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Jay! It’s been a roller coaster the last year and a half, but things are really good right now, thanks. I left the barbershop last summer to get back to eBay full time, then went back once a week, then left again. I even applied at Trader Joe’s (they wanted full time people, not part timers with an eBay business). But everything was pointing towards me doing my own thing, so that’s what I’ve been doing. I’ve been able to streamline things a bit, put more structure in my weeks, and schedule uninterrupted blocks of time to just list list list. I also found a local auction house and have been pretty active there. It’s every other week, which is a great balance to the estate sales. I’ve bought some great box lots (and some mid century modern pieces for myself), and I’ve also consigned a few things. Not big bucks, but it’s a great way to get rid of boxes of things I can’t use or big items I don’t want to ship. Plus it’s really fun.
My girlfriend and I are hopefully going to move in together this summer, and it’s going to be a big boost for my business. She has lots of room, so my storage area will quadruple; right now my space is pretty small. I’m super excited about it!
I still listen to your podcast, and I hope to get back to posting my numbers on the regular very soon. I’m so excited about you and Ryanne’s business adventures! Inspiring, to say the least. And my Hollywood Paul coffee mug sits proudly on my desk. I still give you two the credit for really opening my eyes to the possibilities of this business. I am eternally grateful.
Paul
09/17/2018 at 5:47 pm in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 377: Talking Numbers with TSatt (Troy) #48849RR Store Week September 9-15, 2018
Total Items in Store: 1528
Items Sold: 22
Cost of Items Sold: $16.25
Total Sales: $431.29
Highest Price Sold: $49.99 (tie: vintage coat and Egyptian record)
Average Price Sold: $19.60
Returns: 1
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 4The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.
Adjusting to life working for someone else again has been a challenge, to say the least. But I think I’m finally finding the balance I’ve been lacking the last few weeks. I’m getting into a regular routine and slowly easing back into regular listing. It’s been tough, but the steady income takes a huge amount of stress off of me. I’m planning to drop a day at the shop in the near future and make that an eBay day. Even when eBay picks up again, I want to keep the barbershop gig, as the money gets better every week as the shop grows its clientele. So instead of selling on a second platform like Etsy or Poshmark, I’ll use the barbershop as a second revenue stream. I love doing eBay and I love working at the shop, so it’s a win/win.
Ok, off to listen to T-Satt’s words of wisdom. Feels good to be back!
Paul
RR Store Week August 19-25, 2018
Total Items in Store: 1561
Items Sold: 18
Cost of Items Sold: $15.65
Total Sales: $381.62
Highest Price Sold: $100 (1950’s Paris cabaret program)
Average Price Sold: $21.20
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 1RR Store Week September 2-8, 2018
Total Items in Store: 1550
Items Sold: 8
Cost of Items Sold: $8.52
Total Sales: $164.92
Highest Price Sold: $39.99 (1959 Chevrolet Trucks keychain)
Average Price Sold: $20.62
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 4Easily my worst week ever.
RR Store Week August 26-September 1, 2018
Total Items in Store: 1580
Items Sold: 20
Cost of Items Sold: $36.46
Total Sales: $400.31
Highest Price Sold: $53.99 (vintage massager)
Average Price Sold: $20.02
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 11RR Store Week August 19-25, 2018
Total Items in Store: 1561
Items Sold: 18
Cost of Items Sold: $15.65
Total Sales: $381.62
Highest Price Sold: $100 (1950’s Paris cabaret program)
Average Price Sold: $21.20
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 1RR Store Week August 12-18, 2018
Total Items in Store: 1580
Items Sold: 19
Cost of Items Sold: $38.52
Total Sales: $423.43
Highest Price Sold: $60 (vintage quack medical device)
Average Price Sold: $22.29
Returns: 1
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 608/15/2018 at 1:07 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 373: Should Running A Business Be Complicated? #47486That’s kind of how I’m choosing to look at it. Not so much a job, but another revenue stream. The work is super easy, and the money isn’t bad either. And I can always drop days as needed. But, as I told my girl, this is my “Summer Of Work”. Gotta make up for lost time.
Paul
08/15/2018 at 1:03 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 373: Should Running A Business Be Complicated? #47485Thanks T-Satt. I needed those encouraging words. And thanks for the big update last week! So much great info.
Paul
08/14/2018 at 1:24 am in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 373: Should Running A Business Be Complicated? #47439Thanks, michael d. I appreciate it.
I have the benefit of 16 years in music retail, so I’m a bit ahead of the learning curve. But I spent very little of that time grading records, so I had to learn that skill.
The price fluctuations are usually due to the pressing of the records. That Tom Waits record was the first pressing of his debut LP. Later pressings and reissues won’t command quite the same price because they aren’t as scarce. Also, the vinyl itself was in great shape; I believe I graded it as Excellent.
When I was first learning to grade, this site was a great resource. I still refer to it if I’m on the fence about a grade. And Goldmine is considered the industry standard.
Another invaluable tool is Discogs. I use it all the time to determine what pressings I have. It gets super detailed and nerdy, all the way down to the matrix numbers etched in the runout area at the end of a record. That kind of information is so important…downright crucial if you’re dealing with lots of different pressings, like Beatles records.
