Some newbie questions

[jerseyben]

a $1000 sale on Ebay will have $100 in fees. You would risk $800 to make $100 after your work? I've seen too many items/ deals/ sales go wrong... Too many unbreakable items have broken. Too many packages have been mistracked by the post office... That's an awful lot of risk for a little reward. I was temped once on an $1100 motorcycle. 3 had sold for $3500 to $5000 in the last 3 weeks. none were on sale. I didn't have the cash on hand (I was in the middle of finishing a HUGE transaction for an Olympic Collection, and that was taking up all of my money). I mean, that was a risk, reward that was worth it. $800 to make $200 less fees, and other expenses? I don't see that.

Agreed. Also, don't forget about cash flow. If you tie up all your money in 1 risky item, you might miss out on a bunch of smaller but less risky deals.

It is all about evaluating the risk/reward, IMO.

 

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[Tallone]

I wish there was a hard and fast list of things to buy, but was just looking for more odd ball thins that you wouldn't normally think of

If you specialize in a very narrow category of item, you might be able to generate such a list. The problem with such an approach is that you will rarely find any of the items on your list. The same would be true if you had a short list of "oddball" items. This would be especially true if you only shop yard sales because the overwhelming majority of stuff at yard sales has little resale value. There is nothing wrong with being a "specialist". There are several people here on TNet that buy only (or at least primarily) precious metals or jewelry. If that works for them, more power to 'em! For me, I like the challenge of looking for value that others miss and I don't much care what type of item that value resides in. That's what makes it fun for me.

Best of luck to you. Keep hanging around here and you'll see all kinds of stuff you never knew had good value. I love reading this forum on Sundays and Mondays when most of the new posts go up showing what people found the previous weekend!

 

[mugsisme]

My piece of advice, learned from the school of life experiences, do not buy something you don't like, no matter how much of a bargain it is, and especially if it is not that big of a bargain.

I bought the worlds hideous, most ugliest ring last summer. I miscalculated how much it weighed. So basically, I am stuck with this horrid ring I can't sell and I will lose a lot of money to scrap. It makes me think twice on high ticket items ... if I don't want to end up keeping it, I won't buy it.

 

[kali_is_my_copilot]

Thank you to everyone that responded, I appreciate the insight. I wish there was a hard and fast list of things to buy, but was just looking for more odd ball thins that you wouldn't normally think of (like sewing/knitting patterns for example). But everything I've read has been very informational

The best way to build a "list" is to 1. do as others have suggested and read through the garage sale forum (I just started at the beginning and slogged through it during slow night shifts) and 2. do as others have suggested and go buy stuff (low-investment stuff that you like). Physical lists are extremely impractical because the breadth of this subject is so great, but reading hundreds of posts on the subject of obscure tchotchkes that will turn a great profit while getting hands-on experience will help you develop an ever-growing "list" that is internalized and intuitive. The only way to be really successful at this is to put in the time, but imo it's worth it because you will develop a feel for quality and value. Lol, you just need the thrill of a couple really good scores and you'll be hooked.

 

[randazzo1]

Hi - this is sort of a "list" I recently sent a friend (june 2014) on things to look for when he was just getting into picking garag/estate/thrifts. Keep in mind it was written for a specific person I've known a long time.

Watches --- some of the "junk" watches sell for money -- I always buy Timex Expedition and Citizen Eco Drive --- they sell very well. For anything not marked “China” just do a quick google search. Good vintage names include Gruen, Elgin and Hamilton – but only buy men’s watches. Woman’s do not sell unless they are gold or by a very good maker (e.g. Lecoultre / omega etc). Also – keep your eye out for calculator watches, seikos, casio G-shock, and any kind of vintage computer or game watch. A good vintage HP calculator can bring $500+ dollars.


Jadeite Mugs By Fire King - these go up and down in value but are great buys for a few bucks. Thicker the better. pay attention to conditon


Dansk Peppermills in Teak


Moscow Mule Mugs in copper


Gold bangle bracelets at scrap -- they sell for twice scrap


Gold filled eyeglasses -- these are always lying around thrift stores - worth a few bucks each


Any type of gun magazine / clip - it is legal to sell them on ebay and they bring a fortune for rare or vintage pieces


Here's the deal with the flatware. The absolute best is the danish modern stuff from the 50's and 60's. Those pieces sell for 30-70 per spoon/fork/knife etc. The great thing is, you usually come across a whole set -- 45 pieces + -- so its a huge cash out. Best ones I've hit yet were Oneida Community Heirloom with the Cube Mark. Also look for Arne Jacobsen, Gense Sweden, Dansk and anything else made in Denmark. No body buys this flatware **** but its worth a fortune on ebay.


Cutco knives – they sell very easily – any type or age. Decent big pieces will regularly bring $50-$100.00. Also – sets of steak knives by cutco. You will see these frequently.


HP and TI Scientific calculators – every kid buys them for college and then the parents dump them for a buck. You can get $40-200 depending on the model.


Early medical texts – I sold one last month for over $1,000.00. The more illustrations the better.


Any original period Danish modern knick-knacks – go to ebay, then shop by category, then Antiques, then periods and styles, then MidCentury Modern. Sort listings by sold items, ending soonest first. This is the best way to familiarize yourself with these types of items.


Anything Rail Road related (not model RR - but real RR) / Also steam ships


Vintage razors and razor sharpening stones. Just search ebay for “vintage razor” and then “antique razor”


Fountain pens


Anthying military from Vietnam or earlier


Any book published before 1900 if you can get it for a buck – these are hit or miss, but it only takes one to get hooked on them


Anything by Dansk that’s not made in China


Mikasa Crystal (not marked so you need to memorize it


Royal Copenhagen – buy anything for $1.00 - $5.00. everything except for the commemoroative plates.


Old Keys and Old locks


Anything gun related – holsters, clips, belts, sights


Cameras and parts – especially old polaroids. Look for names like Leica, Zeiss, Canon. Doesn’t matter how old they are. Often the lenses are worth 10 times what the cameras are. Check lenses for damage. If its not leica, zeiss or Vintage Canon/Nikon - then buy cheap unless you know the piece.