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@retro-treasures-wv – Thanks for posting this. I kept thinking about doing it myself, but kept putting it off. I hope that Jay & Ryanne are just busy and don’t have a big emergency.
It was a pretty basic week for me. My neighbor has COVID, so I haven’t “scavenged” anything from his house for a few weeks, but I have plenty to list. I am running out of room, so I am thinking about buying another shelving unit.
I did get a payout from Swap.com this week. They have unlisted stuff I sent in for almost a year now. I sent another message to them a few weeks ago, and the customer rep said that they are moving to a new listing/photography system that has backed them up from listing. I don’t think I will ever send them in stuff again, but I am concerned about them sitting on my stuff for so long.
Week of Jan 22 – 28
Total Items in Store: 1806 eBay, 29 Etsy
Items Sold: 20 eBay, 0 Etsy
Cost of Items Sold: $11 + $149 Commission
Total Sales: $499.29 eBay, $0 Etsy; includes fees but no shipping
Swap: $14.15 no fees or shipping
Highest Price Sold: eBay $90 Catalyst for men EDT 3.4 oz
Average price: $24.96 (not including Swap payment)
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 21I listed 21 items.
I’m still working off the top of my head as well as several to do lists, so I’m still not counting up skittles. But I did make one step towards figuring out what I need to fix this one lamp, and I’m closer (1 skittle closer?) to knowing what I need to order.
Nice sales, Steve. Really like that Elgin clock. I thought that they made only watches.
As usual, most of my sales are on commission for my neighbor unless I mention otherwise.
In the attic, we found two school reports on class trips that I guessed are from later elementary school, 4th or 5th grade. His wife would have been that young in the early 1950s. I don’t think that the reports would be worth anything if it weren’t for the photographs of the Hershey zoo and a hatchery. They sold in two days for $25.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/185744617759
Here is another item that sold very quickly, actually within an hour, for $30. It is a Lenox heart basket. Perhaps the buyer was looking specifically for this item due to Valentine’s Day coming up. Mine was the only one on eBay when I listed it.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/185748910880
Another part of his vintage Macintosh collection, an untested floppy drive, for $51.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/185692964932
Two men’s colognes that were found in the attic for $90 and $70.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/185744614080
https://www.ebay.com/itm/185744615920
I purchased this bathroom scale in 2018 for about 50 cents. It finally found its buyer for $17.
@so-cal-joe – I also downgraded to Basic when they changed up the levels. After being at Basic for several months, maybe a year, eBay added automatic feedback. Under Account Settings, check Selling preferences –> Automate feedback.
I think that MCP is My Cost Pro? Seems like you did take her suggestion.
Week was all right. It would be better if the majority of my items weren’t consignment. I agreed to do this for my neighbor who is a friend, but, when I’m done, that’s it. I’ll take small things here and there, but this downsizing/whole house thing is for the birds.
My daughter helped me with photography last week, so I have helper costs in my numbers. She actually helped me during the summer maybe 6 or so years ago. Her photos are coming out a bit dark, but they are good enough and I was able to get a large number of listings created.
I thought I’d mention something I did for a customer last week that might help other sellers. I listed a candle specifically for a repeat customer who is a fan of Donna Karan candles and perfume. I listed a candle where we had agreed to a price of $30. I wanted to make sure no one else tried to buy it, so I listed it at $300 with make offer. Then I told her to make an offer of $30 and I would accept it. Putting someone’s username in a listing certainly helps, but doesn’t prevent someone else from swooping in.
Week of Jan 15 – 21
Total Items in Store: 1807 eBay, 29 Etsy
Items Sold: 15 eBay, 0 Etsy
Cost of Items Sold: $0 + $112 Commission
Cost of helper: $56
Total Sales: $347.36 eBay, $0 Etsy; includes fees but no shipping
Highest Price Sold: eBay $75 women’s Columbia winter coat NWT
Average price: $23.16
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 39I listed 39 items. I kinda cheated because my daughter did some photography for me this week. She is starting back at college today, so I don’t know if she will be able to do much in the upcoming weeks.
