2 Cents worth can be 20, or a 1/4 mill

[ironlord1963]

   Over the past few days of reading the post the question of the best place to sell comes up, even a bit more then the past few months it has seemed.  I just kinda cringe a bit when I read this.  A few months ago we dived into the greatest buyer market of the past few decades, on top of that Summer is a low period for most markets.   Buy, Buy, and Buy, if only the 2 dollar item or the $200.00  rare find.  If you really need money then consider it to stay afloat.   "Soon it will be Christmas time" rings in my head.   I may be a rookie at this stuff but I am very observate, and read books too  .   Right now just looking at ebay the prices have dropped, more thrift shop sells, and rummage sales just filled with people trying to sell to keep afloat.  It is just my opinion mind you, but that nice tea cup that will get you $15.00 on ebay may get you $25.00 or even $30.00 soon.   Not only christmas but watch the economy push during the holiday season to save those with 1/4 mill.   
    I have held off on any sales like ebay, I have been posting at my online store, but they can sit there until someone is willing to pay the price I feel is fair on both ends, but around Nov I plan a Grand dump near christmas time.  Not sure how well it will pay off, but for the clues I should fair much better, beside those fees add up to a few more 2 Dollar items  .   If you walk away with anything from this psychobabble, then let it be this is a buyers market unlike anything we have seen in years. 

[luxetveritas]

That's some excellent advise Ironlord. I haven't thought a lot about timing, but you're right! I guess summer wouldn't be the time busy people are just sitting at the computer searching eBay... well, some people may not be doing that I will take that advise to heart, just need to get some more money to invest After my expensive furniture buying spree I am low on $$

Quick question while I'm thinking about it... what's the best place to sell my chair I listed a while ago? I know, I know, but I need some money to buy more  I actually have two nice chairs that I want to sell, but I imagine the shipping charge would be wayyy too high for me to put them on eBay. What do you all think? I hope you know what chair I'm talking about- the one I thought was a Louis XV chair.

--Lux

[ironlord1963]

    Wish I could offer sound advise here, but I would think something like that is still in a brick and morter shop, consignment, Antique mall sort of thing.  I try never to buy something for resale that won't fit in a 8x8x8 Box.  The few times I did sell something bigger I didn't fair well on the shipping I'm sure the chair won't it in a 10x10x10 box. ..  Craigslist is another option of course, but I have never fair well here either.  The last time I tried to sell a Car with a blown engine, list and typed in bold, it seems everyone had to ask if it ran.  Not sure reading is a important thing anymore.

[KC]

I do agree that holidays seasons are the best times to sell....but I also believe at the end of this year even more people are going to be selling to make ends meet that are trying to stay afloat because the media says the economy is already "turning around".  Well....they said it so it must be so
PreHoliday and Holiday season is typically the best time to be selling if you have that silver punch bowl that someone talked about or those items that someone would like to give as a gift...or receive.  But if it is a low cost item that isn't in much demand and the market is saturated....any time is the best time to sell them if you can.

What's that song...."you got to know when to hold em....know when to fold em....know when to walk away....know when to run"!

[ironlord1963]

    Sure are right about the items of little value, in a oversaturated catagory,  I have several of these items I'm going to save them for my early fall garage sale, sometimes I find that with shipping cost today, many items the shipping exceeds the value of the item or at least makes them max the value with only pennies to count afterwards, been there and still doing it  .  But I'm quickly learning.  I now think about that with every item I come across now.  Then of course there are those worthless items that become a collection on the shelf, like my new Mexico pottery figurines that I have now thanks to this forum 

[regularjoe2]

Timing sure counts , ironlord ! - I agree about the 'market' being very unstable for sellers , be they 'big' items or small ... I've personally got a few items that might be 'on hold' for a year or more .

I also think that the margin really counts , esp. over the long term .
If I spend 100 , sell at 150 , or buy at 10 & sell at 15 - it appears to be the same percentage , but the margin varies .
It's the covert costs that so many seem to ignore - zoning , storage , transport , labor & management , maintenance , taxes , insurance , licenses , bookkeeping , payrolls & shipping , just to name a few .
Every one of 'em takes a bite out of the margin in some way , dang it !

It's tough to be a small business-person & I salute everyone who is!

My pop was a corp. finance guy , and he always stressed the importance of cash-flow in any business (and avoiding credit situations that are risky) ... I took this to heart & have not had to land on my lips (financially , anyway) in business (yet) .
He taught me alot about when to wait & when to cut my losses .
Thanks , Dad .

[ironlord1963]

Do you have a brick and morter shop?,  I know you are somewhere here in the NW, if so would love to come and see your store.   Good advise and wise business ship can sure go a long way.

[regularjoe2]

These days I pretty much specialize in finding things that my old (& cash heavy) customers are wanting to buy ; about 80% of what they want is from overseas .
There's not so much overhead in finders fees !

I don't own a shop anymore , and have not needed to/wanted to for many years .
I rent storage space in a climate-controled & monitored facility a friend owns - mostly for paintings & such (it's good for insurance costs & me sleeping well at night) that I hold for short periods for buyers .
It really comes down to me not liking to take the risk of having expensive items in a great big pile .

I spend my self-employed "working" time doing mechanical engineering and computer network consulting , as well as building a few custom computers .
Every once in awhile , I'll belly up to the greaseline and help figure out stuff on boats .

As Pro bono work , I teach computer skills to elderly , socially 'disadvantaged' folks , and functionally disabled people ; I am a volunteer 'guest chef' one a week at a local mental healthcare facility .... once in awhile I build 'give-away' computers for needy folks , and often provide free tech work for the same .

I'd have to give up doing all of this if I had a shop again & would want to do it full time !

Don't get me wrong here , ironlord ... I'm still always on the hunt for antiques (& learning something new about them) !

[cogar]

Now my personal experience told me that the holiday seasons of Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter was the worst time to sell.  Now one may get a few buyers at Christmas looking for a “collectible” gift for a close family member but very few will buy for themselves.

The best “selling time” starts in mid to late February after most everyone has recouped their expendable ca$h after their Christmas $plurging. And from Feb through April is when all the habitual Antiquers, Fleamarketeers, Garagesalers, etc. are out and about looking to “restock” for the Spring and Summer season. And Memorial and Labor Day weekends are “biggies” of all.

I use to go to Hillsville, Va, on Labor Day weekend where literally thousands of Dealers would move in and setup shop …. and probably 500,000 to 700,000+ buyers would converge on the Town that weekend with a pocket full of money and looking for something they just couldn’t go home without.