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If it were me, I’d probably part it out. I think collectors typically don’t need the full system and are piecing things together. It is amazing that those keyboards are selling for $100+. I’d also do BIN with make offer. Price high and see what happens.
Those two Denver Broncos pins are pretty old. The “D” style helmet went away in 1997. One may even be dated since it looks like it is a game day pin. I’d pick them up for $12. Nice find!
Hi Wally! Sorry to hear about your VeRO take down. What branch of the military were you in? I did 7 years enlisted active duty in the Army. Good luck with school and the move into Med school! If you stick with it and keep an open mind about what to sell, ebay can get you that extra $100-200 per month.
I enjoy going to the auctions just for the event itself. I find them interesting and like seeing who is buying what and how high some people are willing to go. I have found some great deals on items you just won’t find at a thrift store or yard sale. Yes, you will likely “waste” a day of productivity if you look at all the downtime involved between the items you want. Online auctions tend to have less of a time commitment and I do okay with them as well. I go for the deals, but stay for the atmosphere.
Sometimes it takes finding the right auctioneer. I know there are some I have go to that just draw things out way to much and start dropping to $0.25 bids. My favorite auctioneer sells at a good pace and they can get through a lot of stuff in a day.
Store numbers 2/13-2/19 (I like to end on Sunday)
(main store/t-shirt/postcards)
Items in store: 168/116/10
Items sold: 7/5/0
Sales (less shipping): $485.71/$77.96/$0
COGS: $103.25/$2.50/$0
Highest sales: $250.00 Men’s Renato Watch – Best Offer/$19.99 1990 Rickey Henderson t-shirt
Avg Sales Price: $69.39/$15.59
Net Profit: $309.53/$50.93 Total: $360.46
International: 0
Returns: 0
New Listings: 7/5/0
Money spent on new Inventory: ~$100Probably my best week to date in both my main store and my t-shirt store. Took the best offer on the watch and gave a bulk deal to someone on a lot of 8 typewriter tapes. Most of my sales in that store were over $30.
I picked up a vintage down jacket at the Goodwill 50% off sale and got it listed Saturday night. Within 10 minutes I had someone message asking for $15 off because they really wanted it and didn’t have the extra money. I didn’t respond right away and then the next morning I let them know I wasn’t accepting offers on the jacket because I was considering keeping the jacket in my own collection. I was actually considering keeping it since it is an awesome jacket. Within a few hours, they bought the jacket and then messaged me to ask about it having any vintage/musty smell because they are sensitive to that smell. I smelled it and don’t think it is bad, but let them know there is a slight smell to it, but not the musty smell and gave them the option to cancel or move forward. I also let them know I accept returns. So, the jacket is heading out on Tuesday. I’m giving the buyer the benefit of the doubt and hopefully things go smoothly.
Auction season is starting back up and there is one in two weeks that I’m going to with my mom. They have a lot of physics lab equipment and even a few Tesla coils. I think it would be cool to get one, but we will see what they go for.
The house project is getting close to being done so I’ll be back to listing and reorganizing my inventory soon. I’m excited to get some dedicated work/storage space. I think we have about 2-3 weeks before we are ready to move in.
Okay, I’ve fallen so far off the wagon that they created a tombstone for me on the Oregon Trail…..
Anywho, yesterday was 50% off all Goodwill AND an online auction. Also, I was told about a previously unknown to me thrift store last week. So….yeah, I’m buying. I am, however, getting more listing done AND my sales are increasing so items are still going up and going out.
I lucked out and got an auction lot with two pairs of Redwing boots. Both sold within a week or two of listing. The lot also had a pair of moose leather Minnetonka driving loafers, 2 pairs of Georgia boots, and a pair of Sketchers sandals. I paid up for them, but just the two Redwing boots doubled my money on the lot. Now I’m always on the hunt!
If I had time to go down a rabbit hole, I think I’d look at this because I had the “can you send me a picture of you wearing these” before for a pair of shoes so now I want to know what is going on LOL.
Our taxes have been complicated for a while now and we typically use H&R Block, but I think with the addition of self employment and some farm related income it is time to move to a CPA. Going to see what Mark can offer.
I will clean and polish if needed. Many of the thrifts in my area mark the price with a silver marker on the bottom so I typically have to clean that off and just make sure there isn’t any crazy dirt while I’m taking care of that.
I have recently picked up a pair of Cole Haan Boots and I will always keep an eye out for Vintage Hanover, Allen Edmonds, and Redwing boots. I don’t look for many women’s shoes, but have sold some newer casual shoes like Clarks (watch out for bad soles) and Naturalizer. In general, I will pick up an men’s dress shoes that look well made and are actual leather and other boots that look good. Sneakers can be tricky because they typically show much more wear and don’t command the price that dress shoes will.
Mike – When I picked up a Persian rug from an auction I took it into a rug store to get cleaned. I was able to talk to the owner to discuss the find and he gave me some great info. The one I got was a tribal pattern from Iran so it had some good age to it. There was moth damage which was evident with some almost spiderweb like white lines on it and some thinner areas. They told me to store the rug loose in a freezer for at least 1 week to crack any potential eggs since washing the rug would remove the dirt, but not necessarily any moth eggs. Moth damage does reduce the value. They also indicated that animal urine destroys the value and most rugs damaged with pet urine are not salvageable because the urine breaks down the fiber and dyes. It is also nearly impossible to remove the smell.
Other things he said to look for was more of a tribal patterns than the ornate floral patterns since those are basically produced only for the Western commercial markets. The tribal designs hold value better than the ornate patterns. Most of those tribal rugs will also be dyed with vegetable dyes.
I am by no means a rug expert, but I learned a lot just with a trip to a rug store.
I’d suggest you be a little more detailed in the body and state what you are looking for like dress shoes, work attire, no kids clothing…..
You may have luck looking for retirees who need to clear out their work clothes, or those who have had a big change in weight recently who are updating their closet. Targeted ads will help save you time finding the stuff you want.
I’ve had some good sales of some quite random items over the past few weeks:
Eagle gooseneck lamp with cast metal base. Paid up for the lamp at an online auction, but still got a good price while on 25% off sale. Headed to San Fran, CA. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Eagle-Gooseneck-Desk-Lamp-Working-w-Original-Finish-and-Cast-Base/252580952762
I picked up 8 IBM typewriter tapes from the University surplus shop for $5. Buyer contacted me asking if I would make a deal if he bought all 8. Sold for $58 +shipping in just a few weeks. I had a meeting in the building next door so I took like 20 min to walk around. Not too bad for what probably took me a grand total of 1 hour in time from start to finish. http://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-210-Correctable-Ribbon-Cassette-by-Lexmark-Typewriter-Tape-1299508/252742301473
This Anchor Hocking wire bail mason jar was one of my early purchases before I realized glass items are not the best items. I still think they are cool and enjoyed learning about them, but I don’t actively buy these any more. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Anchor-Hocking-Lightning-Bail-Wire-Quart-Jar-cir-1943/252323917994
It is still my goal, but I’ve been out thrifting, just not as much and making sure I try and get the stuff I purchased up. It is hit and miss with listing for me, but I’m setting some time aside on Saturday just for it. I may even have a friend over for some drinks and eBay! I’ve been doing better with the smaller items and clothing so I’ll be focusing on that.
