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07/05/2017 at 11:04 pm in reply to: What Sells On eBay: Cateye glasses, Merrell boots, paint pallet, devil costume, 1970's steam iron, Carhartt jacket, concert T-Shirt #20082
I’ve mentioned previously the tarot card sets I’ve been selling. I bought them in a large lot of books. I sold two of a different set this week – Mystic Tarot – for $20 each. I paid about $2.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182612731543I had one guy buy three menorahs from me while I was on vacation. The first two came from one lot at a live auction, and the last from an online auction. I like to buy the Jewish stuff because I usually don’t have much competition, and I have the knowledge I need to sell them. Each of the menorahs cost me about $1.50 – $2.00, and I took best offers of $50, $75, and $40.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182564424299
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182565935470
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182565995378This is a centerpiece or planter that I bought for $1.50 at the same live auction as the menorahs. I has a wrought iron stand and what looks like a hand blown glass bowl. Sold for $40.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182512922158Week of June 25 – July 1
* Total Items in Store: 826
* Items Sold: 13
* Cost of Items Sold: $12.35 + $19 Commission
* Total Sales: $348.55
* Highest Price Sold: $75 Ceramic art menorah
* Average Price Sold: $26.81
* Returns: 0
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: approx. $0
* Number of items listed this week: 0I came back from vacation on Monday. We had a bit of a fiasco on Saturday, and I was concerned that I wouldn’t be home on time to ship out all the items I sold. Our car conveniently broke down Saturday afternoon just as all the mechanics were closing up shop. We were very concerned that we wouldn’t be able to get anyone to fix it on July 3 because of the holiday, but I was able to email a place on Sunday and make the arrangements. Plan B would have me staying at a hotel over the holiday until the car was fixed, while my husband drove home in a rental. Thankfully Plan A worked out. Crisis averted.
I had a decent week. This summer seems like I alternate between good and not so good every other week. Last year, I recall having 3 sales while watching fireworks and walking back home. This year, nothing. I’m in not so good week mode right now.
One comment on the podcast – I had someone return a pair of sunglasses by using “return to sender” on a first class package. So, yes, it should work. I don’t think it works for any other mail option. I make sure to place a first class label so that it isn’t taped over the box opening. I don’t want the label to be cut in half. This way, the buyer can put it back in the box, tape it shut, and return to sender.
I’ve sold some old Free Mason books for about $15-$20, and a antique book for about $12. What is the year of your book? It seems pretty specific, which would up the price, but take longer to sell.
06/29/2017 at 5:01 pm in reply to: What Sells On eBay: Silver phone cover, old calendar, FM Converter, vintage Sony Cassette Recorder, super high end Amplifiers #19914Steve – Did you get a new dog?
06/29/2017 at 4:58 pm in reply to: What Sells On eBay: Silver phone cover, old calendar, FM Converter, vintage Sony Cassette Recorder, super high end Amplifiers #19913Not a great week of sales, but here are a few:
I bought an auction lot of placemats last September. They sell very slowly, but I’ve made my money back. I sold these 5 assorted beaded placemats for $30.56 on sale.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182363946749This is a Picasso lithograph I purchased in an auction lot of unframed prints, paintings, and photos. I paid about $1, sold for $25:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182623475773Before I started selling on eBay, I had a very large stash of empty boxes. I just couldn’t throw boxes away, but I rarely had need of them. The stack carried me through the first few months of eBay selling!
Yes! Or, I think about how much I could get for something I own even though I have no intention of selling it. Also, when I order something online from eBay, Amazon, or whatever, it is no longer just stuff I bought for myself or my family. It is also a nice box I can use for my business!
06/27/2017 at 4:22 pm in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 316: Craigslist Road Trips- We Live For A Deal #19845Week of June 18 – 24
* Total Items in Store: 838
* Items Sold: 9
* Cost of Items Sold: about $7 + $0 Commission
* Total Sales: $164.28
* Highest Price Sold: $30.56 Set of 6 beaded placemats
* Average Price Sold: $18.25
* Returns: 0
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
* Number of items listed this week: about 15Lousy week, but I’m on vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC with my family so who cares? I don’t have everything with me, so I estimated a few numbers.
06/22/2017 at 9:40 am in reply to: What Sells On eBay: Cosco serving cart, Speakers, Wear Ever pans, Trav L Bar, Vintage fan, and Norman won't drop it. #19699I just noticed – the messenger bag was listed at $140, but I had it on sale for $119.
06/22/2017 at 9:37 am in reply to: What Sells On eBay: Cosco serving cart, Speakers, Wear Ever pans, Trav L Bar, Vintage fan, and Norman won't drop it. #19698Last year, I sold a TravLBar just like the one in Steve’s video! The one I had was not in as nearly good condition.
