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I was just thinking about what that magic number was for the time to upgrade. Some quick math tells me that it’s 3400 listings. I’ll change my subscription tomorrow. Thanks for reminding me, Simon!
Sharyn, I noticed that with my GoDaddy numbers too. My sales were including shipping income and tax collected. It started doing it last week. I sent them a message this morning and they’re reviewing it for me now. Thankfully I think it’s a recent glitch and not something that would have affected our numbers for months on back.
Feb 23 – 29
Total Items in Store: 3,585
Items Sold: 32
Total Sales : $754
* Below yearly average of $912
Highest Price: $100 (West Bend Lifetime Stainless Dutch Oven)
Average Price: $24
Returns: 1
Cost of Goods Sold: $52
Costs of Goods Purchased this Week: $0
Number of New Items Listed this Week: 398Great podcast Jay and Ryanne! For the caller who is wanting to know when to expect making 1K a week, I agree that it’s hard to give a good answer. It all depends on what kind of stuff you’re selling. I’m now at 3500 items in my store and I’m close to reaching that goal as you can see by my average gross sales over the past year. So maybe in my case, 4000 or 5000 items will bring that average up to $1000+. It also greatly depends on the market as most of us saw with 2019. All I can say is keep working at it and keep track of your numbers and you’ll make it to your goal eventually. I sold my first item almost exactly 4 years ago, so it does take some time and dedication.
So last week I listed almost 400 items…. allow me to explain. At an auction last summer, I bought a large box full of old SAMS Photofact electronic schematic sheets for like .50 cents. They generally sell for about $10 each with free shipping. It was a no-brainer, right? I didn’t realize how much work it would take to list these things. The pictures were a breeze, but even with a template, typing out the description and titles for all these took me probably 30 hours total. And to stay ahead of the competition (because there are literally tens of thousands of these listed), I had to provide free shipping. I sold a few already, but after shipping and fees I’m only netting about $5 each. I don’t know if it was worth all the time and effort, but I might give it a couple of months to see how well they sell. If they’re stagnant, I’m going to de-list them rather than pay the $40+ extra a month in listing fees.
Great sale on that turntable, Steven! That was super convenient to have all of the original packing components. I had a really good week last week. Here are some highlights…
I bought this WW2 helmet liner from an online auction for a dollar. It was included with a pole lamp that I was really looking to buy. I didn’t think much of it until I went to list it and did some research. Prices for these things are all over the map. When that happens and I don’t have a lot of knowledge about something, I usually set it up for auction. I started it out at $75 and it sold for $160. Way better than I expected!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303479689614I bought a Roomba robot vacuum cleaner at a yard sale for only $15 because the lady couldn’t remember if it worked or not. It didn’t to no surprise, but I knew I could sell the parts. And they’ve been steadily selling. This top face cover part sold for $20. So far I’ve sold almost $100 in parts and I’ve got a lot more to go.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303476344272Here was an unfortunate learning experience of why I should listen to my gut instead of big sold numbers. This Hudson Bay blanket was up for auction. I knew about HB, but I wanted to quickly check some comps before they started. Past solds were showing $400+ on these things. So I bid it up to $225 and won. Later I found out that sold prices greatly depend on the number of “fingers” these blankets have. Mine was of the lower end variety in terms of worth. I did manage to sell it for $210 after a long time. Lesson learned, don’t bet big if you don’t have enough knowledge.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303050966516In contrast to the blanket, here’s my big winner of the week. I acquired this nice framed 1920s chocolate advertising print at an auction for $100. I trusted my gut with this one and it paid off! It sold a few days after listing it for $500!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303493200788Here’s a quick BOLO for everyone. I run across these McMaster-Carr catalogs every now and then. They’re about 3 inches thick with tissue thin pages full of illustrations and information. They push out a new one every year, but people are after the old ones. This particular catalog dated 1994 and earned me $43. I’ve previously sold one from 1962 for $100. They’re easy money if you get them cheap enough.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303302880407Feb 16 – 22
Total Items in Store: 3223
Items Sold: 29
Total Sales : $1,832
* Above yearly average of $909
Highest Price: $500 (Antique Temptation Chocolate Yard Long Lady in Frame)
Average Price: $63
Returns: 1
Cost of Goods Sold: $401
Costs of Goods Purchased this Week: $333
Number of New Items Listed this Week: 53I had a crazy week of sales last week! Sold a few items over $100, but my major sale was an old advertising print from the 1920s. It was a bit of a gamble since I paid a hundred dollars for it at an auction, but I knew it could bring good money. My COGS this week are high for another reason. I sold a Hudson Bay blanket for $210, but I paid $225 for it. It was a dumb mistake on my end but I’m just glad to recoup some of that expense.
