If you are reading this on Saturday, I am either setting up for the sidewalk sale, working the sidewalk sale or tearing down after the sidewalk sale, depending on what time of day you see this. If you are reading this on some other day, well, who knows what I'm doing? Either way, I can guarantee you one thing: I took some time away from my table to peruse the other sellers' wares and, most likely, bought a couple of things.
Since I'm giving up a Saturday of yard sales for this sale, I need to get my fix somewhere. Besides, you never can tell where the bargains are going to come from. For me, being the kind of junker that I am means that I am always on the look out for stuff. I've learned that it pops up where and when you least expect it.
Which is why every booth work day is also a shopping (or at least browsing) day. There are about a half dozen or so booths that I check out every time I'm in the store. These are booths that pretty consistently have good stuff at prices that leave me a lot of room to play with in terms of making a little for myself. Sometimes, I even find a treasure to keep.
I also almost always end up doing a bit of shopping when I am walking the aisles looking for my items that may have been left in another booth by a customer. I try to do that once or twice a month. Usually, I have better luck finding my misplaced stuff when I'm trying to get somewhere specific, like the bathroom and am not actually looking for them. You'd be surprised what you can find out of the corner of your eye when you're just passing by something.
Of course, I always make a point to hit the store booth, which contains items from the unmarked rooms, plus things from vendors who have been evicted or left owing money. The store will hold their stuff for 30 days to give the vendor a chance to pay their bill, then they'll sell it to cover the back rent. They pretty much always mark it down.
It's a two way street. There are also vendors who shop my space pretty regularly, on their own hunt for bargains. I've honestly never been one to make a big deal about someone buying something off me and then flipping it for more money, even if it's a lot more. If I underprice something and someone else makes a killing off it, that's on me and no one else. I know vendors who will pitch fits when this happens, hollering that they've been ripped off. At the end of the day, if you got the price you put on the item, then no one ripped anyone off. What someone else does with something they buy from me really isn't (or at least shouldn't be) my concern.
Since some malls actually have vendors who are also shoplifters, I try to keep myself well covered when I shop other booths. I wait a day or two before repricing things, so that other vendors can see them on their reports. I also put them immediately in my storage space in a bag with the receipt in the bag. After I price and place the item, I'll file the receipts with my records. (Record-keeping is a post for another day!)
There are plenty of months during the year when they're aren't any yard sales happening. You still need to keep your stock up and fresh, so you need all the extra sources you can find. Your own mall can be one of those places, although I would imagine it's a little easier in a flea market type mall, rather than an antique mall.
Do you shop your own mall?
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Friday, July 11, 2014
Don't Do This!
I'm obscuring the vendor tag to protect the innocent, since I'm looking to make a general point, not single anyone out. Check this out:
Even though I'm not showing you the tag, let me assure you that it's marked at waaaaay more than a dollar.
It's one thing to sell Dollar Tree stuff in your booth, and there's nothing wrong with that. If people want to buy it, they will. Kosh knows, there's plenty of it out there at yard sales and thrifts.
It's another thing to sell Dollar Tree stuff for more than the dollar it cost when new. Again, there's nothing inherently wrong about it, depending on the item. If people want to buy it, they will. I even do it myself sometimes (but never for more than $1.99).
It's even another thing to sell Dollar Tree stuff for several times more than the dollar it originally cost. There's still nothing wrong with it, or at least trying it. Dollar Tree and the like do get some decent stuff, after all. If someone wants to buy it at that price, they will. Never hurts to try. You never know what's going to happen.
However, if you are going to try that, you need to be sure to remove the Dollar Tree tag! Seriously. Customers do notice such things.
I try not to buy a lot of Dollar Tree merch at yard sales and such, unless it's a really awesome piece. (And there are some of those. The one I am holding in the pic is way cool. You'll have to take my word for that.) The quality is just not there, and the stuff breaks and chips way too easily for my tastes. Plus, a lot of it is really cheesy/tacky and just not what I want to sell. I like to try and have things that are different from what other sellers are carrying.
If you feel the same was I do about this stuff, one thing to know is what distribution companies to look for. You can see in the tag above that it comes from Dollar Tree Distributing. That "K's Collection" tag is a giveaway too, since that's a brand that is only sold in stores like Dollar Tree. Other names to look for are Dolgencorp (distribution for Dollar General Stores) and Greenbrier Distributing.
You've got to make your own decisions about what to sell and how to sell it, based on what works for you and your location/venue, for sure. But if you do try to make serious buck off of something that someone, somewhere originally purchased for a dollar, at least remove all the evidences of its past. You'll have better luck selling it if you do.
Even though I'm not showing you the tag, let me assure you that it's marked at waaaaay more than a dollar.
It's one thing to sell Dollar Tree stuff in your booth, and there's nothing wrong with that. If people want to buy it, they will. Kosh knows, there's plenty of it out there at yard sales and thrifts.
It's another thing to sell Dollar Tree stuff for more than the dollar it cost when new. Again, there's nothing inherently wrong about it, depending on the item. If people want to buy it, they will. I even do it myself sometimes (but never for more than $1.99).
It's even another thing to sell Dollar Tree stuff for several times more than the dollar it originally cost. There's still nothing wrong with it, or at least trying it. Dollar Tree and the like do get some decent stuff, after all. If someone wants to buy it at that price, they will. Never hurts to try. You never know what's going to happen.
However, if you are going to try that, you need to be sure to remove the Dollar Tree tag! Seriously. Customers do notice such things.
I try not to buy a lot of Dollar Tree merch at yard sales and such, unless it's a really awesome piece. (And there are some of those. The one I am holding in the pic is way cool. You'll have to take my word for that.) The quality is just not there, and the stuff breaks and chips way too easily for my tastes. Plus, a lot of it is really cheesy/tacky and just not what I want to sell. I like to try and have things that are different from what other sellers are carrying.
If you feel the same was I do about this stuff, one thing to know is what distribution companies to look for. You can see in the tag above that it comes from Dollar Tree Distributing. That "K's Collection" tag is a giveaway too, since that's a brand that is only sold in stores like Dollar Tree. Other names to look for are Dolgencorp (distribution for Dollar General Stores) and Greenbrier Distributing.
You've got to make your own decisions about what to sell and how to sell it, based on what works for you and your location/venue, for sure. But if you do try to make serious buck off of something that someone, somewhere originally purchased for a dollar, at least remove all the evidences of its past. You'll have better luck selling it if you do.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Saint Lucy!
I actually bought this one back in December, right after my very first follow-up at the cancer center. I set it aside in our rush to get ready for our holiday trip, and it never got posted here. In fact, I just found the bags from that thrift store run and got them ready for the booth! (Seriously have to get organized....)
It's too great of a find not to share, so I give you:
There are a series of legends referred to as the "virgin martyrs" that are some of my favorite tales, as far as hagiography goes. There's very little historicity to them, but lots of gore, piety, and wonder. I totally adore them. Many of these stories were downgraded in the wake of Vatican II, as part of the effort to update church devotional practices, but the saints were (and still are) very popular. I'm trying to build up a collection of them, so this was a great find for me.
Like a lot of these tales, Lucy's story has different versions. This is the most common one. I recall reading one that said she tore her own eyes out (that's them on her platter) when a suitor admired them, lest she be tempted to vanity and he to lust. They miraculously grew back as a sign of her piety and devotion.
Alas, I cannot find that version online anywhere. EDIT: Keen-eyed reader Lorraine from Clamco saw the one line mention of this tale in the link I provided. I must have skimmed over it. I wish it was a little longer, but I'll take what I can get.
It's too great of a find not to share, so I give you:
SAINT LUCY!
There are a series of legends referred to as the "virgin martyrs" that are some of my favorite tales, as far as hagiography goes. There's very little historicity to them, but lots of gore, piety, and wonder. I totally adore them. Many of these stories were downgraded in the wake of Vatican II, as part of the effort to update church devotional practices, but the saints were (and still are) very popular. I'm trying to build up a collection of them, so this was a great find for me.
 |
| My Virgin Martyr Collection |
Like a lot of these tales, Lucy's story has different versions. This is the most common one. I recall reading one that said she tore her own eyes out (that's them on her platter) when a suitor admired them, lest she be tempted to vanity and he to lust. They miraculously grew back as a sign of her piety and devotion.
Wednesday, July 09, 2014
The Price is Right Part I: Tag! You're it!
I've been cogitating some on the concept of pricing and have decided to throw some thoughts up on the blog and see what happens. Future installments will deal with the science of finding the right price for an item, having the right rand of prices for your booth/establishment, which numbers to use when pricing, and pricing to sell. Today, however, I want to talk about the mechanics of pricing.
If you're going to sell stuff, you have to have a way to affix something to it that lets a buyer know how much it costs. Sounds simple, right? For the most part, it is, but it can be a little more complicated than you would think.
Consider that you want to attach something to your item that will:
a. Clearly indicate the price of the item
b. Have enough room for you to write an item description
c. Adhere/attach firmly to the item in order to prevent tag-switching
d. Be easy for the purchaser to remove without damaging the item
e. Make it easy enough for the store cashier to do what they have to do, whether that be remove the tag or enter information into a database, in order to record the sale properly
f. Not cover or obscure any important markings or labels on the item
g. Not make it too difficult to make attractive displays in your booth
That's an awful lot to demand from one price tag!
In the early days of my booth, I generated price labels from a spreadsheet that I used to track items. It was a speedy way to create labels and also to minimize the number of times I was handling an item, but all the labels were address size, making it hard to use them for extremely small items.
