One Easy Technique That Works!
If you're like me, you too could spend all day browsing the internet for antiques and vintage items that you'd love to buy! Well why not earn some cash while you're at it! I have been doing that for years, and have been using a particular technique that works in all of the online markets I've tried. With a little practice, you too, can start yielding great profits!
Personally, I have spent a lot of time at yard sales and auctions and realized that it requires a lot of general knowledge about whether or not the item you run across has value, and resale-ability. Since you never know what you are going to find, it's hard to research this before you buy. That's fine if you love the item that you're buying, and want to keep it , but not so great if your plan is to resell it for profit.
In this article, I define one smart alternative that allows you to do research before buying, puts you in control of what you are buying, and shortens the process of buying and selling, unique, antique, or vintage items.
image credit: mint.com
Personally, I have spent a lot of time at yard sales and auctions and realized that it requires a lot of general knowledge about whether or not the item you run across has value, and resale-ability. Since you never know what you are going to find, it's hard to research this before you buy. That's fine if you love the item that you're buying, and want to keep it , but not so great if your plan is to resell it for profit.
In this article, I define one smart alternative that allows you to do research before buying, puts you in control of what you are buying, and shortens the process of buying and selling, unique, antique, or vintage items.
image credit: mint.com
Table of Contents
Hit or Miss Yard Sale Finds. . .
Don't Generate Steady Profits!
Even though you can make very profitable finds at yard sales, estate sales and auctions, you can make more reliable money right here on the internet! As many of us have learned, yard saleing is a fun hobby, however it is often not a very reliable source for marketable items. On top of which, there is a considerable amount of time and energy spent and gas burned doing it. On the other hand, second hand websites are loaded with unique, antique, and vintage items by the hundreds--and can be cherry-picked for profits.Let's look at the antique wasp traps pictured here. They were found at a yard sale for $2 dollars a piece. A real find, but it took three hours and twenty-five miles of driving to find them. On top of that, the seller now had to clean them, photograph them, upload the photos to their website, research the selling price (say $35-$40), and finally, write up the description. Now, although the potential profit margin is very high, the seller has to sweat blood to get to that point! He has to repeat this routine over and over, to have a website full of, as of yet, unsold items. Here lies your opportunity.
You can pick the items, with which, you feel most comfortable, from his or any number of vintage or antique websites, make a low ball offer, (say $12 each) and skip much of the hassle he has gone through to get it. At $12.00, the seller has made six times his money, and is often very happy to do it, and you now own the wasp trap(s) for which, you paid $12 ea (plus approx $4 shipping). You have very little time invested in 'picking', cleaning, researching, taking pictures, uploading and writing out any descriptions. You can simply use the seller's pictures and descriptions. Why not, they sold you, didn't they? When they sell for $35-$40 each (which they will), you will more then double your money!
The better you get at this , the more $$$ you make. . . and the faster you flip the item! So look at some of those vintage, antique, and second hand websites or booths again with a greedy eye! Try SecondHandJoe on Bonanza That's me, and I love when people low ball me- I'm getting offers and making money!!! Good Luck.
Proof the Method Works!
These Items Were All 'Low Balled' Internet purchases
F&M Schaefer Brewing Company 1895 Beer Stein
Essential Tools of the Trade
for buying and selling antiques and vintage online
Use Ebay for Market Research!
Ultimately, you must become proficient at establishing pricing for both the purchase values and the resale values of your target item(s). Ebay is an invaluable tool for that purpose, because of the wide range of listings they offer.
My family are all Antique Roadshow junkies. We consider ourselves participants, in that we all try to appraise the items before the official appraisal. Are you like us? If so. . . then you probably miss by a mile all the time also! Don't let that discourage you! Using Ebay for market research, much of the guesswork of product valuation is eliminated.
Find an item you would be comfortable buying, for the purpose of resale, if the price were right. At first, I wouldn't choose a one-of-a-kind item. You won't be able to find comparative pricing. Through Ebay, or other online stores, research as many examples of that item, that have been recently sold and note their selling prices. The more examples you find, the more confident you can be of its real market value by averaging their "sold prices". Of course in your research, also take into account the specific condition of the item you are considering buying with the condition of the items to which you are comparing it. It will be important when you are deciding to make an offer (low ball, or walk away price) to leave yourself as much room as you can, so you can resell it for a good profit. Remember that shipping costs, Ebay and Paypal fees, must be integral in determining your offer.
All sellers will not be willing to accept your low offers, so be polite and diligent. You will get better at this skill with practice. It is satisfying, to say the least, when your marketing strategy comes together, and your hard work is rewarded with PROFIT!