I went to an auction on Saturday. Filled my van up to the brim for about $300. It took me 3 day just to get it all sorted and inventoried. It seemed like it was a lot of junk from another reseller. Box lots full of stuff that just wasn’t worth the time to list and store. But I did find some gems. The buy of the day was a box lot of eight fiberglass MSA helmets, some practically brand new. Selling one of those will more than make back the $40 I spent on them.
Feb 9 – 15
Total Items in Store: 3200
Items Sold: 41
Total Sales : $1,675
* Above yearly average of $892
Highest Price: $281 (1959-1960 Cadillac Black Rubber White Crown Logo Floor Mats)
Average Price: $41
Returns: 0
Cost of Goods Sold: $88
Costs of Goods Purchased this Week: $0
Number of New Items Listed this Week: 77As I sat down to figure my numbers for the week, I realized that this is the 1-year anniversary of quitting my job and going full time on eBay. It’s had its share of ups and downs over the last year. I’m doing well financially but not as well as I predicted. With the dip in sales that everyone seems to be seeing, all my hard work has sort of made me feel like I’m just breaking even from last year. But I’ve got a feeling that this year will be better for me. Just as long as I keep finding and listing all these cool items.
I’m seeing great numbers this week! My big sale of the week came from some old Cadillac floor mats that I found in the crawl space above our garage. With some research, I discovered that these particular ones were only made for a couple of years. But they were slightly dry rotted. Still, close to $300 is fantastic for something I got for free. I also hand delivered them to the buyer. He only lived 40 minutes away from me and I got to pocket the shipping cost.
Great interview with Troy this week! I agree with Jay, it comes as a weird relief knowing that other high-output stores are feeling the squeeze and that it’s not just me. Though I’d rather we could all be making huge profits across the board, at least now I know it’s not something I’m doing wrong. It’s just the nature of the beast.
Hey Mark. I’m sorry to hear about your mother passing. That can’t be easy. Dementia is one of the worst diseases. Hopefully it may put your mind somewhat at ease to know she’s at peace now. Our thoughts are with you.
Feb 2 – 8
Total Items in Store: 3159
Items Sold: 30
Total Sales : $732
* Below yearly average of $875
Highest Price: $80 (Framed Audubon Birds of America Print)
Average Price: $24
Returns: 2
Cost of Goods Sold: $27
Costs of Goods Purchased this Week: $0
Number of New Items Listed this Week: 108I had a pretty good week of sales. Didn’t hit the $1K mark but that’s okay; I’m still well above my comfort range. I’ll be sure to hit it this week. I sold over $500 in items yesterday alone.
Not much interesting happening my way really. Just keeping my head down and listing like crazy. I’m glad that I have all this time to do it now when it’s cold out. I’d like to spend more time outside this summer.
Jan 26 – Feb 1
Total Items in Store: 3087
Items Sold: 53
Total Sales : $1,266
* ABOVE yearly average of $882
Highest Price: $130 (Atomic Copper Tone Steel Desk Headboard Clamp Lamp)
Average Price: $24
Returns: 0
Cost of Goods Sold: $65
Costs of Goods Purchased this Week: $0
Number of New Items Listed this Week: 74Another great week my way. I hope this trend continues! And I smashed my record of most sales in a week. It’s weird seeing my average sale price at only $24 and still surpassing $1k. But I’m happy to get rid of some of this cheaper inventory to make room for better stuff.
There’s nothing interesting happening my way. Just keeping my head down and listing like crazy. It’s funny – it doesn’t even feel like work anymore. Just something that I mindlessly do throughout the day with the cha-chings acting as my motivator.
I finally had a pretty good week of sales last week. Like you, I also tried the Send Offer feature and got a really great response. I might try to do that biweekly at least. Here are some of the neat things I’ve sold.
I went overboard on a glass paperweight collection at an auction. I ended up spending $120 on 10 weights, but a lot of them were signed which can sometimes increase their value tremendously depending on the artist. Unfortunately, none of mine were signed by anyone really collectable, but I did manage to sell this one for a best offer of $75, so I’m more than halfway to my initial cost. I just need one more good one to sell before I start making a profit. Next time I’m going to research the artists before committing to paying that much.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303442889508Here’s an amazing little sale for those who like to sell flatware. Be on the lookout for Cooper Bros & Sons Queen Anne pattern (which really doesn’t look that much different than similar patterns from other companies). The buyer bought two sets of four salad forks for a best offer of $186 total. Eight forks… almost two hundred bucks!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303121653145Here’s a sale that worried me whether I left money on the table. I listed this Nutone door chime for $60 for parts only. It sold within an hour for full price. I researched well enough beforehand and knew that these can sometimes bring over a hundred or two, but this one was missing pieces and whatnot. Still, I wonder if I could have gotten a bit more for it. Oh well, I’m happy for the quick cash anyway.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303458298932Here’s my high sale of the week. I acquired this KOWA transistor pocket radio at an auction for a few dollars. It wasn’t in the best condition, but research showed that these can bring big bucks. I tried an auction listing and got some watchers but no bites, so when that ended I listed it for $150. Took a best offer of $120.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303458598904Thanks, for the easy solution to the tax issue, SEAM! I’m downloading my report now.