Some stores, especially higher end antique markets, may have standards that your labels have to meet. Some even require that you use the store's own custom labels, which may be an extra expense for you. Labels in general will most likely be an extra expense, unless you have a huge stash/hoard of office supplies for some reason.
Even then, there are not all labels will adhere well to non-paper items. Lots of file folder labels don't, for example. Other things that don't adhere well include those little colored dots that everyone uses to rank ideas in focus groups and brainstorming meetings. They're designed to be removable, so they come off easily and don't stick to some materials at all. Post it notes are not the best idea either, for much the same reasons.
Then there are those labels, like name tags, that are super sticky and leave either residue or remnants on whatever they're stuck to. On the one hand, they'll prevent theft by tag switch. On the other, you'll have a frustrated customer who might not shop from you again. Which is worse?
I'm in the kind of place where I have to really be on guard against the tag-switchers, so I will usually tape my tags on, just to be safe. There are some things that I cannot do this with, of course, like delicately painted vintage items, but it works okay for me. I have a case of the tear by hand kind of packing tape that I got at an auction several years ago for dirt cheap. I'm still going through it, so my extra expense for taping is minimal. That kind of tape is just sticky enough, without being too sticky, so it works for most things. Using tape also lets me use some of the less adhesive kind of labels, so I buy labels by the handful at yard sales and the like, so I can get them cheaply.
When it comes to string tags, I will actually tie the string in a knot, rather than slipping it over itself into a loop, just for the extra security. String tags minimize the risk of damaging the items, but they definitely add an expense to the item. Buying in bulk minimizes the cost per tag.
I see a lot of newbie vendors using those labels they make for yard sales with the pre-printed price. The problem with those is that they're easy to remove and they have no room for a description. That description can make all the difference when it comes to making sure your items go out at the price you want for them. I try to be as thorough as I can when I describe things for that very reason. A rage that just says "Booth 7742" on it with just a .99 price is too inviting to some people. It might end up on another, more expensive item of yours, or even on someone else's item. It's impossible for mall staff to keep up with every item in every vendor's booth, so we have to do our part to minimize theft.
I know I'm making it sound like most vendor malls are just crawling with rip off artists, but it's really like most things in life. Ninety-five percent of the people you meet and know are good, decent folks just trying to make their way in life. It's the other 5% you have to watch out for and take all these extra steps for. Fortunately, I haven't had too much of a problem out of that 5%, in part because I work hard to prevent it.
Another option is writing on the item. I know plenty of vendors who price things with a big ole black Sharpie. I mean why not? It's quick, easy, efficient, hard to switch and doesn't really add to the cost of the item. It also involves WRITING ON THE ITEM! I know some of the vintage lovers out there have just fainted, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad idea, as long as you're selective about it. No paper. Nothing delicate or antique. No fine wood furniture. But putting .25 and your booth number on the bottom of a coffee mug? Go for it!
That does raise the issue of removal, but Sharpie isn't as permanent as people think. A little Windex, a Mr Clean Magic Eraser, or even a little soap and water can usually take care of it. Of course, those things can also damage certain finishes, but you shouldn't write on those finishes with Sharpies to begin with!
Speaking of writing on stuff, I am astounded at how long it too make to realize that I could lightly write the price in pencil on the inside of a book! Seriously, it was years before I realized that! That also works for most ephemera. At least for me. If an item is really delicate, I'll bag it before pricing.
So what happens if a tag comes off an item? Well, most malls won't sell the item, since they don't know whose it is or how much it is. What happens with it after that may vary from place to place, but should be spelled out in your contract or somewhere else. In our Peddlers Mall, it goes to a storage room that vendors are encouraged to check as often as they like. I try to check it at least once or twice a month. All items placed there are dated, and after thirty days, they become the property of the mall. Every couple of weeks or so, mall staff clean out items over thirty days old, mark them (usually really cheaply) and put them out for sale, with the money going to the store. I make it a point to check the booth where they put things frequently, because there are a lot of bargains to be found there. It can help make up for a weak yard sale weekend.
Again, all of this is spelled out in our contracts and vendors are frequently reminded to check the untagged room for their things. Surprisingly, many don't.
Of course, it goes without saying that your mileage is going to vary on this topic. How you price items depends on what you sell and where you sell them. Your own personal aesthetic plays a part too. I tend to view pricing as more of a practical thing I have to do to sell stuff, but I know that, for some folks, creating an attractive overall effect is important. It's all good, if it works for you.
So what about you? If you're selling in a mall or flea market, what do you use to price your items? How do you prevent tag-switching and theft? Any tips or advice to add? How do you feel about Sharpies? What does your store do with untagged items? Share your thoughts, etc in the comments.
If you're going to sell stuff, you have to have a way to affix something to it that lets a buyer know how much it costs. Sounds simple, right? For the most part, it is, but it can be a little more complicated than you would think.
Consider that you want to attach something to your item that will:
a. Clearly indicate the price of the item
b. Have enough room for you to write an item description
c. Adhere/attach firmly to the item in order to prevent tag-switching
d. Be easy for the purchaser to remove without damaging the item
e. Make it easy enough for the store cashier to do what they have to do, whether that be remove the tag or enter information into a database, in order to record the sale properly
f. Not cover or obscure any important markings or labels on the item
g. Not make it too difficult to make attractive displays in your booth
That's an awful lot to demand from one price tag!
In the early days of my booth, I generated price labels from a spreadsheet that I used to track items. It was a speedy way to create labels and also to minimize the number of times I was handling an item, but all the labels were address size, making it hard to use them for extremely small items.
Some stores, especially higher end antique markets, may have standards that your labels have to meet. Some even require that you use the store's own custom labels, which may be an extra expense for you. Labels in general will most likely be an extra expense, unless you have a huge stash/hoard of office supplies for some reason.
Then there are those labels, like name tags, that are super sticky and leave either residue or remnants on whatever they're stuck to. On the one hand, they'll prevent theft by tag switch. On the other, you'll have a frustrated customer who might not shop from you again. Which is worse?
I'm in the kind of place where I have to really be on guard against the tag-switchers, so I will usually tape my tags on, just to be safe. There are some things that I cannot do this with, of course, like delicately painted vintage items, but it works okay for me. I have a case of the tear by hand kind of packing tape that I got at an auction several years ago for dirt cheap. I'm still going through it, so my extra expense for taping is minimal. That kind of tape is just sticky enough, without being too sticky, so it works for most things. Using tape also lets me use some of the less adhesive kind of labels, so I buy labels by the handful at yard sales and the like, so I can get them cheaply.
When it comes to string tags, I will actually tie the string in a knot, rather than slipping it over itself into a loop, just for the extra security. String tags minimize the risk of damaging the items, but they definitely add an expense to the item. Buying in bulk minimizes the cost per tag.
I see a lot of newbie vendors using those labels they make for yard sales with the pre-printed price. The problem with those is that they're easy to remove and they have no room for a description. That description can make all the difference when it comes to making sure your items go out at the price you want for them. I try to be as thorough as I can when I describe things for that very reason. A rage that just says "Booth 7742" on it with just a .99 price is too inviting to some people. It might end up on another, more expensive item of yours, or even on someone else's item. It's impossible for mall staff to keep up with every item in every vendor's booth, so we have to do our part to minimize theft.
I know I'm making it sound like most vendor malls are just crawling with rip off artists, but it's really like most things in life. Ninety-five percent of the people you meet and know are good, decent folks just trying to make their way in life. It's the other 5% you have to watch out for and take all these extra steps for. Fortunately, I haven't had too much of a problem out of that 5%, in part because I work hard to prevent it.
Another option is writing on the item. I know plenty of vendors who price things with a big ole black Sharpie. I mean why not? It's quick, easy, efficient, hard to switch and doesn't really add to the cost of the item. It also involves WRITING ON THE ITEM! I know some of the vintage lovers out there have just fainted, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad idea, as long as you're selective about it. No paper. Nothing delicate or antique. No fine wood furniture. But putting .25 and your booth number on the bottom of a coffee mug? Go for it!
That does raise the issue of removal, but Sharpie isn't as permanent as people think. A little Windex, a Mr Clean Magic Eraser, or even a little soap and water can usually take care of it. Of course, those things can also damage certain finishes, but you shouldn't write on those finishes with Sharpies to begin with!
Speaking of writing on stuff, I am astounded at how long it too make to realize that I could lightly write the price in pencil on the inside of a book! Seriously, it was years before I realized that! That also works for most ephemera. At least for me. If an item is really delicate, I'll bag it before pricing.
So what happens if a tag comes off an item? Well, most malls won't sell the item, since they don't know whose it is or how much it is. What happens with it after that may vary from place to place, but should be spelled out in your contract or somewhere else. In our Peddlers Mall, it goes to a storage room that vendors are encouraged to check as often as they like. I try to check it at least once or twice a month. All items placed there are dated, and after thirty days, they become the property of the mall. Every couple of weeks or so, mall staff clean out items over thirty days old, mark them (usually really cheaply) and put them out for sale, with the money going to the store. I make it a point to check the booth where they put things frequently, because there are a lot of bargains to be found there. It can help make up for a weak yard sale weekend.
Again, all of this is spelled out in our contracts and vendors are frequently reminded to check the untagged room for their things. Surprisingly, many don't.