My family are all Antique Roadshow junkies. We consider ourselves participants, in that we all try to appraise the items before the official appraisal. Are you like us? If so. . . then you probably miss by a mile all the time also! Don't let that discourage you! Using Ebay for market research, much of the guesswork of product valuation is eliminated.
Find an item you would be comfortable buying, for the purpose of resale, if the price were right. At first, I wouldn't choose a one-of-a-kind item. You won't be able to find comparative pricing. Through Ebay, or other online stores, research as many examples of that item, that have been recently sold and note their selling prices. The more examples you find, the more confident you can be of its real market value by averaging their "sold prices". Of course in your research, also take into account the specific condition of the item you are considering buying with the condition of the items to which you are comparing it. It will be important when you are deciding to make an offer (low ball, or walk away price) to leave yourself as much room as you can, so you can resell it for a good profit. Remember that shipping costs, Ebay and Paypal fees, must be integral in determining your offer.
All sellers will not be willing to accept your low offers, so be polite and diligent. You will get better at this skill with practice. It is satisfying, to say the least, when your marketing strategy comes together, and your hard work is rewarded with PROFIT!
Craigslist
Great Place To Cut A Deal!
Craigslist, gives you the edge when it comes to making low offers on great items for sale. Since the whole premise here, is to learn how to buy and resell for PROFIT, you must remain vigilant in your search for profitable items. (Not every great item is a great deal)! One way to do this is to deal with sellers on a more personal level and Craigslist is an excellent resource for this purpose. Since these are 'local' sales, and the sellers are not typically professionals, they often have the weaker position on holding the line on price. You don't have to insult them to offer a low-ball price, just respectfully say something like: "this is all I'm prepared to spend" or, " I'm reselling this item and have to make a profit ...". There are many ways to skin that cat- as long as you skin it! Finally, you will more than likely shave the shipping costs out of the 'buying' end of this deal by picking it up locally. You will reap the rewards, later, when you resell it! Good Luck and Happy Low-balling!
- Yard Sale 6/2/12 136A Main street Center Moriches 9 am until 2pm (center moriches )
- Weather Permitting, varied eclectic mix Yard Sale at 136A Main Street Center Moriches. Items include...
- Garage Sale ***Sunday Only*** June 3rd (Farmingdale)
- Everything Must Go!!!! One Day Only Sunday June 3rd 10am - 2pm Collectible Barbies (All Happy Holidays...
- GARAGE SALE-VINTAGE-SAT. 6/2 & SUN. 6/3 (9-4)FURNITURE,TOOLS,HOUSEHOLD (DEER PARK) $1
- VINTAGE- ESTATE SALE MAHOGANY BEDROOM SET- FULL HEAD BOARD, 2 NIGHT TABLES, 2 DRESSERS- DRY SINK (WOULD...
- Moving/Estate Sale Rain or Shine Indoors June 2 and 3 (Bay Shore NY)
- Saturday and Sunday, June 2 and 3 10am-4pm. Rain or Shine Indoors and Out NO EARLYBIRDS 1065 Carll...
- Gararge Sale - Village Wide (237 8th Ave., Sea Cliff, NY)
- Saturday, June 2nd (raindate is Sunday, June 3rd) - 237 8th Avenue in Sea Cliff along with about 100...
Please Vote!
Your Opinion Matters!
Loading poll. Please Wait...
About Second Hand Joe
What are your experiences with buying and selling online for profit?
Are you a vintage collector?
-
-
jazziyarbrough
Jun 1, 2012 @ 1:59 pm | delete
- Never have been much of a seller, but I specialize in buying up some stuff!
-
-
-
karmicchristian
May 26, 2012 @ 2:41 am | delete
- I love vintage stuff... but not yet tried buying and selling! Thank you again for some interesting information!
-
-
-
sheezie77
May 22, 2012 @ 3:42 am | delete
- Another great lens! well done
-
-
-
RenaissanceWoman2010
May 21, 2012 @ 8:30 pm | delete
- I enjoy selling online and need to get way more serious about it. It was great to learn more about your system for finding and selling vintage items for a profit. Thanks for the resources and tips!
-
-
-
RenaissanceWoman2010
May 21, 2012 @ 8:30 pm | delete
- I enjoy selling online and need to get way more serious about it. It was great to learn more about your system for finding and selling vintage items for a profit. Thanks for the resources and tips!
-
-
-
tvyps
May 15, 2012 @ 1:49 am | delete
- I have been doing this for years, shhhhh...don't tell too many people! ha! Blessed
-
-
-
dc64
May 10, 2012 @ 10:22 am | delete
- I've heard of people making good money doing this. I could never do it because I despise shopping, and browsing is even more distasteful to me. This is still a well done lens, however.
