Buying/Selling for PT Income -Ending early

[hwillm1977]

I invest about 15 minutes every morning reading every listing in the farm & garden, housewares and free section on our craigslist. Then every few days, I'll check the business section, antiques, tools and sporting goods.

E-bay seems to have gotten so huge to me, do you have certain categories that you watch for prices on or do you just randomly look around and see what catches your eye?

For Ebay I check for things I would normally watch prices on... clothes, textile type categories... because those are what I love browsing at the thrift stores. So I look at teen brand names of clothing, maternity clothing, sheets... stuff like that. And toys/character textiles from my childhood. And wedding dresses. I was buying them for about two years on Ebay, a few a month... they come from China and I'd re-sell them here for more money (still a quarter of what you pay in a bridal boutique). I'd usually pay around $100-150 for a dress and sell it here for $300-400.

Kijiji (we use it a lot more than craigslist up here) I just sell random stuff from around the house on... and advertise my portrait website.

 

[framing fowl]

Whew, we got skunked at that sale. Came home with a few things but will need to sell at a smaller margin to make a decent profit. Listed 21 items yesterday morning and only 1 phone call last night.

We did bring home some 1/2 gallon blue canning jars, a cute REAL childs garden tool set, a bunch of cast iron, a couple of lidded crocks, some graniteware and a 6 doz tin egg carrier.

There was another thread here today about people really being hunkered down the last couple of weeks. Craziness. Oh well. 95% of what we bought is usable to us so we'll just hang tight.

 

[framing fowl]

Oil lamps were going for $50 and higher each. Big crocks were going for $60 and up. The wooden butter churn brought $200. Crock churns were going $80-$120. The generator went for $200.

 

[THEFAN]

There was another thread here today about people really being hunkered down the last couple of weeks. Craziness. Oh well. 95% of what we bought is usable to us so we'll just hang tight.

I am getting this same feeling here too. I like your thinking on usable items. Most of the stuff I deal in I try and have a personal use too. That way if it doesn't sell I don't feel like I have money tied up in it. I do but the pyschology of of it feels better. I do have a feeling that I need to sell everything I can right now. Good luck Don from the Maine Northern Alliance Front.

 

[framing fowl]

I agree THEFAN. I had a client whose opinion on financial matters I respect very much ask me how I was on Friday. My boss wasn't there and he asked if I had other plans. I told him I did and he replied, "Good. We haven't seen the tip of the iceberg yet." He owns a pharmaceutical company. My job is very precarious due to art and framing being luxury items. It wouldn't surprise me a bit to go in the first week of Jan. and find out that I'm unemployed.

 

[framing fowl]

Sold all of the 1/2 gallon blue jars for double the money. Also sold the sausage press for 10x the money.

The old adage, you make your money when you buy has never been so apparent.

One of the items we got on Sat. was one of those huge cast iron kettles with a tripod. Needs a little cleaning but in otherwise decent shape. Had a lady call on it last night and may do a partial trade on some grass-finished beef. She needed to talk to her BF about it. If they decided not to take it, I'm going to advertise it as a barter: My lard kettle for your hog. See what that does.

 

[framing fowl]

Note to self: don't try to sell things on the first weekend of the month if one of those days is the first.

I had twenty-one various listings posted by Sunday at noon and only one phone call and no legit e-mails until Monday after about 6pm. At first I was beginning to think that we had really not done well at all this weekend but now looking back, I think people just didn't have cash in their pockets until Monday.

Anyone else have certain days or times that work well or not for them? I have also noticed now is a great time to pick-up lawn mowers and wheelbarrows and tillers to resell in the spring.

 

[framing fowl]

Today's auction was a bunch of junk. Literally. 3 foot velvet Elvis anyone?

I did buy a cast iron planter and 3 old jacks. One of the jacks was for a Model A or T with the flip top. The other two were the old screw type jacks for houses or railroad. Got lucky on CL tonight because a guy wanted them to jack up his house so I made 10x the money on all three.

Might try a couple of garage sales tomorrow to pick up a few more things. I have a guy driving over from Clay City to buy some more blue canning jars and some more cast iron tomorrow around noon.

 

[Wifezilla]

3 foot velvet Elvis anyone?

 

[framing fowl]

Did great on the garage sales today. Picked up a brass desk lamp with the old fashioned reticulating arm for $1.

Then my great find was a vitamix 3600, a huge stainless steel turkey roasting pan and a new cookie sheet for $15. I sold my old vitamix 2200 tonight for double the money. I'm keeping the roaster and cookie sheet for myself!