Scavenger Life

Holiday shopping can really give a boost to an eBay seller’s bottom line. But we try to keep a level head about it and average out the months, the quarters and the year. How’s your store so far?

We mentioned the Planet Money Podcast “Cat Scam” about drop shipping that we thought was interesting. It’s also a great podcast to binge listen to while listing!

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Our Store Week Nov 5-11, 2017

Store #1
Total Items in Store: 5836
Items Sold: 75
Cost of Items Sold: $156
Total Sales: $2,729.55
Highest Price Sold: $100 (vintage sweater)
Average Price Sold: $36.39
Returns: 1
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $50
Number of items listed this week: 120
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Bonanza/Trugether:
Sold 1 items for $43
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Store #2
Total Items in Store: 1067
Items Sold: 14
Cost of Items Sold: $35
Total Sales: $271.89
Highest Price Sold: $35 (vintage jeans)
Average Price Sold: $19.42
Returns: 0
Number of items listed this week: 0

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Slow-ish week on eBay, busy week on the forum. Makes sense!

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Our Store Week Oct 29-Nov 4, 2017

Store #1
Total Items in Store: 5,775
Items Sold: 49
Cost of Items Sold: $101
Total Sales: $1,593.85
Highest Price Sold: $120 (leather wallet)
Average Price Sold: $32.52
Returns: 3
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $30
Number of items listed this week: 90
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Bonanza/Trugether:
Sold 0 items for $0
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Store #2
Total Items in Store: 1079
Items Sold: 11
Cost of Items Sold: $42
Total Sales: $362.89
Highest Price Sold: $80 (vintage kerosene lanterns)
Average Price Sold: $32.99
Returns: 0
Number of items listed this week: 0

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This we want to know your most extreme scavenging confession (and we share ours). Jay shares how he sometimes feels like a soulless zombie in Goodwill. Ryanne realizes she needs to have fun. Tune in!

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Our Store Week Oct 22-28, 2017

Store #1
Total Items in Store: 5,752
Items Sold: 35
Cost of Items Sold: $105
Total Sales: $1,878.47
Highest Price Sold: $700 (antique wardrobe)
Average Price Sold: $53
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $16
Number of items listed this week: 0
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Bonanza/Trugether:
Sold 1 items for $25 (Whole Foods Apron)
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Store #2
Total Items in Store: 1091
Items Sold: 10
Cost of Items Sold: $17
Total Sales: $205.81
Highest Price Sold: $36 (vintage cookbook)
Average Price Sold: $20.58
Returns: 0
Number of items listed this week: 0

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We don’t invest in the stock market, we invest in real estate. But the people we respect who do invest in the stock market, they invest in index funds. This method of investing makes a lot of sense. Put your money away each month in low fee funds and never sell. Just let it accrue compound interest knowing that unless there’s a zombie apocalypse, the market always makes you money. Studies have shown that if you try to time the market, even the experts don’t do better than just “buy and hold” index funds.

This is similar to our “list it and forget it” strategy of listing items on eBay. Once we take clear photos, write a relevant title, and accurately research the price of an item, we just list it and let it ride. We know that the right buyer will eventually come along. Looking at our items every day would lead to utter madness. We’d always be wondering why something isn’t getting enough views or watchers. Most likely, we’d keep lowering the price till it sold, ending up making very little profit and spending all our time stressing out.

Why do we know that “list it and forget it” works on eBay? Because we’ve successfully (and relatively stress free) made a full-time income using this method since 2008. Each and every day for the last 2900 days, we’ve sold items for a good profit. Sometimes it takes only a week for an item to sell. Sometimes it takes 2 years. We never know what will sell each day, but we do know that something will sell everyday. All we need is a couple hundred bucks a day to own our freedom.

Maybe other sellers are smarter about timing their items and playing with their prices and keywords. They end and re-list items to possibly get higher in search. That’s awesome. We just keep plugging away, scavenging and listing items that are fun for us.

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Our Store Week Oct 15-21, 2017

Store #1
Total Items in Store: 5,834
Items Sold: 61
Cost of Items Sold: $105
Total Sales: $2,141.42
Highest Price Sold: $220 (antique cutting board)
Average Price Sold: $35.10
Returns: 0
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $75
Number of items listed this week: 20
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Bonanza/Trugether:
Sold 3 items for $75
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Store #2
Total Items in Store: 1100
Items Sold: 6
Cost of Items Sold: $21
Total Sales: $258.15
Highest Price Sold: $60 (J Crew long johns)
Average Price Sold: $43.02
Returns: 0
Number of items listed this week: 0

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What are you working for? We know it’s to pay your bills firstly. Once those are covered, what else? Working for ourselves can make you feel free from the shackles of an office, but often it means working harder and many more hours than a regular job. We ask why and what for?

Also: eBay is creating a “Buy Box” like Amazon. What do you think? Get your free eBay shipping supplies for this quarter and stay in the loop with an email from Where’s The Coupon that tells you when you can get them.

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Our Store Week Oct 8-14, 2017

Store #1
Total Items in Store: 5,834
Items Sold: 57
Cost of Items Sold: $102
Total Sales: $1,540.39
Highest Price Sold: $110 (vintage fabric print)
Average Price Sold: $27.02
Returns: 1
Money Spent on New Inventory This Week: $0
Number of items listed this week: 40
———-
Bonanza/Trugether:
Sold 3 items for $80
———-
Store #2
Total Items in Store: 1106
Items Sold: 3
Cost of Items Sold: $28
Total Sales: $96.43
Highest Price Sold: $40 (vintage hat)
Average Price Sold: $32.14
Returns: 0
Number of items listed this week: 0

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