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Merry Christmas trash elves!
Store 1
Total Items in Store: 1,498
Items Sold: 18
Gross Sales: $448.31
Cost of Items Sold: $36.80
Highest Price Sold: $45.99 (vintage turntable parts)
Average Price Sold: $24.91
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $69.85
Number of items listed this week: 15Store 2
Total Items in Store: 588
Items Sold: 4
Gross Sales: $38.37
Cost of Items Sold: $1.60
Highest Price Sold: $15.99 (vintage patch)
Average Price Sold: $9.59
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $1.60
Number of items listed this week: 9Amazon.ca sales: $640.00 (Approx $160.00 net profit)
Amazon.com sale: $880.00 (Approx $220.00 net profit)Had a pretty average week in our main store, and slower than usual in our second store. We’ve slowed down on listing in preparation for holiday travel (currently posting from a hotel room, while watching Die Hard).
We started viewing properties last week in hopes of finding our next (cheaper) home before the move gets closer. Told my family last night that we were moving back across the country, and would be a four hour drive away, instead of the current much longer day of flying/connecting.
Counting the days until I’m able to leave my day job at the start of February.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by
Winchester38.
Carpet shops. Great idea. Going to check my local ones out sometime soon.
Not sure about regular tape, but I use a hair dryer on price stickers with good success in most cases. Might be worth a shot. I think it’ll really depend on the tape being used, and how long it’s been on there.
12/17/2018 at 10:02 pm in reply to: Scavenger Life Episode 390: Building a Business to Build a Life #53571December 9-15,2018
Store 1
Total Items in Store: 1,501
Items Sold: 25
Gross Sales: $585.93
Cost of Items Sold: $48.20
Highest Price Sold: $39.99 (men’s sweater)
Average Price Sold: $23.43
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $26.00
Number of items listed this week: 30Store 2
Total Items in Store: 583
Items Sold: 10
Gross Sales: $125.52
Cost of Items Sold: $2.80
Highest Price Sold: $19.99 (vintage patch)
Average Price Sold: $12.55
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 5Amazon.ca sales: $1,425.60 (Approx $356.40 net profit)
Amazon.com sale: $420.00 (Approx $105.00 net profit)Overall, had a busy week personally, which limited our listing on both stores. What free time I/we did have was focused on Amazon. As much as I hate to admit it, Q4 is real, and sales have been really strong (considering the limited input/capital we’ve put into it).
Our main eBay account has been busy, though many of the items were lower dollar. The second store keeps pushing out profit, since our COGS is super low there.
Travelling for two weeks starting on Wednesday, so listing on the main account, and RA for Amazon will stop, but I’m planning on listing a bunch on our second store during downtime over the holidays.
Jay & Ryanne, I’ll say this much, I like your approach to life/selling/balance/business enough that we’ve put plans in motion to mirror our futures after what you’ve done. I’ve listened to each episode at least three times, some more, and appreciate the calm sensibility that you two present.
Your perspective is/was refreshing to my ears, and hit me at the perfect time in my life/career. Mid-30’s and beginning to tire of the rat race. Old enough to realize that I didn’t/don’t care a whole lot what others think about us, our possessions (or lack thereof), or what makes us happy.
I started listing semi-regularly on eBay in January of 2016 (started out with a goal of one listing per day, and quickly listed more). Three years later, and we’re making big preparations to move across the country, buy a cheaper house with more land, and set ourselves up for a future of selling old junk on the internet. We even hope to one day follow your model and have one or two small airbnb cottages to diversify income streams.
Most of all, we want our time/freedom. I’m nearing 40 now, and I don’t want to be 60, finally “free” of work, but not healthy enough to enjoy that freedom. We can live with a little less “stuff” if it means not having “Sunday dread” anymore. I have no doubt that I’ll likely work right up until I die, but as you said, if you enjoy doing it, is it really work?
12/11/2018 at 10:17 am in reply to: Winchester38's Journal – A Journey To Full-time Reselling #53103If I’m your goalpost, I’m going to have to push harder. Can’t make it too easy. Haha
We list primarily on .com in USD, and ship using a CBS via USPS, so I haven’t been getting any questions/concerns around Canada Post. I’d estimate that 80% of our sales go to the US, 10% to Canada, and 10% internationally. Last week was one of our best weeks in months.
Two (three) small selling milestones of note in the last few days:
– On Amazon, we’ve passed, and have consistently stayed above $2,000 in sales on a rolling 30 day window in both Canada Cdn$) and the US (USD$). Still at a 25-30% profit margin. Conservatively, converted fully to Cdn$, that’s around $4,500/mo in sales, and $1,125/mo in profit. Some of the boost may be the Q4 rush, but I’m pretty confident we can hold these numbers going forward.