Of course, it goes without saying that your mileage is going to vary on this topic. How you price items depends on what you sell and where you sell them. Your own personal aesthetic plays a part too. I tend to view pricing as more of a practical thing I have to do to sell stuff, but I know that, for some folks, creating an attractive overall effect is important. It's all good, if it works for you.
So what about you? If you're selling in a mall or flea market, what do you use to price your items? How do you prevent tag-switching and theft? Any tips or advice to add? How do you feel about Sharpies? What does your store do with untagged items? Share your thoughts, etc in the comments.
Tuesday, July 08, 2014
Tales from the Pavement (Addendum)
For some reason, I left off my favorite story from the last Peddlers Mall sidewalk sale in my Tales from the Pavement post. That's what happens when you don't take notes or at least make a list before starting a blog. Oddly enough, it just kind of occurred to me the other night, just as I was falling asleep, that I had forgotten to include that story. Seriously. Just like that. Out of the blue. Several days after the post was published.
Sometimes, I think I'm just plain weird.
Anyway, since the story really does exemplify some truths about the junking business, it really needs to be told. Since I'm going way more low key this time around for the sidewalk sale, I may not have too many tales to share next week. So enjoy this late addition, just in case I end up having a boring run on Saturday.
I had this really ugly, beat-up microwave cart in my stuff at the sale. I hated the thing. It's the kind of thing I would never buy on my own and certainly not the kind of merchandise I want to have associated with my booth. The only reason I had it was because it was kind of forced upon me by my uncle when I was buying leftover stock from him. He had been using it to stack stuff on and didn't need it any more. It doesn't have to be pretty when you're just stacking stuff on it. It just has to be sturdy, and it certainly was that.
So he starts off trying to sell it to me for 2 bucks, and I pass. Then it becomes "free, if you want it." Still, I pass. Then it becomes, "Here, I'll carry this to the car for you." What could I do? He was determined to get rid of the thing and I was stuck with it.
I had marked it for a couple bucks and put it in the booth. There it sat. Out of place and in the way. Unwanted. Since it was still usable, I could not bring myself to throw it away. That violates my own personal junker code. I could have donated it, but I had kind of mixed feelings about that, since my uncle had given it to me. So I was stuck.
I hauled it down to the sidewalk sale, along with some other dud furniture, and priced it at a buck. I didn't have high hopes, but in the middle of the afternoon, a woman looked at it and yelled at me. She was asking if the price was correct. I told her it was and she got really excited. I mean really excited.
Her daughter needed a TV stand, and she was trying to help her out. She needed something cheap, but was having a hard time hitting yard sales because of her work hours. By the time she gets off on Saturday, they're mostly over. She carried on about that ugly microwave cart like it was some kind of antique treasure.
I was just happy the damn thing was gone. And I even got a dollar for it. Hell, I would have paid her the dollar to take it!
Sometimes, it really is true that one man's trash is someone else's treasure.
Sometimes, I think I'm just plain weird.
Anyway, since the story really does exemplify some truths about the junking business, it really needs to be told. Since I'm going way more low key this time around for the sidewalk sale, I may not have too many tales to share next week. So enjoy this late addition, just in case I end up having a boring run on Saturday.
I had this really ugly, beat-up microwave cart in my stuff at the sale. I hated the thing. It's the kind of thing I would never buy on my own and certainly not the kind of merchandise I want to have associated with my booth. The only reason I had it was because it was kind of forced upon me by my uncle when I was buying leftover stock from him. He had been using it to stack stuff on and didn't need it any more. It doesn't have to be pretty when you're just stacking stuff on it. It just has to be sturdy, and it certainly was that.
So he starts off trying to sell it to me for 2 bucks, and I pass. Then it becomes "free, if you want it." Still, I pass. Then it becomes, "Here, I'll carry this to the car for you." What could I do? He was determined to get rid of the thing and I was stuck with it.
I had marked it for a couple bucks and put it in the booth. There it sat. Out of place and in the way. Unwanted. Since it was still usable, I could not bring myself to throw it away. That violates my own personal junker code. I could have donated it, but I had kind of mixed feelings about that, since my uncle had given it to me. So I was stuck.
I hauled it down to the sidewalk sale, along with some other dud furniture, and priced it at a buck. I didn't have high hopes, but in the middle of the afternoon, a woman looked at it and yelled at me. She was asking if the price was correct. I told her it was and she got really excited. I mean really excited.
Her daughter needed a TV stand, and she was trying to help her out. She needed something cheap, but was having a hard time hitting yard sales because of her work hours. By the time she gets off on Saturday, they're mostly over. She carried on about that ugly microwave cart like it was some kind of antique treasure.
I was just happy the damn thing was gone. And I even got a dollar for it. Hell, I would have paid her the dollar to take it!
Sometimes, it really is true that one man's trash is someone else's treasure.
Monday, July 07, 2014
Monday Rambles
It's been a long time since I had to recover physically from a holiday weekend, but the 4th of July kind of did me in. We went camping in a nearby forest. For me, it was the first camping trip since before my surgery and chemo. Keith goes frequently during the summer, but I can't usually go due to yard sales and such. I decided to go for one night this weekend, since there weren't many sales on tap for the holiday weekend. Keith gave up most of his camping trips while I was sick, so I thought I should put in at least one night for him.
It was fun and very peaceful in the woods, but I got very little sleep that night. Our air mattress started leaking! One minute everything is fine, and the next, I'm thinking "My butt is touching the ground. Now my back is touching the ground. Now I'm on the freaking ground."
I couldn't deal with sleeping on the ground, so I tried to sleep in the van, with no luck. Both situations just exacerbated the sleeping issues I was already having from not using my CPAP machine in the woods.
I was going home after one night anyway, so I stayed up for most of the evening. When I got home, I totally crashed out for hours! I am such a wimp.
I'm heading back to work today for three days this week and thee days next week. The week after that, my full regular schedule starts back, which is good. I'm not used to being this tight on funds in the middle of yard sale season. I am just about out of furniture at the booth and need to restock desperately. I want another record month! (I think this is how capitalist greed gets started.)
I went to the last day at the thrift store that was closing and was really disappointed. They had been regularly putting out new stuff all this time, and then stopped for the last week. It was all dregs and crap. I did find a few things, but not as much as I really expected.
I went to the big flea on Sunday. To avoid the parking fee, I used a free Lyft ride to get there, then Keith picked me up at the end. Usually Keith picks me up and drops me off, but he was still in the woods. It screws with the prices of things too much when you start factoring in the parking costs, so I try to avoid it if I can.
The big buy there was a huge box of old religious books and pamphlets for seven bucks. There is a regular dealer who sells the leftovers from his storage unit buy-outs for a buck a pop. After the furniture and appliances and the like are sold off, there's almost always tons of small stuff left in a locker. Most folks who buy lockers will sell that stuff cheap, knowing that they'll make a ton of money on sheer volume. They've made their profit on the big stuff, and the little crap is just gravy.
There are a couple of locker buyers at the Peddlers Mall, and I shop from them all the time. They have good stuff cheap, and I have plenty of room to turn it over and turn a profit. So, I like this kind of deal. You just have to be careful and inspect everything carefully. Most of it has not been packed really well, so there are lots of chips and cracks.
Anyway, I was not about to pay a buck a piece for the stuff in this box. There was over 100 items in there! So I asked him what his best price would be. I was expecting him to say ten bucks and was planning to counter with five, so that we could end up at seven. I kind of think he was thinking along the same lines, because he just said: "How about seven bucks?" I like it when we can cut the bullshit and get right to a price we can both live with! I still need to go through the box all the way, but there are a few things I'm going to scan for the blog.
I also had a long talk with another dealer about the ins and outs of reading condition comics vs. collectible condition comics and made a nice score on some small items that might show up here this week, if I get a chance to take some pics/
I sold a table over the weekend at the booth, so that means it's time for a rearrange this afternoon. This weekend is another sidewalk sale at the Peddlers Mall, in celebration of the store's 5th anniversary at its current location. I've not decided what I'm going to do yet, but I'm leaning towards blowing out some old stock at 25 and 50 cents a throw.
I'm having a bit of a writer's block when it comes to larger posts right now. I can throw together some things pretty quickly, but I have some ideas brewing for several longer posts that just can't seem to get off the starting point. Everything is fine in my head, but when I sit down to put words on screen, nothing comes out. I hope it's temporary.
It was fun and very peaceful in the woods, but I got very little sleep that night. Our air mattress started leaking! One minute everything is fine, and the next, I'm thinking "My butt is touching the ground. Now my back is touching the ground. Now I'm on the freaking ground."
I couldn't deal with sleeping on the ground, so I tried to sleep in the van, with no luck. Both situations just exacerbated the sleeping issues I was already having from not using my CPAP machine in the woods.
I was going home after one night anyway, so I stayed up for most of the evening. When I got home, I totally crashed out for hours! I am such a wimp.
I'm heading back to work today for three days this week and thee days next week. The week after that, my full regular schedule starts back, which is good. I'm not used to being this tight on funds in the middle of yard sale season. I am just about out of furniture at the booth and need to restock desperately. I want another record month! (I think this is how capitalist greed gets started.)
I went to the last day at the thrift store that was closing and was really disappointed. They had been regularly putting out new stuff all this time, and then stopped for the last week. It was all dregs and crap. I did find a few things, but not as much as I really expected.
I went to the big flea on Sunday. To avoid the parking fee, I used a free Lyft ride to get there, then Keith picked me up at the end. Usually Keith picks me up and drops me off, but he was still in the woods. It screws with the prices of things too much when you start factoring in the parking costs, so I try to avoid it if I can.