Jan 19 – 25
Total Items in Store: 3078
Items Sold: 32
Total Sales : $1,341
* ABOVE yearly average of $885
Highest Price: $120 (KOWA KT-91 9 Transistor Pocket Radio)
Average Price: $42
Returns: 1
Cost of Goods Sold: $138
Costs of Goods Purchased this Week: $0
Number of New Items Listed this Week: 95Great podcast this week! Thank you for letting us know about your free shipping experiment. I tried it once for about a month and found that I had the same experience. I know you’re supposed to raise your prices to reflect the cost of shipping to the zone that’s furthest away from you, but it doesn’t seem fair to those who live close. I’ve always liked calculated shipping for the reasons you do. It’s less worry and hassle, and if someone on the west coast wants something bad enough to pay $20+ for shipping, they’re going to do it regardless. And actually, I just looked and California is my #1 ranked buyer by state.
I had a fantastic week of sales! On Monday, I recalled that I could send offers to watchers (which I’ve been neglecting to do this whole time) and sent out about 75 offers or so. I made eight sales nearly right away! I feel like that may have stirred the pot so to speak because my phone’s been cha-chinging way more than usual for the rest of the week.
No scavenging again this week. I was going to attend an auction but caught a bug instead. Thankfully just a quick 48 hr cold but nevertheless I felt it was a good idea to stay home and list instead.
Fantastic sale on that guitar amp, Steven! Thanks for sharing about cleaning the tube contacts. I’ll have to try that when I come across tube electronics. I had a far less than stellar week of sales, but I can’t complain too much. Here are my highlights…
I knew that vintage patio string lights can be worth a lot of money, so when I stumbled across this set at a yard sale for $2, I didn’t hesitate at all. Even though they were relatively modern and not the most desirable shape, I still priced them somewhat high at $45 since they were brand new. Took about a month to sell for full price.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303391792357I had bought a couple pairs of old leather roller skates at an auction for $5. I thought they would be an easy flip, but they sat in my store for a couple years now. I think shipping cost and the super tiny size were turning people off. I finally got a message from a buyer who just wanted the skates and not the metal case for a lower shipping price. I gladly accommodated the request and made $40. He later told me that he paints them as art projects and sent me some photos. Pretty cool.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303445835025I picked up this WW2 Flying Tigers commemorative jacket and another blue one together at an estate sale for $3 apiece. They received little interest in my store for a few months until I got a best offers for both from the same buyer. $40 and $45 respectively. I gladly accepted!
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303324483862This Zenith Royal 50 pocket radio came out of a box lot for which I paid $25 (each sellable item came to $4.17). It had some wear and corrosion, but it worked okay. It’ll probably need some extra work to make it sound perfect. It sold almost immediately for $35. I may have left a little money on the table for this one, but I appreciate the quick sale.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303444518360Congrats, Retro! 100 lbs is a huge achievement! YES, RIDE ALL THOSE RIDES NOW!
Jan 12 – 18
Total Items in Store: 2991
Items Sold: 20
Total Sales : $580
* BELOW yearly average of $877
Highest Price: $80 (Set of 6 Reed Barton Holbrook Hathaway Teaspoons)
Average Price: $29
Returns: 1
Cost of Goods Sold: $69
Costs of Goods Purchased this Week: $0
Number of New Items Listed this Week: 70Great interview with Dan this week! The part that really resonated with me was how Dan spoke about taking the initiative to seek out social connections. Since going full time almost a year ago, I’ve found it harder and harder to find any reason to leave the house except for auctions and groceries. Buying a house an hour away from all our friends didn’t help either. It’s kind of a mental strain when you’re holed up at home listing away all day for weeks without any social interaction (other than Steph obviously). I’ll have to see what I can do to work on that. It’s difficult though since we live in a small rural town.
Another slowish performance over here. I’m thinking about making some changes to my selling style. I haven’t really been utilizing the Send Offer feature and maybe it’s high time I start. And perhaps I’ll give the 1% Promoted Listing a try. See if that drums up some sales. I’m not sweating it just yet; $500-$600 weeks are still just fine. But I’d rather like to see higher profits so I can start investing a little better.
No scavenging last week. I just worked hard listing a bunch of cool stuff. I got a tip from my brother-in-law about a guy wanting rid of a bunch of beer / liquor signs and decor. I guess his liquor store went out of business and he needs to clean out the building before he can sell it. BIL is gonna pass him my number the next time he sees him. If anything comes from it, I’ll be sure to report about it here.
