ty! It’s fun. Will just be for the summer though I think. Maybe a Christmas pop up. Works well because Ebay is slow in summer but it’s tourist season on the ground here. I hope to shed some death piles that way this summer.
Not much scavenging this week at all. Super busy. But there is PLENTY of hoard waiting for me to list. An old scavenge from my trip to the Bay Area is a covered casserole dish in this pattern, paid $16 https://www.ebay.com/itm/375065283274?itmmeta=01J01AWCADNTETZSEAE98PXD2X&hash=item5753a20aca:g:quIAAOSw-GJlWP23&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA8KWQ7UyiQ%2BfAFxsZnLv%2FFb9%2FJsaGh8SS6WDW%2Bv1HIL%2F3G5O0QilwtlydtSMqfSZARII4ZtJttgb8XSrvyvIKe7Ry8OLBIIndzPGbGzXILkKqvpz4KxYEsWJ%2FuAt5v5BN0st5gSJN3xGJ8QW9Cf0S849LN0TpmP30wLPku9hvRRjjjRtmtTrmgOZntn5Am97jeDEdMWVqhfd4Fnv7JF2ntrSycAckr1iut53MIERHhVg19nGzWEChrtmHOqokVdO16hrxkkkvtxFDKw0gKPzqZChxfVvqpLmbODlHUrrrrS%2BIQdS5VGyBhXq2ZQ6fDB8KKg%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBMpsXxqoBk
VERY slow week for me. I’m glad others are having ok sales. I have a bunch of drafts that just need photos and I started a sale.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/335095755267 I sold Mary Poppins without her umbrella. 🙂
@Craig Rex you are so sweet thanks. It’s hard watching your kids struggle even though sometimes it’s good for them in the end.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C796kvsSGCL/ Here is yesterday’s daytime market booth. Sold about $600 gross, so pretty happy with that. There was a steady stream of people and a better age range of shoppers. Bring on the summer. Still obviously Ebay is more profitable with no overhead but there are a lot of non-financial pay offs for doing live sales. It’s great to be outside connecting with buyers and vendors. Mainly, I sat at a desk for my regular job and it’s hard to just sit and list sometimes. I’m also trying to shed some things I would possibly never get around to listing. At the end of the summer I might do a flea market or yard sale to clear out more stuff I don’t feel like selling on Ebay. Then, I’d be able to go to estate and yard sales without guilt perhaps.
Didn’t do much scavenging last week but I did pick up a single Pottery Barn outdoor chair cushion that goes for about $40-50. I picked up a lot of 6 Pottery Barn items for $80 from an outlet reseller on Mercari. The pair of drapes alone have sold recently on Ebay for $120 and have a great sell through rate. When I was going through my inventory I realized how great my PB items are moving and I’m going to go with that… I found 3 new mop refills ($33 value) and picked them up in honor of my new favorite scrappy youtuber https://www.youtube.com/@tuitionaintcheap along with some face cream going on Mercari.
