My niche for resale items: college textbooks

I’ve bought them for as little as 50¢, with a resale value of over $75. Last summer one seller gave me a whole box of them. It was the end of the day and she didn’t want to deal with them. I sold them individually for well over $125.

I sell textbooks both on Amazon and Ebay. And I almost never buy a dud! My secret weapon: my iPhone and a little piece of software called SnapTell. SnapTell is now available as an Android application, so you can use it on a variety of smart phones.

This little iApp is awesome! Even better… it’s FREE!

You just snap a picture of the front of a book, dvd, cd, or video game and within seconds you get tons of details — the most important for purposes of resale — the price it sells for used.

To get the “used” price choose Amazon, then scroll to the bottom and you’ll see the price range for Marketplace Offers.

That tells you approximately what the book will sell for. It helps, for textbooks, to also look at the date of publication. More than a few years old and you may have to sell it internationally to get any takers.

Plus, you’ll want to consider the size and weight of the book. Really heavy books (like an art history book I bought), may cost only a couple of bucks and sell for $12, but Amazon has strict rules on what you can charge for shipping, and any extra charges are at the seller’s expense. (Priority Mail, for instance – Amazon maxes the charges out at $6.99, for a heavy book you’ll be paying the USPS at least $9.80.) The other option for the heavy books is to sell them on ebay; no standard shipping price.

Selling books on Amazon and Ebay is super simple. For the most part, all you have to do is enter the ISBN number and all the data is provided. Then, just customize your listing with details about the condition of your item and you’re good to go.

If you’re on a Mac, it get’s even easier to list books on Amazon. An inexpensive application called Delicious
Library, handles most of the work. Using your iSight camera, shoot a picture of the bar code and the software will look up the book, cd, dvd, or video game and add it to your catalog. Then just right click on the item and choose: “Sell on Amazon”. It couldn’t get much easier than that!

Shipping

For most books, I ship them in padding envelopes. I reuse the ones I get in the mail and have supplemented my supply by shopping the sales at Walgreen’s; they frequently have them on sale for about 50 cents each.

If you choose to sell online, I highly recommend you check into using the online service for postage such as Endicia or Stamps.com. You can also use the post office website, but you can’t purchase postage for media rate parcels. Ebay, through PayPal, has a built-in shipping solution, which makes it very easy to ship, and you can choose from UPS and USPS. Most of the online solutions give you a better price on options than you’ll get in person.

Selling online isn’t for everyone. You need to be honest about the quality and condition of items you are selling. And you need to be prompt in processing and shipping orders.

Consider looking for textbooks the next time you’re out bargain hunting. The best “season” for buying is a month or two after the end of the term, and the best time to sell is a week or two before terms begin (that’s when people are looking to buy!).

Baby Shower Items

In today’s tough economy many new moms and dads are finding that the amount of items they need greatly outweighs the amount of money they have to spend. Check garage sales for gently-used baby items such as monitors, baby clothing and highchairs. These items may not be ideal for a baby shower gift, but as a gift that you can give privately they are perfect. Make sure to wash any items you purchase before giving them to the new mom.

Housewarming Gifts

When people move into a new home, especially those who are just starting out, being able to furnish a home is a struggle. Garage sale finds can make great housewarming gifts. Many times you can find sets of dishes, nice pictures to hang on the wall and other great, useable items that would be perfect for a housewarming gift.

Other Gift Giving Finds

If you know someone who is into fun jewelry or collects certain items (such as pig figurines, Elvis memorabilia, etc.) garage sales are the ideal places to shop for unique gifts. At garage sales you can find an array of neat items that will add to someone’s collection. Think about your friend who just loves panda bears. Stumbling upon a panda bear nick-knack that is really cute would make an ideal gift for your friend. Do you have a friend who is an avid reader? Getting a good deal on a box of books by his or her favorite author would be an amazing gift for your friend.

Before you purchase, always think about the person receiving the gift and how they will feel. There are people who will wrinkle their nose at second-hand items. For those folks, a garage sale find may not be the best choice, but with the move toward a greener world, most people welcome previously owned gifts and think of it in relation to the goal of “reuse-reduce-recycle.”

