Make Big Profits With Vintage Advertising
(originally part of my Profits From Life report)
if you have the time or do not want to invest much money to start with building a resale vintage magazine business, there is a solid market for the vintage advertising that is in each issue of Life and many other vintage magazines.
you can start your business with just a few magazines and under $20
these range from full page color ads to the smaller black and white ones.
it destroys the magazine as a collectible (thanks for reducing the availability), but you could get 10, 20 or more saleable ads from a single magazine (Life, Look, Chatelaine, etc.).
you could either have these ‘left over’ from a large lot of magazines , or even buy a lot (group) of magazines is less than very good condition (as this generally relates to the cover) and build yourself a nice collection of awesome vintage ads.
the cost of your stock of ads is then very low (or nothing) and you can cheaply build a collection
you can still buy 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s issues of Life magazine for super cheap ($1 or less each) when the covers are torn, etc. Who cares when you are only going to cut it up for $50-$100 worth of ads?
I would recommend sorting your ads in themes (auto, gas companies, fashion, etc.) as this vintage advertising collectors look for ads specific to their area of collection.
you could then begin by offering a number of single ads for autos or whatever to test the market (and to tune up your photo taking, description writing skills).
check for shipping costs, to make sure you are not going to lose money when you send it. Many dealers offer one price if rolled in a tube and another if packed flat with cardboard backing.
if you have access to inexpensive picture frames (often available at garage sales, flea markets for cheap) and the ability to frame an ad (very easy)… these go for even more money! Many people sell framed ads at their local flea markets or antique shops for $20-$50. An inexpensive ad + an inexpensive frame = expensive looking collectible or gift.
selling vintage advertising is a revenue stream that works well in an ebay Store. It is more specialized; you can list it cheaply and set your own price.
generally people looking for specific ads are willing to pay for them and regular auctions for vintage ads generally end with a single bidder anyway.
Research First! – as always, check ebay for completed sales of what you are considering selling before taking photos, writing a description and sending in the listing. Don’t waste your time, money and efforts trying to sell something that nobody wants at that time. Also think about who you are marketing it too. (I recently noticed some the 1940’s military ads sold for $20+ as they were marketed as ‘gay interest’)
(originally part of my Profits From Life report)
if you have the time or do not want to invest much money to start with building a resale vintage magazine business, there is a solid market for the vintage advertising that is in each issue of Life and many other vintage magazines.
you can start your business with just a few magazines and under $20
these range from full page color ads to the smaller black and white ones.
it destroys the magazine as a collectible (thanks for reducing the availability), but you could get 10, 20 or more saleable ads from a single magazine (Life, Look, Chatelaine, etc.).
you could either have these ‘left over’ from a large lot of magazines , or even buy a lot (group) of magazines is less than very good condition (as this generally relates to the cover) and build yourself a nice collection of awesome vintage ads.
the cost of your stock of ads is then very low (or nothing) and you can cheaply build a collection
you can still buy 1930’s, 1940’s and 1950’s issues of Life magazine for super cheap ($1 or less each) when the covers are torn, etc. Who cares when you are only going to cut it up for $50-$100 worth of ads?
I would recommend sorting your ads in themes (auto, gas companies, fashion, etc.) as this vintage advertising collectors look for ads specific to their area of collection.
you could then begin by offering a number of single ads for autos or whatever to test the market (and to tune up your photo taking, description writing skills).
check for shipping costs, to make sure you are not going to lose money when you send it. Many dealers offer one price if rolled in a tube and another if packed flat with cardboard backing.
if you have access to inexpensive picture frames (often available at garage sales, flea markets for cheap) and the ability to frame an ad (very easy)… these go for even more money! Many people sell framed ads at their local flea markets or antique shops for $20-$50. An inexpensive ad + an inexpensive frame = expensive looking collectible or gift.
selling vintage advertising is a revenue stream that works well in an ebay Store. It is more specialized; you can list it cheaply and set your own price.
generally people looking for specific ads are willing to pay for them and regular auctions for vintage ads generally end with a single bidder anyway.
Research First! – as always, check ebay for completed sales of what you are considering selling before taking photos, writing a description and sending in the listing. Don’t waste your time, money and efforts trying to sell something that nobody wants at that time. Also think about who you are marketing it too. (I recently noticed some the 1940’s military ads sold for $20+ as they were marketed as ‘gay interest’)
Guide created: 08/22/07 (updated 09/22/08)

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