-
-
-
stylishimo
May 4, 2012 @ 9:16 am | delete
- I have done it before, buying from ebay then re-selling just with a proper description, and research on the artist or antique, I used to sell them for much higher prices than I bought them, for example I would pay £5 for an item and sell it for £80.
I also used to buy dying orange trees from garden centres for £5 then I would take them home look after them until they were nice and sell em on ebay for £30each - Havn't done it for years but I think I might try doing it again, thanks for the inspiration.
-
-
-
stylishimo
May 4, 2012 @ 9:16 am | delete
- I have done it before, buying from ebay then re-selling just with a proper description, and research on the artist or antique, I used to sell them for much higher prices than I bought them, for example I would pay £5 for an item and sell it for £80.
I also used to buy dying orange trees from garden centres for £5 then I would take them home look after them until they were nice and sell em on ebay for £30each - Havn't done it for years but I think I might try doing it again, thanks for the inspiration.
-
-
-
LoKackl
Mar 8, 2012 @ 8:56 am | delete
- I've only recently found an interest in this. Thanks for the good information. Blessed.
-
-
-
KimGiancaterino Mar 3, 2012 @ 2:40 am | delete
- I love eBay, but haven't sold any items in a long time. The fees got out of hand a few years back. It's great for purchasing obscure gifts and doing market research, though.
-
-
-
bloomingrose
Feb 25, 2012 @ 6:25 pm | delete
- Been on eBay below - bought and sold a lot. More buying than selling - LOL
-
-
-
ItayasDesigns
Feb 25, 2012 @ 12:28 am | delete
- I have sold a few items on ebay in the past. I didn't stay with it though. I would love to buy and resell for profit! Just got through watching American Pickers on TV. :) Great article!
-
-
-
makeupbrush
Feb 18, 2012 @ 5:10 pm | delete
- Never thought of using ebay for buying vintage item, I usually go to local thrift stores, flea markets, garage sales or antique stores. What is the chance like some lucky people who paid $2 for a picture frame and found something valuable hidden behind that could sell for $2 millions.
-
-
-
getmoreinfo
Feb 17, 2012 @ 2:22 am | delete
- I like to buy vintage costume jewelry, because its unique and the pieces seem to retain their beauty over the years. These are great tips.
-
-
-
DJam1
Feb 15, 2012 @ 6:25 pm | delete
- Good advice given here
-
-
-
webkangaroo
Feb 10, 2012 @ 10:07 pm | delete
- Good lens -- some real quality ideas here. Thanks!
-
-
-
rayray131
Feb 10, 2012 @ 9:24 pm | delete
- Nice site with valid information
-
-
-
pawpaw911
Feb 10, 2012 @ 3:56 pm | delete
- Very well done. I have a feeling you will do well on Squidoo.
-
-
-
skiesgreen
Feb 8, 2012 @ 10:33 pm | delete
- Have bought a few things online and some from e-bay but am very cautious now since learning of the theft of some items from shops for the purpose of selling on ebay. Did a lens on it in fact. This is a remarkably informative lens. Blessed and featured on blessed by Skiesgreen 2012 and also on Beware Buying Stolen Goods Online. Hugs
-
- Load More
Take A Look At Some of the Angels and Giant Squids That Liked this Lens!
This UpMarket page written by
SecondHandJoe
Hey folks, this is Second Hand Joe and I invite you to see my booth at Bonanza.com click here!
Follow SecondHandJoe on Twitter!
more »
Deluxe. Remarkable. Creative. Unusual. Successful. Upmarket businesses push the envelope -- does yours?
Connect with UpMarket
This author recommends...
-
How to Start a Web Design Business
I started a web design business back in 2002. Even though I live in a very small... -
Make Money on Etsy and Etsy Shop Tips
Can you really make money on Etsy? Yes, Etsy is a great place to make money sell... -
Get paid to upload pictures
shareapic.net is a free service that allows you to upload and host images on the... -
How to Make a New Paypal Account After Being Limited
This lens is written for individuals with either poor credit or no credit at all... -
How to eBay for Newbies
New to eBay? eBay trading with bids and online auctions can be a great way to make... -
eBay Tips & Tutorials
I made my first eBay sale 10 years ago ! I still remember the amazing feeling of...
Find Great Deals
at Second Hand Joe (Free Shipping!)
Excite Him in Vintage Lingerie
Make it Black Satin Tonight!
Satin Retro Garter Dress (Black;Medium/Large)
Amazon Price: $19.82 (as of 06/01/2012)
This Amazon favorite is so comfortable and get's Rave reviews: "I love it and so does my husband!" "It's easy to take on and off"
