Thumper
04-22-2015, 09:21 AM
I'm getting ready to head back out to "pre-shop" this weekend's estate sale, but thought I'd share a bit of silliness with you. If I can ever figure out how the buying public thinks, I could become a bazillionaire.
I seem to find little "niches" from time to time where I concentrate on a specific item and learn as much as I can about it if there's a profit to be made. I was heavy into "gun books" a few years back and made a $9500 profit buying and selling. I've made a small fortune selling old razors.
Then I got into "breaking things down" for parts. I concentrated on small boat motors for a while ... little "kickers" up to a max of 15 HP. People will pay through the nose for parts! I'd buy a whole "broken" motor on eBay for $50-$75 (my personal maximum) ... tear it down in about 30 minutes, throw away the broken part, and sell the left-over parts ON EBAY for a total of $650-$750! I probably cannibalized 20 motors this way. Heck, I'd usually get my money back on just the prop or carbureator ... the rest was pure profit.
Then I got into the smaller stuff. The old Proctor Silex juicers for example. I can find them all day long at Goodwill, Salvation Army or other thrift stores. I find them at estate sales ... they're everywhere. I buy them for a dollar ... take the ceramic reamer (just lifts off), throw the juicer away (heavy, bulky to ship) and sell the reamer for $20!
Lately I've been buying old Aladdin Thermos' ... they're a dime a dozen and there's at least one in every household. I buy the beat up old Thermos for $0.50 - $1.00 ... unscrew the stopper, throw the Thermos away and sell the stopper for $20. I bought 11 Thermos' at the house I was at yesterday for $5.50 (the guy was a bit of a hoarder). They're all going into the trash ... but I'll make an easy $150 selling just the stoppers. I listed one last week and it sold immediately. As soon as it sold, I listed another ... it sold in under 4 hours! Now I'm replenishing my inventory. The silly part ... just like the juicers or the boat motors ... you can buy the whole things for peanuts ... why pay through the nose for one little piece off of it?
Example: I just did a quick search and a complete used Thermos in great condition brought in 4 bids and sold for $7.50 (Thermos, stopper and cup). The same exact used stopper (ONLY) just sold for $21.95. Now I ain't complaining mind you, just wondering how people think. :confused:
Ok dufes ... I'm out'ta here. I gots ta' go buy some junk to sell! ;)
I seem to find little "niches" from time to time where I concentrate on a specific item and learn as much as I can about it if there's a profit to be made. I was heavy into "gun books" a few years back and made a $9500 profit buying and selling. I've made a small fortune selling old razors.
Then I got into "breaking things down" for parts. I concentrated on small boat motors for a while ... little "kickers" up to a max of 15 HP. People will pay through the nose for parts! I'd buy a whole "broken" motor on eBay for $50-$75 (my personal maximum) ... tear it down in about 30 minutes, throw away the broken part, and sell the left-over parts ON EBAY for a total of $650-$750! I probably cannibalized 20 motors this way. Heck, I'd usually get my money back on just the prop or carbureator ... the rest was pure profit.
Then I got into the smaller stuff. The old Proctor Silex juicers for example. I can find them all day long at Goodwill, Salvation Army or other thrift stores. I find them at estate sales ... they're everywhere. I buy them for a dollar ... take the ceramic reamer (just lifts off), throw the juicer away (heavy, bulky to ship) and sell the reamer for $20!
Lately I've been buying old Aladdin Thermos' ... they're a dime a dozen and there's at least one in every household. I buy the beat up old Thermos for $0.50 - $1.00 ... unscrew the stopper, throw the Thermos away and sell the stopper for $20. I bought 11 Thermos' at the house I was at yesterday for $5.50 (the guy was a bit of a hoarder). They're all going into the trash ... but I'll make an easy $150 selling just the stoppers. I listed one last week and it sold immediately. As soon as it sold, I listed another ... it sold in under 4 hours! Now I'm replenishing my inventory. The silly part ... just like the juicers or the boat motors ... you can buy the whole things for peanuts ... why pay through the nose for one little piece off of it?
Example: I just did a quick search and a complete used Thermos in great condition brought in 4 bids and sold for $7.50 (Thermos, stopper and cup). The same exact used stopper (ONLY) just sold for $21.95. Now I ain't complaining mind you, just wondering how people think. :confused:
Ok dufes ... I'm out'ta here. I gots ta' go buy some junk to sell! ;)