The big buy there was a huge box of old religious books and pamphlets for seven bucks. There is a regular dealer who sells the leftovers from his storage unit buy-outs for a buck a pop. After the furniture and appliances and the like are sold off, there's almost always tons of small stuff left in a locker. Most folks who buy lockers will sell that stuff cheap, knowing that they'll make a ton of money on sheer volume. They've made their profit on the big stuff, and the little crap is just gravy.
There are a couple of locker buyers at the Peddlers Mall, and I shop from them all the time. They have good stuff cheap, and I have plenty of room to turn it over and turn a profit. So, I like this kind of deal. You just have to be careful and inspect everything carefully. Most of it has not been packed really well, so there are lots of chips and cracks.
Anyway, I was not about to pay a buck a piece for the stuff in this box. There was over 100 items in there! So I asked him what his best price would be. I was expecting him to say ten bucks and was planning to counter with five, so that we could end up at seven. I kind of think he was thinking along the same lines, because he just said: "How about seven bucks?" I like it when we can cut the bullshit and get right to a price we can both live with! I still need to go through the box all the way, but there are a few things I'm going to scan for the blog.
I also had a long talk with another dealer about the ins and outs of reading condition comics vs. collectible condition comics and made a nice score on some small items that might show up here this week, if I get a chance to take some pics/
I sold a table over the weekend at the booth, so that means it's time for a rearrange this afternoon. This weekend is another sidewalk sale at the Peddlers Mall, in celebration of the store's 5th anniversary at its current location. I've not decided what I'm going to do yet, but I'm leaning towards blowing out some old stock at 25 and 50 cents a throw.
I'm having a bit of a writer's block when it comes to larger posts right now. I can throw together some things pretty quickly, but I have some ideas brewing for several longer posts that just can't seem to get off the starting point. Everything is fine in my head, but when I sit down to put words on screen, nothing comes out. I hope it's temporary.
Saturday, July 05, 2014
Friday, July 04, 2014
We're Sorry!
The blog you have tried to reach is unavailable at the moment. If you'll leave a message with the hairy guy with the trident, he'll make sure someone gets back with you as soon as possible.
In the meantime, have a nice 4th of July and a super weekend!
PS Does anyone know anything about these little guys? They are cute as hell, but there's no sticker or other indication of who the manufacturer might be.
In the meantime, have a nice 4th of July and a super weekend!
PS Does anyone know anything about these little guys? They are cute as hell, but there's no sticker or other indication of who the manufacturer might be.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Monday Rambles
Drumroll, please!
We have a new record! I had my total highest booth sales ever in June, 2014! Despite the summer doldrums, somehow I managed to sell into the
for the first time ever!
I've gotten into the upper threes quite a bit over the years, but have never broken that four digit mark, until now. I'm still shaking over it, honestly.
Now this is gross sales, before the rent and commission comes out. My check will be considerably less, but will still be one of the biggest I have gotten. I've always felt that I needed to grow my gross sales to a certain level, then work on the net, which is really just growing the gross some more, but don't spoil my convoluted business theories.
Actually, one of my goals for my sales was to be in four digit gross by the end of 2014. Since I had to take additional space to accommodate a store closing, I figured that I needed to make it pay. I just didn't expect it would start so soon. I've only been operating at my current level for two months, after all.
The challenge now is sustainability. It doesn't do me any good if this is a one time event. No resting on the laurels here! I have to start working on my next goal: the four digit net. I've set a deadline for that one of December 2015. We'll see.
I just can't believe I wasted all that time trying to have booths in other stores where it clearly wasn't working. I thought that was the only way to grow my sales totals. If I had spent the two years I wasted doing that on growing my base at the Peddlers Mall, I could have hit this level a long time ago!
Ah, hindsight!
Moving on to other topics:
I am off work this week. Today is a stay at home and play day. Or rather rest a bit. Clean a bit. Organize the shed a bit. And maybe read some comics a bit. Tomorrow is junking with my uncle and work on the booth day. Wednesday is more booth day. And Thursday will be about organizing my storage at the booth. Friday, I'll probably chill and eat chili dogs. (See what I did there?) Saturday is closing day at the thrift downstairs from the booth, so I'll make a stop there. Won't be much yard sale action, anyway. Sunday, I'll go the big flea.
And then next Monday, I'll return to work, so I can get a little rest!
Actually, my work hours are weird right now. Even though summer has officially just begun, our summer session is over. When I go back to work, it will be on severely reduced hours--about half my usual total. That goes on for two weeks and then we start back on regular sessions (ie the "fall schedule") on July 21.
No Mazda shot this week. Wasn't really that full. No drama in a piddly Mazda load. I'll have some finds picks later in the week. My main stop was an estate sale run by my favorite company. I would have been there regardless, but they also had comics! Yay!
Finally, I word about that double post on Saturday. I was trying to save that glamour shot for this Tuesday and thought I was scheduling it for then. Instead, I accidentally set it up for last Tuesday. (Does senility start at 49?) I didn't realize it until your comments started showing up in my email. Since it had already hit your feeds, the surprise was spoiled, so I didn't want to take it down and re-post it on Tuesday, so I just moved it to Saturday, for the sake of smooth posting continuity. I was also afraid that someone might think it was an old post if I left it on the 24th and not see it. What is the point of getting dressed up in your tropical finery if people don't get to see it because of a silly techno-user glitch?
Have a good week!
We have a new record! I had my total highest booth sales ever in June, 2014! Despite the summer doldrums, somehow I managed to sell into the
LOW FOUR DIGITS
for the first time ever!
I've gotten into the upper threes quite a bit over the years, but have never broken that four digit mark, until now. I'm still shaking over it, honestly.
Now this is gross sales, before the rent and commission comes out. My check will be considerably less, but will still be one of the biggest I have gotten. I've always felt that I needed to grow my gross sales to a certain level, then work on the net, which is really just growing the gross some more, but don't spoil my convoluted business theories.
Actually, one of my goals for my sales was to be in four digit gross by the end of 2014. Since I had to take additional space to accommodate a store closing, I figured that I needed to make it pay. I just didn't expect it would start so soon. I've only been operating at my current level for two months, after all.
The challenge now is sustainability. It doesn't do me any good if this is a one time event. No resting on the laurels here! I have to start working on my next goal: the four digit net. I've set a deadline for that one of December 2015. We'll see.
I just can't believe I wasted all that time trying to have booths in other stores where it clearly wasn't working. I thought that was the only way to grow my sales totals. If I had spent the two years I wasted doing that on growing my base at the Peddlers Mall, I could have hit this level a long time ago!
Ah, hindsight!
Moving on to other topics:
I am off work this week. Today is a stay at home and play day. Or rather rest a bit. Clean a bit. Organize the shed a bit. And maybe read some comics a bit. Tomorrow is junking with my uncle and work on the booth day. Wednesday is more booth day. And Thursday will be about organizing my storage at the booth. Friday, I'll probably chill and eat chili dogs. (See what I did there?) Saturday is closing day at the thrift downstairs from the booth, so I'll make a stop there. Won't be much yard sale action, anyway. Sunday, I'll go the big flea.
And then next Monday, I'll return to work, so I can get a little rest!
Actually, my work hours are weird right now. Even though summer has officially just begun, our summer session is over. When I go back to work, it will be on severely reduced hours--about half my usual total. That goes on for two weeks and then we start back on regular sessions (ie the "fall schedule") on July 21.
No Mazda shot this week. Wasn't really that full. No drama in a piddly Mazda load. I'll have some finds picks later in the week. My main stop was an estate sale run by my favorite company. I would have been there regardless, but they also had comics! Yay!
Finally, I word about that double post on Saturday. I was trying to save that glamour shot for this Tuesday and thought I was scheduling it for then. Instead, I accidentally set it up for last Tuesday. (Does senility start at 49?) I didn't realize it until your comments started showing up in my email. Since it had already hit your feeds, the surprise was spoiled, so I didn't want to take it down and re-post it on Tuesday, so I just moved it to Saturday, for the sake of smooth posting continuity. I was also afraid that someone might think it was an old post if I left it on the 24th and not see it. What is the point of getting dressed up in your tropical finery if people don't get to see it because of a silly techno-user glitch?
Have a good week!
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Tales from the Pavement
As last week's sidewalk sale fades into happy memory and preparations start for the next one (July 12 if anyone happens to be in the area), the time has come to share the stories from the sale. Anything that involves people, money, and bargains will inevitably create stories. Stories, by their very nature, were meant to be shared, so pull up a seat, grab your favorite beverage and read along, as I recount these "Tales from the Pavement" for June 21, 2014. (A sidewalk is a pavement. Get it?) I'll be telling these Clamco style, with headers and dividers.
I know that every good tale is enhanced by pictures, but I was so busy all day long that I had no chance to take any. It's hard to run the whole show by yourself and photo document everything all at the same time.
IF YOU HAD A HAT LIKE THAT ON
Very early on, I had an attempted shoplifting--of a very ugly straw hat. A hat so tacky that I had not even priced it. I would not even let it sit on the tables with the other goods. It was that bad. I laid it underneath one of the tables, intending to move it up to the top if something else sold and made room for it.
I was helping a couple of ladies when another woman came along, scooped up the hat, put it on, and started walking off with it. I didn't even notice, but one of the ladies I was helping did. She started yelling. "You better get over here and pay that man for his hat!" She was really loud, to boot.