When people ask me what records are worth, I always answer the same: it’s all about title and condition. You could have an original Tom Waits first pressing, but if the vinyl is thrashed, it’s almost worthless. Conversely, if you have a pristine copy of “Color Me Barbra” by Barbra Streisand, it’s hardly worth anything because very few people are seeking it out. Plus, millions of copies were pressed, so it isn’t rare or special.
Hope this helps, and good luck! Old Metal vinyl can be worth a lot, as long as they’re in good shape!
Paul
08/13/2018 at 6:55 pm in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 373: Should Running A Business Be Complicated? #47428RR Store Week August 5-11, 2018
Total Items in Store: 1592
Items Sold: 21
Cost of Items Sold: $39.75
Total Sales: $542.09
Highest Price Sold: $74.99 (Tom Waits record)
Average Price Sold: $25.81
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 1Last week, I made an executive decision.
The past few months have been very difficult. My personal life basically took over, and I became completely distracted. As a result, I slowly began neglecting my eBay business. Sales dropped sharply. Thankfully, the personal problems I was having are mostly in the past, and things are finally on the right track. I’m in a much, much better place, but the business is still lagging. So, I took a friend up on his offer to be the shop manager at his newly opened barbershop. I’m not thrilled about working for someone else again after three years on my own, but the numbers don’t lie: I need to make more money, and quickly. Luckily, it’s a great shop, and I get along very well with all the guys. I’ve been a client of theirs for years, so it’s a very natural fit. Also, it’s literally on the street that I live on, so it’s a quick walk. No gasoline needed.
My new schedule is tough: five days working at the shop, and eBay on nights and weekends. It’s a lot of work, and I’m still adjusting, but I think it will work out fine. Eventually, I’m going to go down to three days at the shop as eBay starts to pick up again. In the mean time, I’ll be earning money for car repairs, new inventory, etc. Again, not my first choice, but I’ve gotta do what I’ve gotta do, and I couldn’t ask for a better place to do it in. And a bit more financial stability will reduce my stress levels dramatically. Onward.
Paul
RR Store Week July 29-August 4, 2018
Total Items in Store: 1615
Items Sold: 28
Cost of Items Sold: $19.24
Total Sales: $634.03
Highest Price Sold: $200 (Nick Drake record)
Average Price Sold: $22.64
Returns: 1
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 31I can’t believe I spaced on doing my numbers. Now on to this week…
*Paul*
08/05/2018 at 10:20 pm in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 371: T-Satt (Troy) Reports on eBay Open #46875RR Store Week July 22-28, 2018
Total Items in Store: 1616
Items Sold: 32
Cost of Items Sold: $38.16
Total Sales: $700.25)
Highest Price Sold: $79.99 (Tie: new Ikea curtains/vintage dessert bowls)
Average Price Sold: $21.88
Returns: 1 1/2 (one partial refund)
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 30This week, my parents left California for their new life in Arizona. I’m super bummed, but also happy for them. They worked hard for decades, and they deserve their retirement. And now that they’re gone, I can finally get back to my business.
The returns really hurt this week. One was a $95 vintage Hawaiian shirt returned for size. Such a drag during this slow summer. And the other was a partial refund on a vintage fishing reel. I sent it in working order, got it back broken. The buyer was new to eBay, and the return was a mess from the beginning. Following the CSR’s advice, I offered a partial refund, totally expecting the buyer to flip out on me. But to my surprise, he accepted! That turned a $75 refund into a $35 refund; I paid a dollar for the reel. But that shirt refund still stings.
Paul
RR Store Week July 15-21, 2018
Total Items in Store: 1605
Items Sold: 16
Cost of Items Sold: $25.87
Total Sales: $337.06
Highest Price Sold: $60 (sewing pattern design book)
Average Price Sold: $21.07
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $22
Number of items listed this week: 29I spent almost the whole week at my parent’s house helping them pack, so I expected my numbers to be low, but damn. I think this is the worst week I’ve had since I went full time! I get today to list, but the rest of the week I’m at my folk’s place. And strangely, I’ve made almost $300 just yesterday and today. Just gotta keep listing.
Some of the estate sales I go to are super organized with prices on everything. Some are crazy digger sales where the people running the sale staged very little. Most are somewhere in between. I still go to plenty of sales where I get to dig through boxes in the garage, drawers in the kitchen, etc. Most estate sales are most concerned with the big ticket items, so when I come up with a box full of random little junk, I usually get a good price. I’ve hauled boxes of nothing but paper ephemera out and been thanked by the sellers, who now don’t have to deal with boxes of “trash”. And yes, knowing the people who run the sales is a huge advantage. Doesn’t cost anything to be friendly, and it may even save you some money at checkout.
Paul
RR Store Week July 8-14, 2018
Total Items in Store: 1599
Items Sold: 37
Cost of Items Sold: $43.29
Total Sales: $780.65
Highest Price Sold: $74.99 (Tommy Bahama shirt)
Average Price Sold: $21.10
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $12
Number of items listed this week: 12I spent most of the week helping my parents pack up their house for their move to Arizona, so very little listing got done. But the good news is I now have a huge new death pile of fresh stuff to list. They have to downsize, and my sister and I are getting first dibs.
J&R, I’m SUPER excited about your newest purchase! Can’t wait to hear when you have planned!
Paul
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