Oh, Vintage Lacy, this must have been the elder abuse situation you mentioned previously. That would be a situation where he was really stuck and needed an intervention. Family first; good luck with everything. eBay will be waiting for when you are ready.
I should mention one thing about the Donna Karan candle: I was trying to figure out how to make sure that the buyer I wanted purchased this candle considering that we made a deal. I googled for suggestions, and the best one I felt was to list it real high with best offer. I told the buyer to then offer me $30, and I would accept as long as it was her username. I figured if someone really did want to buy it for $300, then maybe I’d go with that, but it all worked out.
I’ve been selling mostly bread & butter items not much more than $25. Let me see what I can pick out that is interesting. Unless I mention cost, most of these items are on consignment for my neighbor.
Another old Mac item, a keyboard, which I am unable to test. Someone had offered $60 for it, but I waited for full price. Sold for $93.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/185692959635
I have a repeat customer who is a big fan of Donna Karan. Not the clothing so much, but the candles and perfume. I mentioned that I had a long candle and sent her a photo. She offered $20. I found a similar one that sold for $40, so I met mid-way at $30. I did find others for sale that were over $150, but I disregarded those as sellers with unrealistic expectations.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/185737882260
These are 2 new identical tapestries with prints of cute cats made in St Lucia. Brochures about the store and their story was included in the bags which made research much easier. The buyer bought both for over $45.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/185622428262
There was a brand new Columbia winter coat that I sold on offer for $75.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/185687464089
This framed duck print was from a large art auction lot I bought about two years ago and have been selling items from it here and there. The price wasn’t all that high at $13, but the buyer’s feedback was over the top. One of those paragraphs that eBay now allows talking all about how happy they were with the print, the frame, the shipping, etc. All in caps too. I’m kind of annoyed and kind of real happy too.
The latest interesting items that I have pulled out of neighbor’s stuff are some vintage toys. First is an erector set that seems to have most of the parts and a working engine. Second is a vintage Viewmaster with a number of photo wheels. Lastly is a game called Pharkle from 1981.
The game itself is very simple and has been around for a long time, but it is normally spelled Farkle. From Wikipedia, the game Farkle has been around since the mid-80s. Since the one I have is dated 1981, I assume there was a name change between ’81 and ’85. I’m only listing it at $20, but I thought it was a neat sort of game history. I was not able to find the Pharkle spelling anywhere in a Google search.
My daughter started taking some photos for me this week. She helped me out one summer about 4 or so years ago when she was still in high school. It didn’t take much to get her re-started. There is room for improvement, but I’m very happy to have a helper right now.
Sales were decent for me. The one Etsy sale was actually three sets of a 3-pack of drawer handles. Since shipping was included in the price, I’m counting it as one.
Week of Jan 8 – 14
Total Items in Store: 1783 eBay, 29 Etsy
Items Sold: 12 eBay, 1 Etsy
Cost of Items Sold: $3 + $127 Commission
Total Sales: $342.43 eBay, $49 Etsy; includes fees but no shipping
Highest Price Sold: eBay $93 Vintage Apple Keyboard Macintosh Untested
Average price: $30
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 7I listed 7.
My daughter agreed to do some photography for me. I’ve got lots of drafts ready to go so next week will be higher. I suppose I’ll be making much less paying her, but I’ve got to move this stuff!
I’m still working with my TDL on a piece of paper and keeping my small stuff in my head, so I have to work on the whole skittles thing.
At the end of the year, while visiting family near Pittsburgh, we went to Pinball PA. All of the machines are in free play mode, so you just pay to get in the door. Some machines are retrofitted with a credit button that you need to press first.
These vegetables are best for soup.
We are getting a Lidl in my town this year. They have to first remove a building that is currently on the site. Seems excessive, but several furniture stores have been in and out of that site over the years, and none of them have been successful in the long term.