Since she'd been caught, the woman kind of sheepishly sidled over to me and gave me fifty cents, which was honestly 25 cents more than I would have charged for the ugly thing. Seriously, that's what you want to steal?
SO THAT'S WHAT IT IS
Another woman and her daughter were going through a stack of enamelware pot lids. She ended up buying all I had, but when she got to one that was in really rough shape, her daughter said: "Mama. That one's all beat up!" Her reply? "Baby, that's what makes it primitive!"
ALONG FOR THE RIDE
There was this older couple who kept coming back to my tables over and over again. She'd pick up a couple of items, and we would negotiate a price. She'd pay me, then hand them to him, and he would start walking off to the car to put them away. After about the fourth or fifth round of this, he looked at me and said: "She's in charge. I'm just along for the ride." I could tell they had been following that same routine for many years together.
OF COURSE THERE WERE KIDS
By now, you should know what a kick I get out of kids at sales. (Well, not the ones that make messes and break things, but we didn't have any of those this time around.) This little boy and his mom picked up a toy off the table that was marked a dollar. They talked back and forth for a minute, then he came and asked me, with a very serious look on his face, if I would take 90 cents for it. I don't know if that was all the money he had or if that was all he could get from his mother, but it kind of tickled me a little. I mean he was so serious about it! Then he opens his palm and shows me his 90 cents. I took two quarters out of his hand and told him I would make him a really good deal on it.
SOMETIMES I AM NOT A GOOD PERSON
I got one of those types through in the afternoon. You know. Someone who is always right about everything and knows everything and is going to tell everyone all about it. For the most part, I ignored him. He kept passing through my area, but showing no interest in anything other than himself and his own opinions about stuff. How he'd do this. How he'd do that. Blah. Blah. Blah. (by the way, he'd never just sit around on a Saturday trying to sell stuff. He said so.)
Finally, he picked up an item out of a box that was marked "$2 for all" and offered me $3 for it.
I took the three dollars without a word. Who am I to correct someone who knows how everything is supposed to be?
Plus, it made him go away!
I can be evil when you annoy me too much.
I know that every good tale is enhanced by pictures, but I was so busy all day long that I had no chance to take any. It's hard to run the whole show by yourself and photo document everything all at the same time.
IF YOU HAD A HAT LIKE THAT ON
Very early on, I had an attempted shoplifting--of a very ugly straw hat. A hat so tacky that I had not even priced it. I would not even let it sit on the tables with the other goods. It was that bad. I laid it underneath one of the tables, intending to move it up to the top if something else sold and made room for it.
I was helping a couple of ladies when another woman came along, scooped up the hat, put it on, and started walking off with it. I didn't even notice, but one of the ladies I was helping did. She started yelling. "You better get over here and pay that man for his hat!" She was really loud, to boot.
Since she'd been caught, the woman kind of sheepishly sidled over to me and gave me fifty cents, which was honestly 25 cents more than I would have charged for the ugly thing. Seriously, that's what you want to steal?
SO THAT'S WHAT IT IS
Another woman and her daughter were going through a stack of enamelware pot lids. She ended up buying all I had, but when she got to one that was in really rough shape, her daughter said: "Mama. That one's all beat up!" Her reply? "Baby, that's what makes it primitive!"
ALONG FOR THE RIDE
There was this older couple who kept coming back to my tables over and over again. She'd pick up a couple of items, and we would negotiate a price. She'd pay me, then hand them to him, and he would start walking off to the car to put them away. After about the fourth or fifth round of this, he looked at me and said: "She's in charge. I'm just along for the ride." I could tell they had been following that same routine for many years together.
OF COURSE THERE WERE KIDS
By now, you should know what a kick I get out of kids at sales. (Well, not the ones that make messes and break things, but we didn't have any of those this time around.) This little boy and his mom picked up a toy off the table that was marked a dollar. They talked back and forth for a minute, then he came and asked me, with a very serious look on his face, if I would take 90 cents for it. I don't know if that was all the money he had or if that was all he could get from his mother, but it kind of tickled me a little. I mean he was so serious about it! Then he opens his palm and shows me his 90 cents. I took two quarters out of his hand and told him I would make him a really good deal on it.
SOMETIMES I AM NOT A GOOD PERSON
I got one of those types through in the afternoon. You know. Someone who is always right about everything and knows everything and is going to tell everyone all about it. For the most part, I ignored him. He kept passing through my area, but showing no interest in anything other than himself and his own opinions about stuff. How he'd do this. How he'd do that. Blah. Blah. Blah. (by the way, he'd never just sit around on a Saturday trying to sell stuff. He said so.)
Finally, he picked up an item out of a box that was marked "$2 for all" and offered me $3 for it.
I took the three dollars without a word. Who am I to correct someone who knows how everything is supposed to be?
Plus, it made him go away!
I can be evil when you annoy me too much.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
I told you all
That I could totally rock a coconut bra.
From the sidewalk sale at the Peddlers Mall. It was luau-themed. The theme for the next one is circus/carnival. Not sure if I'll wear anything yet. It might be pretty hot.
PS The coconut bra is now for sale at my booth.
From the sidewalk sale at the Peddlers Mall. It was luau-themed. The theme for the next one is circus/carnival. Not sure if I'll wear anything yet. It might be pretty hot.
PS The coconut bra is now for sale at my booth.
Friday, June 27, 2014
How to sell something
About ten years ago, I was planning a vacation to San Francisco to attend APE. I had saved some money, done some extra house-sitting, and cashed a couple of savings bonds, all in an effort to scrape up some extra money for the trip.
A couple of weeks before leaving, I cleaned out my closets, comic book collection, CD's, and bookshelves and loaded up the car with stuff, which I took around town to sell. This is ages before I ever even thought about having a booth, so I hit every place I knew that would buy stuff. A few stops later, I had 500 more dollars for the trip!
I didn't sell everything, but I sold most of it. The big money came from the comic shop, because I selected what I wanted to sell very carefully, picking things I knew they would want. The other stuff was more of a shot in the dark. Two bookstores bought a few things, but I learned that one of them really preferred hardcovers. Most of the books ended up going to Half-Price Books, which doesn't pay that much, but I had enough of a quantity (along with comic books that I knew the comic store wouldn't want and leftover CD's) that I got a decent payout from them. I would never go to HPB to make serious bank, but they're great for squeezing a few bucks out of your leftovers.
I learned a few things about selling stuff along the way, and, even though things have changed a bit since then (namely the economy), most of those lessons still hold. When I started reselling seriously five years ago, I also started picking up more tidbits about selling that I added to the list. When you've got a booth or do eBay or whatever, you eventually become a target from someone with a few boxes or a basement or garage full of stuff to sell. Since I've already talked about how not sell something, I thought I would balance it out with something a bit more positive, so here are some ideas and points to help sell your stuff.
We are going to assume, for brevity's sake, that you are going to be dealing with a reasonable and fair reseller/dealer. Most of us are. For every asshole, there are dozens of us who treat people with respect and integrity. If you need help finding the right people to work with, ask around. If you do find yourself in a bad experience, walk away from it. A better one is probably just around the corner. You should be treated with respect and decency. If you are working with one vendor, but you cannot seem to come to terms, ask them who else you could take your stuff to.
You are trying to make a business transaction. Remember that and act accordingly. This means pushiness is OUT. Politeness is IN. If you want to do this kind of thing regularly, you need connections (relationships). Someone who has already had an unpleasant encounter with you will not be so willing to deal with you again. Even if no sale results, treat the encounter as an opportunity to build a relationship and learn about your prospective buyer and what you could do to make the transaction go better next time.
The person you are dealing with probably knows more than you. They may or may not know more about your items, but they definitely know a lot of things you don't know:
I once watched a guy coming back to a store at the end of the day to try and accept an offer he had rejected that morning. He had driven his stuff all over town trying to get the better offer he knew was out there. Turns out the one he had rejected was the best one he got all day. The first words out of his mouth were: "You all were right." The next thing he said was: "I am so sick of trying to sell these damn things."
It's not personal. Your buyer is making a decision based on your item, not you personally. If you take it personally or get offended, then they will most definitely make their next decision about dealing with you a negative one.
You are dealing with someone who does what they do to make money. If you come in expecting top dollar, you're probably not going to get it. If they pay you the top of the line price, then there is no room for them to make any money. If they cannot see making money, then they won't buy. We all like the things we sell, but profit is what keeps us in business. Don't begrudge your buyer their livelihood.
Know who you are dealing with. If you are dealing with a store, call and find out when and how they buy. Some only see items by appointment. Others may not be interested in certain items. You might have to drop things off and come back for an offer. (Be sure to keep a list of your items if you do this.) If you are consigning, know the policies, especially the timeframes for an item to sell. Also, if you are dealing with a business, they may ask for ID or have you complete paperwork verifying that the items you are selling are yours to sell. (I don't have the space here to tell you the stories about why this step is necessary.)
If you are selling to someone with a booth somewhere, check out their space and see what they sell. If you are not offering the kinds of items they are selling, they're probably not going to buy from you. Nothing annoys me more than someone wanting to sell me clothing while talking to me at my booth, where there is no clothing in sight!
Have a realistic price in mind for your items. One of the first things I ask someone trying to sell me stuff is: "What do you want for it?" Most, if not all, resellers do this as a way to gauge what the seller is thinking and how the deal might go. If the response is: "What will you give me?" then that's a sign things might not go well. You're entering a negotiation. Come prepared. The person you're trying to sell to is giving you a chance to own the negotiation. Don't blow it. If you leave all control in their hands, then there's a higher chance you are going to feel disappointed with the deal. Remember, you want to build a relationship here so you can do this again. You do that by actively participating.