Last week started off with a bang on Sunday! First I sold this new leather messenger bag. I sold it once before, and it was returned. Hopefully, it stays sold this time. It had been a gift to my husband. I had best offer on it, but buyer paid full price of $119.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182542464744This is a beautiful Haggada, which is a prayer book for the Jewish holiday of Passover. It was published in 1967, but didn’t look like it got much use. Probably was a wedding gift that has sat on the bookshelf all this time. I bought it in a auction box lot for about $2, and buyer paid full price of $99.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182494511339A neighbor of mine has sold their house, and they are moving out later this month. They had a garage sale, but this set of drawer pulls were actually sold by a friend of theirs. I looked these up and found a company selling them for $30 a piece. I marked the four of them at $40. I paid $1.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182613798603So those were all sold on Sunday June 11. The rest of the week was lower price bread & butter stuff, but I did sell two more of the Vampire Tarot Card set for $70 each. I have three left, and I’ve raised the price to $75.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/18261272767106/19/2017 at 1:06 pm in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 315: Okay, you’re making money. Now what? #19593Week of June 11 – 17
* Total Items in Store: 843
* Items Sold: 16
* Cost of Items Sold: $24.82 + $0 Commission
* Total Sales: $543.26
* Highest Price Sold: $119 NWT Men’s leather messenger bag
* Average Price Sold: $33.95
* Returns: 0
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: approx. $57
* Number of items listed this week: 64I had an awesome week! It started off with a bang on Sunday – the messenger bag mentioned above, a book for $99, and a set of drawer pulls for $40. During the week, I sold two more of the vampire tarot card sets for $70 that I mentioned last week.
On the topic of cell phone service – about 2 or so years ago (before I started listening to the podcast), I looked at Ting. At the time, Ting only used Sprint, and, for some reason, Sprint didn’t have coverage at my house. They were going to add T-Mobile, but hadn’t started at that point. So, we signed up with Consumer Cellular. Consumer Reports gives both Ting and Consumer Cellular top marks for price and customer service. I did compare the price at that time, and they were comparable. Not selling anyone on the company we ended up with, just saying that there is a choice.
I bid in an online auction, which I picked up yesterday. One of the lots has a number of Pantone color charts and books, most from the 80’s. I was going to skip that lot, but I looked up Pantone charts on eBay and they seem to sell at decent prices. I ended up in a bidding war against someone at the last minute. I paid close to $50 for the lot, but I think I will still see some excellent rates of return.
I recently photographed two vintage posters. I laid them down on the floor and used small glasses on each corner. I thought glasses were good because they are clear and don’t obscure the poster. Here are two examples:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=182622224725&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=182621645256&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT
For US, first class shipping is up to 1 pound through eBay. The difference between an ounce and the next ounce is usually not that big of a jump. There is a jump between 13 and 14 ounces, but eBay’s discounted online shipping rates reduce the jump to a small amount.
Anything above 1 pound is priority or parcel shipping. Ounces don’t matter at that point – the price scale is within a 1 pound range, i.e., 1-2 pounds, 2-3 pounds, etc.
For international shipping, it is different, but I’m not as familiar with that since I usually use the Global Shipping Program. I think that first class goes to 4 pounds, but I’m not sure.
06/15/2017 at 8:03 am in reply to: What Sells On eBay: Sundial, Phono cartridges, motorcycle part, GE Console Stereo, running shoes, Vintage Halloween costume #19434Steve – That $600 console sale was awesome! I shipped something once with UPS. I don’t remember exactly what I had to do, but I signed up with them outside of eBay and then connected the accounts together. Later, I received a bill that I paid on the UPS website. So, yes, UPS is a pain to deal with through eBay.
A few of my higher sales from the week:
I bought this Native American print for $6 in an online auction, and it sold for $30.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182467902788Back in April, I visited my parents and came home with boxes of stuff they or their friends gave to me. This set of 6 martini glasses are hand blown, or at least the flamingos are. Other sellers had similar glasses listed as Murano, but my parents’ friends received them as a gift and couldn’t tell me one way or the other. Still, I listed them at $100 and took an offer of $75.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/182544273124Last week, I went to an auction of mostly new stuff and bought an auction lot of books (new, but most with remainder marks). I mostly bought it for the Tarot card & deck sets that were included. This Vampire Tarot set was selling for around a high of $70, and the ones that were available for sale are all listed much higher. I set my price at $70, and this is the first one to sell. I’ve sold one other since then, and I still have four more. I was able to wipe off the remainder mark because it was made on the plastic wrap.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/18261272767106/12/2017 at 8:12 pm in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 314: Selling on eBay while in the Military #19326Week of June 4 – 10
* Total Items in Store: 795
* Items Sold: 11
* Cost of Items Sold: $26.73 + $6.50 Commission
* Total Sales: $285.60
* Highest Price Sold: $75 Set 6 Martini Glasses & $70 Vampire Tarot Deck & Book new/sealed
* Average Price Sold: $25.96
* Returns: 0
* Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: approx. $158
* Number of items listed this week: 33I had a pretty good week for me; also an interesting one.
There is an auction near me that sells unclaimed merchandise, overstocks, returns, etc. The issue is that they usually sell by the piece, and their lots can be rather large. I have to consider all the usual stuff about how well the items will sell, but also how much space the lot would take up and how the price of each piece will add up to a total that I would be willing to pay. Then I have to come up with the cash within a day. I had been to it 4 – 5 times in the past, but I was trigger shy.
This time I came more prepared, and I bought two lots. One had books – 14 boxes of new books most with remainder marks. I bought it because it had tarot card sets. I was very happy when I got all of them home and found that I had 6 new sets of The Vampire Tarot, which I could price at $70. One set sold the next day. One actually sold today. I also have 4 copies of another set that I’ve priced at $20. The whole lot cost me $150, and I’ve already sold $140 worth of tarot cards. The issue is that I have about 300 – 400 books that I need to list and sell. I’ve got a plan, but it will take some time to get it all together. I’ve put the books aside for the moment so that I can list other stuff.
The other lot has craft labels – thousands of them. I’m planning to start on them tomorrow. If they don’t sell well, it won’t be a big deal. I hardly paid anything for them. I may list them on etsy as well, which I’ve never done before.
Quite an exciting week with much lugging around of heavy boxes. I look forward to seeing how it all plays out.
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