GARAGE/YARD

ESTATE/FAMILY

NEIGHBORHOOD/RUMMAGE

SALE

SALE

SALE

You've thought about selling on Ebay. You have a few thing of your own, but not enough to keep you selling for very long. Now you've decided to seek out items to sell. You aren't interested in drop shipping, you don't expect to make a career out of this, you just enjoy having a few items to post each week. You like the contact with others and enjoy receiving positive feedback so need more items to sell.

Now you are ready to hit local sales and find treasures you can resell on Ebay. What to buy? What will sell? What is rare? What isn't? There are some specific items that you can seek out, that have proven to me to have some resale value. The following suggestions are only a few of the many items to search for, but it will give you a good start.  There are some tips listed at the end for pre-purchasing. Learn by my mistakes and save yourself money.

DO LOOK FOR

Costume Accessories:

These can be moneymakers if posted well before specific holidays.  Items such as this horned   viking hat, large clown shoes, elf or bunny ears, santa suits, french maid items, etc.,  are often hard to find items that will bring bidders to your auction. Be sure to list measurements in your auction so bidders will know if the items you have are for adults or children.

Purses/Clutches:

Things to look for: Are there tears or stains? Is it beaded? Are any beads missing? Does it have accessories missing such as a mirror or tissue case? Does it have a label inside? Are there missing chains or handles? Does it look used or preserved? Does it smell odd?  Does the metal frame have a name or number stamped on it? Is it handmade? Is it an antique? These clutches brought a good price and were found for under one dollar  each at an estate sale.

Textbooks:

The price of textbooks at college and university bookstores is out of control. Students are finding alternate ways to purchase required books. Ebay is one place student look for a good deal. Be aware of the print date and the Edition Number of the textbooks you find. Some subjects don't change much over time, such as music, mathematics, and accounting, and foreign languages, but others, like computer programming, international relations and science are constantly changing. Think outside the box when looking over bookshelves. Books such as The Color Purple, Catcher in the Rye, and Moby Dick are great literature and also can be considered textbooks because they're quite often assigned reading in modern literature courses.

Knick-knacks:

Unique vanity items can be hot sellers. This antique lipstick holder cost a few dimes and brought many dollars. Be creative in your descriptions and titles to get your item viewed by more people. Note any markings on the bottom that may identify the creator or note any imperfections in your auction.

Music/Vinyl Records:

Best sellers are limited print discs which hard to find and even harder to know. Ten inch LP records with photographs of nude models on the cover are also excellent sellers. Extended Play seven inch 45 RPM records sell well especially if they have the original jacket that's in good condition like this great Slim Whitman compilation. But seven inch 45 RPM singles can sell well, too. One can rarely go wrong with oldies and this record by an artist called Terrible Tom, unknown and unwanted by anyone in the United States, sold for $200  to a buyer from the United Kingdom (as did the 2nd copy I had).

TIPS

1. Check print date and edition on textbooks. Many older editions won't sell.
2. Check the spine of the book, is it falling apart?
3. Check textbooks for handwritten notes in the margins or highlighting on the text pages. This devalues the text.
4. Check knick knacks carefully for broken pieces. Collectors prefer them to be whole and will not be happy if you've misrepresented a piece, even if you didn't notice it.
5. When buying clutches, be sure you're not getting a freebie that came with the cosmetics.
6. Plan to spend time with buying guides if getting into the record resale business.
7. Take a laptop to sales and look up items before you purchase. Know their value before you spend money.
8. If a laptop isn't an option, use a cell phone. Make a list and call someone who will look items up on their computer for you.
9. If all else fails, make a list, ask the seller to hold the items while you run and get cash, then go home and look up items yourself.
10. Most of all, don't buy a large volume of any item until you can be assured it has some resale value.

HAVE FUN