You need to have a realistic (more on that in a minute) opening price and a bottom line price in mind. You may not always get your opening price, but you need to know how low you are willing to go before it becomes not worth it to you. You're trying to make some money too.
No one is going to reach into their pocket and give you some other seller's eBay asking price. My response to people wanting the eBay money is to put the stuff on eBay. Do that work. I am not your substitute online auction. I know what I can get for an item in my limited market, which is a flea market in Louisville, KY. It's most likely a lot less than what someone can get in a global market like eBay. You have to be able to see that difference. If you can't, you're going to be frustrated and disappointed.
Do your homework, but be smart about it. Despite what I just said, there's nothing wrong with you looking things up online to start forming your price ideas. Just do it smart. If you go to the first auction you find and decide that what that person is asking will be your price, you've cut a corner that will bite you in the butt.
For my money, a good online search:
Examine your connection to what you are trying to sell, both current and future. If you have any attachment to an item that is going to make you regret selling it for any price or feel guilty if you don't get top dollar for it, the DON'T SELL IT! You're not going to be able to think clearly enough about it to negotiate.
If, on the other hand, it's some stuff you picked up at a house clean out, you also need to think about what you're going to do with it if it doesn't sell. Do you really want to keep hauling it around or leave it sitting in the garage? That needs to be a factor in your negotiating.
If you're dealing with a large lot of stuff you want to sell all together, the more organized you are, the better! When a dealer looks at a room full of boxes and crap, they immediately start deducting money from their offer based on how much work they are going to have to do to get everything moved out, cleaned up, sorted through and sellable. Lots of us run one-person shows.
If you have cleaned out the trash/broken stuff/dirty stuff/nasty stuff and maybe arranged things in a little bit of order, you've lessened the load on your buyer and they'll see that. If you just want to make it all go and have someone do the work, that's fine. Just know that the offer you get will reflect all the work the buyer is going to have to do.
It's okay to stand up for yourself and negotiate. Nothing I am saying here should be construed as you doing everything the buyer wants, taking what they offer and getting the hell out of Dodge. I'm talking about creating a win-win for both you and the person you want to sell to. You want stuff gone and to make a little dough. They want to be able to make a little dough off what they buy. You can both do this, plus have the kind of experience that guarantees repeat deals, with a little awareness and respect.
How do you make this happen?
I know people who make their reselling money by reselling solely to other resellers. I've done my fair share of it in the past. Even if you only have that one load of Mama's dishes to deal with at the moment, you never know what the future may hold. What if you end up as sole inheritor of Uncle Pembert the Horder's mobile home of stuff?
A couple of weeks before leaving, I cleaned out my closets, comic book collection, CD's, and bookshelves and loaded up the car with stuff, which I took around town to sell. This is ages before I ever even thought about having a booth, so I hit every place I knew that would buy stuff. A few stops later, I had 500 more dollars for the trip!
I didn't sell everything, but I sold most of it. The big money came from the comic shop, because I selected what I wanted to sell very carefully, picking things I knew they would want. The other stuff was more of a shot in the dark. Two bookstores bought a few things, but I learned that one of them really preferred hardcovers. Most of the books ended up going to Half-Price Books, which doesn't pay that much, but I had enough of a quantity (along with comic books that I knew the comic store wouldn't want and leftover CD's) that I got a decent payout from them. I would never go to HPB to make serious bank, but they're great for squeezing a few bucks out of your leftovers.
I learned a few things about selling stuff along the way, and, even though things have changed a bit since then (namely the economy), most of those lessons still hold. When I started reselling seriously five years ago, I also started picking up more tidbits about selling that I added to the list. When you've got a booth or do eBay or whatever, you eventually become a target from someone with a few boxes or a basement or garage full of stuff to sell. Since I've already talked about how not sell something, I thought I would balance it out with something a bit more positive, so here are some ideas and points to help sell your stuff.
We are going to assume, for brevity's sake, that you are going to be dealing with a reasonable and fair reseller/dealer. Most of us are. For every asshole, there are dozens of us who treat people with respect and integrity. If you need help finding the right people to work with, ask around. If you do find yourself in a bad experience, walk away from it. A better one is probably just around the corner. You should be treated with respect and decency. If you are working with one vendor, but you cannot seem to come to terms, ask them who else you could take your stuff to.
You are trying to make a business transaction. Remember that and act accordingly. This means pushiness is OUT. Politeness is IN. If you want to do this kind of thing regularly, you need connections (relationships). Someone who has already had an unpleasant encounter with you will not be so willing to deal with you again. Even if no sale results, treat the encounter as an opportunity to build a relationship and learn about your prospective buyer and what you could do to make the transaction go better next time.
The person you are dealing with probably knows more than you. They may or may not know more about your items, but they definitely know a lot of things you don't know:
- How well this type of item has sold for them in the past
- How many they may have in stock or in reserve at this moment
- How appropriate your item is for their venue
- What the market is for this type of item
- How much they can get for your item
- What their expenses will be in selling your item
I once watched a guy coming back to a store at the end of the day to try and accept an offer he had rejected that morning. He had driven his stuff all over town trying to get the better offer he knew was out there. Turns out the one he had rejected was the best one he got all day. The first words out of his mouth were: "You all were right." The next thing he said was: "I am so sick of trying to sell these damn things."
It's not personal. Your buyer is making a decision based on your item, not you personally. If you take it personally or get offended, then they will most definitely make their next decision about dealing with you a negative one.
You are dealing with someone who does what they do to make money. If you come in expecting top dollar, you're probably not going to get it. If they pay you the top of the line price, then there is no room for them to make any money. If they cannot see making money, then they won't buy. We all like the things we sell, but profit is what keeps us in business. Don't begrudge your buyer their livelihood.
Know who you are dealing with. If you are dealing with a store, call and find out when and how they buy. Some only see items by appointment. Others may not be interested in certain items. You might have to drop things off and come back for an offer. (Be sure to keep a list of your items if you do this.) If you are consigning, know the policies, especially the timeframes for an item to sell. Also, if you are dealing with a business, they may ask for ID or have you complete paperwork verifying that the items you are selling are yours to sell. (I don't have the space here to tell you the stories about why this step is necessary.)
If you are selling to someone with a booth somewhere, check out their space and see what they sell. If you are not offering the kinds of items they are selling, they're probably not going to buy from you. Nothing annoys me more than someone wanting to sell me clothing while talking to me at my booth, where there is no clothing in sight!
Have a realistic price in mind for your items. One of the first things I ask someone trying to sell me stuff is: "What do you want for it?" Most, if not all, resellers do this as a way to gauge what the seller is thinking and how the deal might go. If the response is: "What will you give me?" then that's a sign things might not go well. You're entering a negotiation. Come prepared. The person you're trying to sell to is giving you a chance to own the negotiation. Don't blow it. If you leave all control in their hands, then there's a higher chance you are going to feel disappointed with the deal. Remember, you want to build a relationship here so you can do this again. You do that by actively participating.
You need to have a realistic (more on that in a minute) opening price and a bottom line price in mind. You may not always get your opening price, but you need to know how low you are willing to go before it becomes not worth it to you. You're trying to make some money too.
No one is going to reach into their pocket and give you some other seller's eBay asking price. My response to people wanting the eBay money is to put the stuff on eBay. Do that work. I am not your substitute online auction. I know what I can get for an item in my limited market, which is a flea market in Louisville, KY. It's most likely a lot less than what someone can get in a global market like eBay. You have to be able to see that difference. If you can't, you're going to be frustrated and disappointed.
Do your homework, but be smart about it. Despite what I just said, there's nothing wrong with you looking things up online to start forming your price ideas. Just do it smart. If you go to the first auction you find and decide that what that person is asking will be your price, you've cut a corner that will bite you in the butt.
For my money, a good online search:
- Knows the difference between a completed auction with an ending price and one that someone just put up with no bids. (If you do not know how to look up completed/sold items on eBay, GET SOMEONE TO SHOW YOU!)
- Looks at sales over a period, rather than one or two auctions
- Looks for sales patterns
- Compares the items in the sales to the ones you have
- Checks for condition
- Looks at other sites besides eBay--especially collector's clubs, which may have information about rarity and history
- Takes sellers asking prices with a HUGE grain of salt
- Knows that you cannot find completed sales on sites like etsy and Amazon
Examine your connection to what you are trying to sell, both current and future. If you have any attachment to an item that is going to make you regret selling it for any price or feel guilty if you don't get top dollar for it, the DON'T SELL IT! You're not going to be able to think clearly enough about it to negotiate.
If, on the other hand, it's some stuff you picked up at a house clean out, you also need to think about what you're going to do with it if it doesn't sell. Do you really want to keep hauling it around or leave it sitting in the garage? That needs to be a factor in your negotiating.
If you're dealing with a large lot of stuff you want to sell all together, the more organized you are, the better! When a dealer looks at a room full of boxes and crap, they immediately start deducting money from their offer based on how much work they are going to have to do to get everything moved out, cleaned up, sorted through and sellable. Lots of us run one-person shows.
If you have cleaned out the trash/broken stuff/dirty stuff/nasty stuff and maybe arranged things in a little bit of order, you've lessened the load on your buyer and they'll see that. If you just want to make it all go and have someone do the work, that's fine. Just know that the offer you get will reflect all the work the buyer is going to have to do.
