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I never got into video games, but my son has a gaming computer and plays all sorts of games. Some of them are resource type games. In one game, you are a warden, and you have to set up a jail. My son would do OK for a while, but then the prisoners would revolt because they weren’t getting enough food, or whatever. He hasn’t won yet, but I don’t think he’s played it for a while. In another one, he has to set up a settlement in below freezing temperatures. He’s never been able to balance food and heat enough to win that one either.
Anyway, lately I’ve been getting great deals with online auctions. I’ll make my bids, go make and eat dinner, then come back to find out what I got. I usually don’t get caught up in bidding wars, but I definitely don’t when I do it this way. Last week, bidding was a bit better than the previous auctions, and I found that I only got one item. I ended up having to drive 45 min each way to pick up a throw rug. I was able to better justify the drive by shopping a local thrift store where I did get several things to sell plus some stuff for my daughter.
Week of Nov 22 – 28
Total Items in Store: 1414 eBay, 31 Etsy
Items Sold: 20 eBay
Cost of Items Sold: $36.72 + $209 Commission
Total Sales: $697.70 eBay
Highest Price Sold: $162 for 5 sterling salad forks (+ another $162 in 5 other flatware pieces); $96 for Eickholt art glass vase: all are commission sales.
Average price: $25.85
Returns: 0 (one damaged in transit, 1 NPB)
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $8.23 ($1.23 for the rug and $7 at the thrift shop)
Number of items listed this week: 37I did very well last week because of commission sales. While I’m only doing this because it is for a close family friend, I occasionally make some very good money because some of their stuff are things that I wouldn’t normally bid on in an auction.
For some reason, I didn’t get notified by this post, but I saw it in the “Firehose” email this morning. Sometimes this happens, so it is probably the reason no one has responded.
There are a number of websites that post links to other websites in order to get a small commission. If you click on a Sportslinkup link to an eBay listing and then buy anything on eBay in the following few days (not sure how long the deal is), the Sportslinkup gets a small amount of money. If they can provide enough clicks, and enough people buy something, then they can make money.
At least, I’m assuming that is what it is. I don’t think most of them make all that much. I think picclick.com is one of the bigger ones I’ve seen.
I also get a few free newsletters that link to other websites with a disclaimer saying that they get a bit of money if you buy anything. It helps them provide the newsletter free of charge.
Picclick and others don’t provide as much of a service, but they have helped me with research on occasion.
My husband has been collecting 1980 and earlier pennies for their copper content from before I knew him (over 25 years). Should I tell him that his time has come? Or perhaps the ROI isn’t there yet?
🙂
That is the Hebrew word for Israel. Just to be sure, I used Google translate:
ישראל
When you say second letter, you mean the second from the left correct? That is an aleph. The one on your bowl is just drawn a bit crooked.
Note that Hebrew reads right to left, so the second letter would actually be something different.
I don’t know Hebrew very well, but I did study it as part of my Jewish upbringing.
Just about the same here, except that my brother-in-law did get it recently. His symptoms were rather mild, and he is feeling better now.
I’m thankful for the most excellent first half of the year of sales due to the pandemic, but I’m ready for it to be over.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Keep it small; stay safe.
Steve – I once had a fake fireplace thing similar to what you sold, but it was missing parts and beat up. No one wanted to pay the shipping cost. I think I eventually threw it out because it didn’t sell after a few years and it took up so much room.
My neighbor recently held an estate sale, and the estate company was trying to get $150 for each of these kids snowboards, but they didn’t sell. When I looked them up, they were selling for about $15 each. I lotted the two together and sold them for $28 to someone in Minnesota.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/184519466113
A few months ago, I was bidding in an online auction and decided to bid on a lot of Sports Illustrated magazines from the late 80’s early 90’s. No one bid against me, so I got the whole thing for $1. I have maybe 30-40 listings from that one lot, but I figured that the first would be one of the Mike Tyson lots. These three are from his early career in 1986/87. Sold for $22 to someone in Canada.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/184510081828
Oyster plates seem to be pretty rare and go for good money. I put this one up too high initially, and it finally sold for $53. I got it for free.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/183793027793
From another recent online auction where I was the only bidder, I bought the contents of a bookshelf for $1. Two lots sold this week for $18 and $11 respectively:
Actually, I have seen this several times as well. I assumed that the USPS determined that the package was lighter than the rate I paid, so they were returning the overage. Often, I round up when I buy my labels.
For instance, if the weight is 12 oz, I might pay the 15 oz assuming that the label and tape is going to bring it over the 12 oz range. However, the USPS scale might measure it at 12 oz, and the system automatically refunds the difference.
Just a guess. I have no idea.
I like the idea of you getting a working pay phone for your coffee shop. I think it would bring people in and perhaps keep them longer, although, you might want to wait until after things get back to normal (too many hands touching the receiver). A few years ago, my sister and family were in West Virginia and happened upon one. Their kids had to make a few calls just for fun. I’ve never deleted their message off my machine!
Like you, I sold the same number of items and had about the same sales number as last week.
