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I've been going to thrift stores (and pawn shops) for years.
(With great success)
I've done auctions here and there, but recently I've been going to more.
It's been QUITE lucrative.
Everything from building materials to 26 dollies I bought for $20, and have sold for $10-$13 per.
Today I picked up 36 canning jars for $0.27/per, several things for a dollar....
I don't know why people buy dishes new. My set was $5.
It's even lead to other opportunities. Going to be cleaning out a warehouse and a church next weekend from a auction contact.
Getting enough cash to pay off labor, all I have to do is drive the trailer with what we want to keep and sell. (My physical abilities are limited.)
Make enough cash from selling stuff to cover all costs, put a little cash in my pocket, and I end up with building material, fencing, tools, home goods, all kinds of things.... if you hate it... ok, but for me it's entertainment.
It's good as long as you need the things you're getting, or have an easy way to sell them. Otherwise, you'll just end up with too much stuff, and then it starts costing money to store it.
It's good as long as you need the things you're getting, or have an easy way to sell them. Otherwise, you'll just end up with too much stuff, and then it starts costing money to store it.
I agree with that, but I guess some people really do enjoy the game of buying and selling. To me, the profit wouldn't be worth the effort and time. I know some people do make a side living doing just what Op does. We had a neighbor who used to do this. And yes, their garage was so crowded they couldn't get the car into it. Eventually he passed away and she gave the side business up, after having several garage sales to depose of all she could. She has since moved away.
It's good as long as you need the things you're getting, or have an easy way to sell them. Otherwise, you'll just end up with too much stuff, and then it starts costing money to store it.
True. When we go to large church yard sales we go with the intent to buy certain items or to buy items that we know can sell. We recently bought a 4 foot table with folding legs for $3 and sold it for $15. That paid for a tank of gas for one vehicle. We see others at these sales just grabbing stuff with seemingly no regard to whether they might really need it.
The real money is in lot auctions of old computers, cell phones and other storage electronics. You would not belive the stuff people leave on their old computers when they dump them. The physical items is a wash as the cost to dump the garbage or what little you get from the recyclers barely cover the bid price. But, the info sold to the data brokers is gold! Medical records on a prominent individual is worth a few hundred and political communications is worth thousands. Most time you'll be surprised how few people bid on these lots opposed to a box of broken watches where they hope to find just one beaten up rolex.
Rabrrita, I'd suspect that selling other people's information is highly illegal?
Hedgehog_Mom is right that you need a place to sell the stuff or it will accumulate like crazy. Even if you have a place to sell it, it can still accumulate like crazy. We're part of a resale shop and we go to auctions, yard sales, thrift shops, etc., looking for things that can be resold for higher. Generally, I want to buy something for between $1 and $3 that can be resold for between $15 and $45. From what I've noticed, the most common markup we get is from buying $2 to selling at $26.
Rabrrita, I'd suspect that selling other people's information is highly illegal?
Not anymore.
Supreme Court:"You Bought It, You Own It, You Can Resell It"
The United States Supreme Court decided a case that reinforced the right to re-sell something that you had lawfully bought.
It was a couple years ago and it's true impact still is being figured out but so long as it's not specific protected information such as social security numbers, everything else is pretty much fair game if the person sold an item containing that information. If I sell a file cabinet, it's not sold subject to never reading the papers inside. The US Supreme Court said once sold the item and it's contents belong to the buyer.
For years I hunted for old Coach bags. The really GOOD leather ones. I would restore and sell them for big bucks. I enjoyed doing it and the bags were timeless. But now they are hard to find and people want a lot more money for them.
My big score happened at a bead store. They were selling an antique signed heart netsuke as a $4.95 accent bead. I scooped it up right away. Turned out it was worth a couple thousand bucks. I still have it and it has continued to go up in value. One of these days I will sell it. Till then, it's quite happy living in my jewelry box.
OP, where do you sell all the stuff you buy? Craigslist?
Cragslist, my partner posts on Facebook yardsale pages with success, for quite a few things we have had someone in mind and have either delivered, or have had them come pick them up on
site.
There's an auction locally I go to to buy.... it's VERY low paying (I picked up a Coleman camp stove with hose Saturday for a dollar.
I wanted the hose....) when/if we get stuck with too much junk I'll take the junk there to get rid of it so we aren't stuck with "lots of junk" (one of those where everything goes)
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