It's okay to stand up for yourself and negotiate. Nothing I am saying here should be construed as you doing everything the buyer wants, taking what they offer and getting the hell out of Dodge. I'm talking about creating a win-win for both you and the person you want to sell to. You want stuff gone and to make a little dough. They want to be able to make a little dough off what they buy. You can both do this, plus have the kind of experience that guarantees repeat deals, with a little awareness and respect.
How do you make this happen?
- Respect and politeness
- Listen to each other
- Play fair
- Be reasonable
- Do your homework
- Have your shit together
- In other words, everything I've been saying this whole post!
I know people who make their reselling money by reselling solely to other resellers. I've done my fair share of it in the past. Even if you only have that one load of Mama's dishes to deal with at the moment, you never know what the future may hold. What if you end up as sole inheritor of Uncle Pembert the Horder's mobile home of stuff?
Thursday, June 26, 2014
Cancel the Alert!
Great Big Bertha has been found!
Turns out she's been in the Peddlers Mall this whole time.
Recall the search party!
Call off the hunt!
Cancel the posse!
Put the bloodhounds back in the pen!
Unsaddle the horses!
Cancel the posse!
Put the bloodhounds back in the pen!
Unsaddle the horses!
And someone tell Long Tom to bring his credit card.
She's been shopping!
(For goodness' sake, don't forget to call Lulabelle!
She's been worried sick!)
(For goodness' sake, don't forget to call Lulabelle!
She's been worried sick!)
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Well, okay then...
Nothing wrong with being polite.
Hello Robotz!
(Geez. I hope they're friendly robots and not the kind that want to take over the world and wipe out humanity. Politeness is one thing, but I really don't like that kind of robot.)
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
When thrifts close...
...Junkers cry.....
.....But only until the Going Out of Business Sale starts!
The thrift downstairs from the Peddlers Mall starting a going out of business sale last week. Kind of took everyone by surprise. The story seems to be changing daily, but as of now, their last day will be July 5. I am expecting a biiiiiiig markdown blowout over 4th of July!
I've always thought that Louisville is thrift poor for a city of its size, so losing another one kind of bums me out. This one was extremely convenient for me and had frequent sales. On non-sale days, their prices could be a little iffy, but the selection was always super-fab. I'm going to pick up a couple of shirts for me next week some time.
I stopped into get the lay of the land (and check out the sale) right after they made their announcement last week. The prices are awesome! Staff are on a mad tear to clean out their over-stuffed stock room, so they are making all kinds of lots and sets, which is something that they never did before.
For example, I got ten of these in a set:
That's the 12 apostles on the left and St Michael the Archangel on the right. He's my patron saint, since my first name is Michael. Those are Monastery Icons, which are high quality religious images, some of the best that you can purchase. In my set there were all four Evangelists, the Archangels, plus this group Apostles piece and Mary Magdalene. Nice stuff. Even nicer price.
Whoever previously owned these was seriously devoted. On the back of each icon, they wrote the feast date for the saint depicted.
I also got this great big martini glass:
Another clothespin for the collection:
An example of corporate sponsorship gone too far?
Lastly, a cool Indian trophy.
That sucker is solid metal and very heavy. It's the kind of thing that makes me think: "This would make a perfect murder weapon in an Agatha Christie novel."
I think it's got a really cool look. It some kind of advertising award for Brown-Forman from the 80's. I'm leaving it as is for the moment, since the local BF connection might help it sell, but I think I could pretty easily remove the chief from the base and sell it that way, if I have to.
Stay tuned for more as we get closer to the closing date.
.....But only until the Going Out of Business Sale starts!
The thrift downstairs from the Peddlers Mall starting a going out of business sale last week. Kind of took everyone by surprise. The story seems to be changing daily, but as of now, their last day will be July 5. I am expecting a biiiiiiig markdown blowout over 4th of July!
I've always thought that Louisville is thrift poor for a city of its size, so losing another one kind of bums me out. This one was extremely convenient for me and had frequent sales. On non-sale days, their prices could be a little iffy, but the selection was always super-fab. I'm going to pick up a couple of shirts for me next week some time.
I stopped into get the lay of the land (and check out the sale) right after they made their announcement last week. The prices are awesome! Staff are on a mad tear to clean out their over-stuffed stock room, so they are making all kinds of lots and sets, which is something that they never did before.
For example, I got ten of these in a set:
That's the 12 apostles on the left and St Michael the Archangel on the right. He's my patron saint, since my first name is Michael. Those are Monastery Icons, which are high quality religious images, some of the best that you can purchase. In my set there were all four Evangelists, the Archangels, plus this group Apostles piece and Mary Magdalene. Nice stuff. Even nicer price.
Whoever previously owned these was seriously devoted. On the back of each icon, they wrote the feast date for the saint depicted.
 |
| This is the back of the Apostles. |
I also got this great big martini glass:
 |
| Seriously, it's huge! |
Another clothespin for the collection:
An example of corporate sponsorship gone too far?
 |
| Seriously, what is this about? |
I think it's got a really cool look. It some kind of advertising award for Brown-Forman from the 80's. I'm leaving it as is for the moment, since the local BF connection might help it sell, but I think I could pretty easily remove the chief from the base and sell it that way, if I have to.
Stay tuned for more as we get closer to the closing date.
Monday, June 23, 2014
Monday Rambles
I'm still pretty wiped out from the weekend, so this will be more of a short run-down bullet type list than an actual post. I hope you'll forgive me. More substantial content coming in a few days.
Spent most of last week at the Peddlers Mall--every afternoon and all day on Friday--getting the booth cleaned and stocked and ready for the big sale day.
Did not get everything I wanted done, but I got a lot done.
Had way more empty spaces in my booth that I realized. Fixed that.
Still need to fix the comic area. The layout there is problematic.
Managed to totally screw up my storage even more than it already was. Need to fix that.
Got most of my layout issues worked out. Booth has better flow now.
Pulled many items from booth for the outdoor sale. Marked them way the hell down.
Brought over a van load from the shed at home for outdoor sale, mostly stuff from my uncle.
Planned to set up nine tables outside, but ended up with only seven after deciding not to pull two tables from the booth.
Made and posted signs for my 20% off sale.
Arrived at 7 on Saturday to start setting up outside. Sale officially started at 10. Was ready by 8:30 to greet early birds, who all turned out to be really jerky flea market dealers.
Sold. Sold. Sold. Sold. Sold. Sold. Sold.
Had a really good day outside. Did better than any previous outdoor sale.
Have a couple of stories to share from sale. That will come later.
Sold a ton of stuff. Had two tons to begin with. Still had ton left. Did get rid of large booth clunkers. Happy dance.
Sold half of leftover ton to another dealer in bulk lot. Left with just half ton of stuff to deal with. happier dance.
Leftover half ton will be this week's restock at booth.
Set one day sales record for booth inside. Nearly passed out when I saw the total! Happiest dance.
Think I may have sold every Bible in the booth. Need to find more Bibles.
Very very happy with indoor and outdoor sales on Saturday. More happy dancing.
Also very tired. Stumbled home and crashed.
Woke up Sunday with sinus headache. Took meds and crashed.
Not going to booth today. Mini-break. Will start back tomorrow.
Going to thrift after work instead.
And eat Mexican food.
This is last week of work for summer. After Thursday, will be off until July 7.
No sales email for Sunday = no sales on Sunday. Sad dance.
UPDATE: Sales email went to Spam folder for some reason. Never happened before. Strong sales Sunday = Close to record month to date = more happy dancing!
Spent most of last week at the Peddlers Mall--every afternoon and all day on Friday--getting the booth cleaned and stocked and ready for the big sale day.
Did not get everything I wanted done, but I got a lot done.
Had way more empty spaces in my booth that I realized. Fixed that.
Still need to fix the comic area. The layout there is problematic.
Managed to totally screw up my storage even more than it already was. Need to fix that.
Got most of my layout issues worked out. Booth has better flow now.
Pulled many items from booth for the outdoor sale. Marked them way the hell down.
Brought over a van load from the shed at home for outdoor sale, mostly stuff from my uncle.
Planned to set up nine tables outside, but ended up with only seven after deciding not to pull two tables from the booth.
Made and posted signs for my 20% off sale.
Arrived at 7 on Saturday to start setting up outside. Sale officially started at 10. Was ready by 8:30 to greet early birds, who all turned out to be really jerky flea market dealers.
Sold. Sold. Sold. Sold. Sold. Sold. Sold.
Had a really good day outside. Did better than any previous outdoor sale.
Have a couple of stories to share from sale. That will come later.
Sold a ton of stuff. Had two tons to begin with. Still had ton left. Did get rid of large booth clunkers. Happy dance.
Sold half of leftover ton to another dealer in bulk lot. Left with just half ton of stuff to deal with. happier dance.
Leftover half ton will be this week's restock at booth.
Set one day sales record for booth inside. Nearly passed out when I saw the total! Happiest dance.
Think I may have sold every Bible in the booth. Need to find more Bibles.
Very very happy with indoor and outdoor sales on Saturday. More happy dancing.
Also very tired. Stumbled home and crashed.
Woke up Sunday with sinus headache. Took meds and crashed.
Not going to booth today. Mini-break. Will start back tomorrow.
Going to thrift after work instead.
And eat Mexican food.
This is last week of work for summer. After Thursday, will be off until July 7.
