Nov
19
Use Garage Sales to Source eBay Inventory
Filed Under How-To's
After auction sellers have sold off everything they want to get rid of around the house (and then some), many turn to garage sales for sources of eBay inventory. If you are considering the Saturday morning yard sale circuit, here are some tips to maximize your time and help ensure you find the best products to sell and increase your eBay profits.
First, map out your route in advance. You’ll want to make the most efficient use of your time, so plan your successive stops next to each other. Avoid driving from one side of town to the other and then back again due to poor planning. Try to visit sales in well-to-do neighborhoods first. These yard sales offer the best opportunity to garner eBay inventory with the highest resale value. Your next stops should be garage sales at older, more established neighborhoods. These sales will likely be excellent sources of older collectables.
Next, get to the sales early. It’s within the bounds of garage sale etiquette to arrive 30-45 minutes before the advertised start time. If the goodies are out, start shopping. The worst that can happen is the “proprietor” might ask you to wait until he or she is ready to open. Conversely, you might get a jump on the competition and score some nice items to resell on eBay.
Remember to bring small bills and plenty of loose change. Many yard-sellers are ill prepared to make change and having exact-change will speed up the transaction and allow you to move quickly to the next garage sale your itinerary before the bargains are gone.
Neighborhood yard sales are terrific way to hit several sales in a short period of time. The savvy bargain hunter will bring a cart or wagon to save time and energy that would otherwise be expended lugging items to the car after each purchase. You’ll appreciate comfortable shoes after trudging around for a couple of hours at a neighborhood sale.
Don’t be afraid to bargain at garage sales. People who hold sales are looking to get rid of stuff that has been cluttering their house and should be receptive to a little haggling. Don’t neglect the free box either. Remember the old adage, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” You just might find something marketable on eBay.
Although garage and yard sales are seasonable events in most parts of the country, they can be a viable source for augmenting your inventory of products to sell on eBay. Consider a shopping expedition after you’ve auctioned off all the extra stuff around the house and your family members eye you nervously each time you get near their (remaining) prized possessions.
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4 Responses to “Use Garage Sales to Source eBay Inventory”
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This is excellent information and I think a lot of people over look garage sales not realizing the full potential of what you can find there.
We have hit several garage and yard sales in our area and have found items that we were able to pick up for pennies that brought good money on eBay.
I also have a friend that was able to make over $27,000 in 6 months of just selling garage sale items on ebay.
Although such sales CAN produce some good eBay items, it seems these days that folks are trying to get rich at garage sales, so at times you must go through several in a day to find someone who IS actually just trying to get rid of stuff. The flea markets also used to be a viable option when hunting for items for re-sale, but unfortunately, these days most are just full of absolute junk that comes off of containers from China. For example, most flea markets will have at least several vendors selling sunglasses for anywhere from 4 to 10 dollars - the same ones you can get at a dollar store for, well, a dollar. So the flea markets are best avoided - a waste of time in most cases. Another option would be the second-hand stores, such as the Salvation Army, Goodwill, and the ‘mom and pop’ stores. I’ve picked up quite a few ‘treasures’ in such places myself that have sold well on eBay. Some of the Goodwills, for example, will have sales on their items. One that I have been to has a book sale about once a month - they get so many in there that they don’t have room for them all, so they’ll put them on sale at 10 for a dollar - inclusing hardbacks. A friend recently picked up a painting at a Salvation Army store that he sold on eBay for over $1100. Such stores always get new inventory, so it’s a good idea to go back often and see what’s new.
It is not within the bounds of garage sales to show up 30-45 minutes early. It is plain rude and should not be done. There are several websites that have proper etiquette for shopping garage sales and those “rules” should be followed. A little haggling is fine but don’t get an attitude if your “offer” is rejected and most certainly do not tell the seller you are paying them a certain price much lower than the marked price then start rummaging through the goods and bagging them up. Also realize that one person may not have a say in the price another person is willing to take for an item.
though i’d love to jump the queue for a garage sale, there would be nothing more annoying,
i think the garage sale seller would be annoyed and wouldn’t be gracious in offering any negotation on things you might find.