– Our main eBay account popped above 1,500 listings for a day or so (then some stuff sold).
As for me/us in 2019:
– quit job and go full time around Jan/Feb
– move across the country and into a cheaper, more rural location closer to family, and closer to a border.
– list like mad. Stretch goal of 4,000 listings by December 31, 2019. I’ll need to average 150-225 listings per month (depending on sales numbers) to hit this.
– continue to expand offerings on Amazon
– enjoy having a few acres, no boss, and a woodstoveInglewood, I’d suggest subscribing to a store on whichever site you primarily list (cad vs usd). You can list on either site from one account, it really just determines how much you’re billed, and in which currency. Everything else remains mostly the same.
Great to see you starting a journal, Inglewood! The parallels between your situation and mine/ours is eerie. The only obvious differences being that I’m not waiting for my employer to package me out (I am waiting for a great annual bonus before giving my notice, though), and we haven’t bought our next home yet.
Are you currently shipping via Canada Post primarily? Safe to assume you’ll use them when you make the move? Have you looked into any of the cross border shippers?
12/03/2018 at 11:48 pm in reply to: Winchester38's Journal – A Journey To Full-time Reselling #52620Minor updates:
– We slightly surpassed our November listing goal of 2,075 total listings (we hit 2,080 on November 30th). Aiming for at least 2,150 by the end of December. We’re travelling for the last two weeks of the month, so we’re targeting less for the month than usual. 2,150 should put us within striking range of my original stretch goal of 2,300 by the end of January.
– Amazon continues to slowly expand for us. We keep rolling the profits back in, and expanding our offerings. Some RA, lots of replenishables, and recently, an exclusive deal bringing a new gourmet health/snack food to Amazon in both Canada/US.
– For November, we lived solely on my wife’s income, and the online income(s). We banked 100% of my day job income in a separate account, and were still able to hit our monthly budgets, even though it was a spendy month (new winter tires, a new laptop, more clothing racks, etc). Pretty eye opening to be able to get by without my 9-5 income without much struggle. We plan to keep doing the same going forward.
– Starting to watch real estate listings pretty closely in our target areas. Pricing is very reasonable for the most part. We’re looking for something with a bit of land, within an hour of the border, and an hour of where my wife’s family is, so rural areas primarily.
– We haven’t told my family that we’re moving closer to them yet. Right now, we get to see them 1-2 times a year, for a few days. Once we make the move, we’ll be a four or five hour drive away. Looking forward to telling them at Christmas time.
November 25 – December 1,2018
Store 1
Total Items in Store: 1,488
Items Sold: 14
Gross Sales: $290.62
Cost of Items Sold: $110.60
Highest Price Sold: $31.99 (men’s shirt)
Average Price Sold: $20.76
Returns: 1
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $108.52
Number of items listed this week: 13Store 2
Total Items in Store: 590
Items Sold: 14
Gross Sales: $139.90
Cost of Items Sold: $3.36
Highest Price Sold: $13.59 (vintage patch)
Average Price Sold: $9.99
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $28.00
Number of items listed this week: 48Amazon.ca sales: $245.60 (Approx $61.40 net profit)
Amazon.com sale: $367.20 (Approx $91.80 net profit)Pretty dismal week in our main store. Wasn’t listing as much as usual, but that shouldn’t account for such a big drop. Second store had solid sales, but we were listing a lot more in it. Going to have to list a LOT more this week.
Amazon seems to be ramping up. I’ve been sending more RA/clearance stuff in with my regular replanishables recently. Lots of toys etc. They’re moving pretty quickly, and adding to the base I’ve established with my regular items.
Picked up a Dymo 450 Turbo locally today. Just need to get some labels for it. Most excited to use it for Amazon labels (instead of 30-up sheets), but looking forward to using it for USPS labels too.
What size/number are you all using for your USPS labels?
Hey Jay,
It does include photos. It’s on the slower end of that scale if they’re something interesting and warrant any sort of research, but for the most part, we’ve gotten pretty good as pricing/listing based on “cool” factor. Generally four quick pictures of each (front/back/length measurement/width measurement).
11/23/2018 at 12:45 pm in reply to: Winchester38's Journal – A Journey To Full-time Reselling #52197Hey T-Satt, on our RA items, we’re averaging in the 25-30% ROI range, factoring in everything but income taxes (COGS, shipping, fees, etc).
I am VERY selective with what I buy and send in. When I send my shipments, I restock my replenishables, and try to send in one or two new test items (also replenishables) to try and broaden my reach. I do scan clearance sections/etc, and buy/send in items with a decent ROI, but I never go very deep on them. ROI’s on that stuff ranges from 0-75% generally, but are often one-off, quick hit items.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by
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