UPDATE: Sales email went to Spam folder for some reason. Never happened before. Strong sales Sunday = Close to record month to date = more happy dancing!
Sunday, June 22, 2014
How not to sell something
So, the other day I was working on the booth when the mall got a call from someone looking to sell some stuff. This happens a lot. Some folks don't realize that the mall is made up of individual vendors and think that the store is going to buy their stuff. Others know the drill but figure they'll get more bang for the buck, since there are a lot of vendors that might buy their stuff.
The reality is that these calls get handed off to whoever is in the store working their booth at the time. If no one is there, then sometimes nothing happens. Sometimes messages get taken and passed on, but lot of times the call just ends there. I've gotten a couple of messages, but if it's not stuff I'm particularly known for selling--like the religious stuff--I don't always look into it.
This caller was trying to sell some "old dishes." Since I was there working (and was up by the register at the time of the call), the staff asked me if I was interested. I said I might be, depending on what the dishes were. I was told that it was a "very complete set" of "really old dishes" in "great shape" that were "really valuable" because they had been "looked up" online. We'll come back to those terms in quotes in a minute.
When I indicated tat I might be interested, before I could qualify anything, the next immediate question was: "HOW MUCH WILL YOU GIVE ME FOR THEM?'
So, I had to explain some of the basics of selling to this person, namely that I was not committing to a price on anything that I had not seen, handled, and checked out. "Might be interested." is not the same thing as "I'm going to buy these dishes." Honestly, no one is ever going to commit to buying something on the phone based solely on a seller's say so.
The caller told me they would be over that afternoon with their "five boxes" of dishes. That kind of took me by surprise. I figured they would lose interest when I would not commit to a price right away. I had already decided that I wasn't going to make an appointment for a visit with them to look at the stuff. The course of the phone call to that point made it pretty clear to me that it probably would not be worth my time.
I went back to work on my booth and in about an hour or so, I got a page that they were here. I went out to meet with them and got the whole story.
According to them, they had bought the entire contents of a woman's estate for one lump sum out of a family member's garage. They said it was a lot of stuff that they bought without going through things and now they were trying to sort things out and make some money. (Sounds to me like someone has been watching too much 'reality' TV. They even used the term "picking" at one point.)
They also told me they had looked some things up "online" and saw big prices, but they don't have the "savvy" to "do eBay." Total red flag for me right there. First, eBay isn't that hard to do, in terms of the tech knowledge involved. Second, Kosh only knows what they were looking up and where they were looking and what they saw. Third, eBay is a frikking global marketplace! More on this in part two of this post. (To come in a few days.)
So I go down to their car,get hit on the head, stuffed in the trunk, and ferried off to work in the salt mines in Utah dressed only in a loincloth and coconut bra for the rest of my life and was never seen again* and take a look at their stuff. It's time to employ the Eddie's Real Life Junkometer Translator (™) to some of those phrases above.
Old Dishes: I'll give them this one. The dishes were vintage, but not necessarily really old. Certainly not antique treasures, which was what they were implying on the phone.
Complete Set: There were five boxes of dishes: A bunch of plates from one set, along with some coffee cups and saucers. A few bowls of another pattern from another set. And a whole lot of odds and ends, including some decorative plates that would have hung on the wall. Not anywhere near a "complete set" of dishes, which could run to over a hundred pieces!
Great Shape: Of the first ten pieces I pulled out of the box, seven had major chips in them. Major chips. I pointed this out to them and was told: "Well, they aren't all like that." No, but if you remove these seven pieces from your already incomplete set, it becomes that much more incomplete. And, do you really want me to keep digging for chipped pieces?
Really Valuable: Do I really need to spell this one out at this point?
Looked Up: See a couple of paragraphs up.
They kept pressing me at this point to name a price or else tell them how to sell their stuff (really?). I suggested an eBay broker to them, if they really wanted to go the online route and did not think they could do it. I also suggested waiting until they had the whole lot sorted out, the trash cleared away, and then make a plan. I told them about all the different ways I knew of to get rid of a lot of stuff, including getting their own damn booth. But I politely declined their offer to buy their chipped unmatched dishes.
So they showed me a bag of dolls and toys that were soaking wet (!) and asked if I wanted to buy them. When I pointed out that the whole bag was wet, they seemed totally clueless about it.
In the end, I bought three decorative plates and a really cool vintage owl figurine from them. I took their number to pass onto someone else, who declined it after I told him the whole story.
I did feel kind of sorry for them. They'd clearly bitten off way more than they could chew. They had sunk a lot of money into this buy and had no plan and no clue how to monetize it. I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time, but it's not as easy as it looks.
*That would have been way more interesting and way less painful than what actually happened. Plus, I look good in a coconut bra. (No need to thank me for that enduring mental image. It's on the house.)
The reality is that these calls get handed off to whoever is in the store working their booth at the time. If no one is there, then sometimes nothing happens. Sometimes messages get taken and passed on, but lot of times the call just ends there. I've gotten a couple of messages, but if it's not stuff I'm particularly known for selling--like the religious stuff--I don't always look into it.
This caller was trying to sell some "old dishes." Since I was there working (and was up by the register at the time of the call), the staff asked me if I was interested. I said I might be, depending on what the dishes were. I was told that it was a "very complete set" of "really old dishes" in "great shape" that were "really valuable" because they had been "looked up" online. We'll come back to those terms in quotes in a minute.
When I indicated tat I might be interested, before I could qualify anything, the next immediate question was: "HOW MUCH WILL YOU GIVE ME FOR THEM?'
So, I had to explain some of the basics of selling to this person, namely that I was not committing to a price on anything that I had not seen, handled, and checked out. "Might be interested." is not the same thing as "I'm going to buy these dishes." Honestly, no one is ever going to commit to buying something on the phone based solely on a seller's say so.
The caller told me they would be over that afternoon with their "five boxes" of dishes. That kind of took me by surprise. I figured they would lose interest when I would not commit to a price right away. I had already decided that I wasn't going to make an appointment for a visit with them to look at the stuff. The course of the phone call to that point made it pretty clear to me that it probably would not be worth my time.
I went back to work on my booth and in about an hour or so, I got a page that they were here. I went out to meet with them and got the whole story.
According to them, they had bought the entire contents of a woman's estate for one lump sum out of a family member's garage. They said it was a lot of stuff that they bought without going through things and now they were trying to sort things out and make some money. (Sounds to me like someone has been watching too much 'reality' TV. They even used the term "picking" at one point.)
They also told me they had looked some things up "online" and saw big prices, but they don't have the "savvy" to "do eBay." Total red flag for me right there. First, eBay isn't that hard to do, in terms of the tech knowledge involved. Second, Kosh only knows what they were looking up and where they were looking and what they saw. Third, eBay is a frikking global marketplace! More on this in part two of this post. (To come in a few days.)
So I go down to their car,
Old Dishes: I'll give them this one. The dishes were vintage, but not necessarily really old. Certainly not antique treasures, which was what they were implying on the phone.
Complete Set: There were five boxes of dishes: A bunch of plates from one set, along with some coffee cups and saucers. A few bowls of another pattern from another set. And a whole lot of odds and ends, including some decorative plates that would have hung on the wall. Not anywhere near a "complete set" of dishes, which could run to over a hundred pieces!
Great Shape: Of the first ten pieces I pulled out of the box, seven had major chips in them. Major chips. I pointed this out to them and was told: "Well, they aren't all like that." No, but if you remove these seven pieces from your already incomplete set, it becomes that much more incomplete. And, do you really want me to keep digging for chipped pieces?
Really Valuable: Do I really need to spell this one out at this point?
Looked Up: See a couple of paragraphs up.
They kept pressing me at this point to name a price or else tell them how to sell their stuff (really?). I suggested an eBay broker to them, if they really wanted to go the online route and did not think they could do it. I also suggested waiting until they had the whole lot sorted out, the trash cleared away, and then make a plan. I told them about all the different ways I knew of to get rid of a lot of stuff, including getting their own damn booth. But I politely declined their offer to buy their chipped unmatched dishes.
So they showed me a bag of dolls and toys that were soaking wet (!) and asked if I wanted to buy them. When I pointed out that the whole bag was wet, they seemed totally clueless about it.
In the end, I bought three decorative plates and a really cool vintage owl figurine from them. I took their number to pass onto someone else, who declined it after I told him the whole story.
I did feel kind of sorry for them. They'd clearly bitten off way more than they could chew. They had sunk a lot of money into this buy and had no plan and no clue how to monetize it. I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time, but it's not as easy as it looks.
*That would have been way more interesting and way less painful than what actually happened. Plus, I look good in a coconut bra. (No need to thank me for that enduring mental image. It's on the house.)
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Apparently...
I have a collection of over-sized plastic clothes pins.
I was blissfully unaware of this fact, until I was straightening out the booth this week.
I highly suspect that some of you out there will not be surprised in the least at this fact.
Have I achieved "Eccentric Old Man Junker" Status yet?
I must be getting close.
Maybe I need more bed pans?
I was blissfully unaware of this fact, until I was straightening out the booth this week.
I highly suspect that some of you out there will not be surprised in the least at this fact.
Have I achieved "Eccentric Old Man Junker" Status yet?
I must be getting close.
Maybe I need more bed pans?
Friday, June 20, 2014
Identity Crisis!
Who am I?
What am I?
Am I a turtle?
Or a candle holder?
Marine life?
Or knick knack?
I just don't know any more!
Please help.
 |
| Seriously. How did this damn thing get on my back? |
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