Week of Nov 15 – 21
Total Items in Store: 1394 eBay, 31 Etsy
Items Sold: 20 eBay
Cost of Items Sold: $35.70 + $21 Commission
Total Sales: $363.88 eBay
Highest Price Sold: $53 Porcelain oyster plate
Average price: $18.20
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 26I listed 26 items.
One met the challenge, and I’m going to throw in one creative justification. I listed a group of six pamphlets from the early 1950s about pre-natal, infant, and young child care. It all has to do with love, marriage, and family. Awww.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/184543534000
Of course, it is probably that child that held the online auction to move out the mother’s accumulated stuff so that they can put the house on the market …
I did a few months ago, but haven’t heard one way or the other. As far as I know, they haven’t denied it.
It was similar in my case, they said that one dimension was a few inches longer than what I paid for. I’m pretty careful that way, but it is possible that I made a mistake this once. However, in this case, the priority package took a full month to get to its destination, and eBay forced the refund to the buyer.
I’m not sure when I will have time to call (and that is what they are hoping for). I’ll update status when I do.
Steve – I’ve heard a few people on the forum mention a recent eBay glitch where the buyer gets free shipping even though the listing wasn’t set up that way. You should call eBay and complain. They may refund the shipping cost.
Lots of lower cost items have sold in the past two weeks.
After all the reel to reel tapes Steve has sold, I thought this one would go quickly, but it took a few years. I got it for free, and it sold for $15. Johnny Mathis is still alive at 85 years of age and tours when there isn’t a major global pandemic going on.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/184022584334
I like esoteric technical books that have appeal to only a small segment of the population. This is a manual on concrete published by a government agency in 1963. I paid about $2, and it sold for $14. Not a huge ROI, but I like this sort of thing.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/184409087295
These are designer made mini bride and groom teddy bears from an auction lot I purchased about two years ago. I paid less than $1, and they sold for $46 to Shop Airlines, a forwarding company for people in Japan who don’t want to buy directly off eBay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/183733390655
I recently purchased a Rummikub set in an online auction. When I got it home, I found one tile missing and two of the stands were messed up. No problem, I’ll sell it piece by piece. A lady purchased all my 2’s and the two jokers, which added up to $11.50. She wants to make 2020 ornaments out of the tiles. She will have to find more jokers from other sellers. I purchased the game with a chess set and a few other items for $3 ish.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/184501956215
A few weeks ago, I purchased an online lot of kitchen stuff for a $6 bid. Ends up the stuff I thought would be good was just OK, and the hidden gems are what is making it special (including a Cutco knife that I’m keeping). I almost put these ice tongs that look like just curved pieces of metal into the donate pile, but I know to look up the inscriptions first. It was made by some Danish muckety muck MCM designer in the 1960s. I have two, and the first one sold full price at $20.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/184519466111
I sold this organic cleaning pack for $28, which also came from that purchase.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/184519977365
Last, but not least, my highest sale of the last two weeks is a rare book for full price of $59; “Newton’s Laws are Full of Flaws”. I got it for free, and it sold through the GSP to a UK buyer.
I’m not too far away in NJ, but I don’t have any reason to head out to Long Island. I don’t think I’ve been there for over 15 years.
Maybe you should report the buyer to the USPS?
If he shorts you, you can call eBay and complain. They will cover the difference. (Also, inform them that you’ve reported it to the USPS).
Yes, I have heard that they are one of the companies that don’t like to see their products resold. I’m sure that they are like any of these companies that use the VERO program where it depends if they have someone at a low enough pay grade to look around for violations. If they don’t have anyone, then you can get away with selling their products.
If I had a large lot of Cutco knives and I didn’t want all of them, I might think about seeing if I could get away with it.
Over the years, I’ve learned about Cutco knives from this podcast. A few weekends ago, I purchased a large lot of kitchen stuff. It included a Cutco knife that had nicks in the blade and wasn’t sharp. I went to the Cutco website and arranged to ship the knife to their NY facility. On Friday, I received back a brandy new replacement knife worth $76 per their catalog! This will be our second Cutco utility knife that I have bought thrifting. I won’t be selling it, even though we have very nice Henkel knives from our wedding. Selling could possibly result in a VERO anyway.
Week of Nov 1 – 7
Total Items in Store: 1385 eBay, 31 Etsy
Items Sold: 20 eBay
Cost of Items Sold: $23 + $20.50 Commission
Total Sales: $369.31 eBay
Highest Price Sold: $59 book Newton’s Laws are full of Flaws (international sale)
Average price: $18.47
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $104.23
Number of items listed this week: 26I thought I had a slow week, but I sold a decent number of items. Most were low dollar, so the sales were just OK. As discussed in this week’s podcast, I’m sure that the political climate and possible future lockdowns are part of the cause.
While the sales have been slow, I’ve found more opportunities for sourcing compared to this time in previous years. I’m way overstocked with unlisted inventory (so much crap in the garage to go through), but I’ve got to take advantage while the opportunities are there.