1. Find out the laws in your area for having a garage sale. You may need to purchase a permit which usually costs only a few dollars.
2. Go through everything in your house before the sale to make sure you have a large amount of items.
3. Try to organize neighbors to have a sale on the same day, people love multi-family sales.
4. Go through the pockets of all the clothes you want to sell and remove anything you find that you want to keep
5. Wash everything before you put it out for sale, no one wants to buy anything smelly or dirty.
6. Organize your sale by like items; too much clutter will turn people away.
7. Have a plan for adverse weather: in some areas sales are still a go, in others you’ll have no shoppers and will need to postpone (consider predetermining a rain date).
8. Advertise your garage sale with signs, balloons, newspaper ads and flyers.
9. Advertise your garage sale online, many times for free. Especially popular are sites like Garage Sale Finder, where shoppers can print out a map with directions to each sale. Take advantage of other online advertising venues such as craigslist.org.
10. Price everything so you don’t leave customers guessing.
11. Make sure the price tag is large enough to be seen.
12. Colorful stick on dots work well for pricing except on books, posters and anything you can’t peel them off of.
13. Have a decent amount of money available to make change, this includes actual coin change and paper currency.
14. Put pets away, even if your animals are super friendly. Many people, both adults and children, are afraid of them.
15. Don’t hover over your customers. A quick hello is fine but no one wants to shop with someone standing over their shoulder.
16. If you are holding your garage sale on a really hot day consider selling sodas, bottles of water or juice boxes from a cooler.
17. Total up the order yourself. You never know when a customer might try to pull a fast one on you.
18. Never leave sharp items on tables where small children can reach them.
19. Never leave your money sitting on a table unattended. Consider wearing a fannypack to hold your money.
20. Don’t accept checks unless you know the person well.
21. When making change never put the bill you were given in with your money until the customer has walked away. This will help avoid them telling you they gave you a large bill than they really did.
22. Have plastic bags available for customers to take home their items in.
23. Wrap anything breakable in newspaper before putting it in the bag.
24. Consider having a small “free box” for children to sift through while their parents are shopping. Ideas for this are old kids meal toys etc.
25. Have a plan on what to do with items that don’t sell. Donate to charity, save for another sale, etc. Many charities will pick up your unsold items if you give them advance notice.

Is it in style?

Make sure that the item you are purchasing is still in style, especially for older children. You don’t want to buy gently used pants that were in style back in the ’90s for your child now, no matter how great the price it. Keep your children in mind because if they wont wear it them it really doesn’t matter if you only paid 50¢ for it.

Choosing classic styles is a great way to avoid a wardrobe that looks “dated”.

Inspect every item

Never purchase any clothing before looking it over closely. Check for missing buttons, zippers that don’t work, tears and stains. If the area that the clothing is displayed in is dark, don’t be afraid to step into a better lit area to look over the clothing. You don’t to get an item home only to find it has a stain on it that you overlooked.

Check Sizes

Many people do their laundry differently, which can cause used clothing to vary in sizes. Ideally, if you are on the hunt for jeans for your daughter carry a pair of her jeans that fit nicely with you. Make sure that the garage sale owner knows you brought them with you before you start shopping. By having an item with you that fits well you can then hold up items you are considering purchasing to the item to get an idea on whether the new item will fit correctly. Likewise, a measuring tape can come in handy for verifying waist and inseam measurements.

Getting a Bargain

If you find several items that you want to purchase, don’t be shy about negotiation with the seller. Many sellers will give you a discount on a large purchase just to get the items out of the way. So if you find 5 pairs of jeans for $2 each ask the seller if they will take $8 (or less!) for all 5. This makes a better deal for you and it also makes them money.

Powered by ScribeFire.

There’s a certain unspoken etiquette that goes along with haggling at a garage sale. Typically it is only learned by hard experience but there are a few tips that can start beginners off on the right foot.

First, always be friendly and respectful to the seller. Your chances of negotiating a bargain go down with every frown.

Second, be sure that it is OK to haggle with the seller. You could watch the seller interact with other buyers to determine how flexible he or she might be. A quicker way is simply to ask, “Are your prices negotiable?”

Third, do some research on the items you are seeking before you head out for the garage sale. If you have some sense of what the item sells for, both new and secondhand, then you can offer a reasonable lower price. Don’t forget that the seller needs and deserves to make some profit.

Consider using these phrases or something similar but remember to always deliver them in a friendly tone. Practice in front of a mirror if you usually sound too confrontational or rude.

• “Have you noticed this crack? I’ll give you half since it’s damaged.”
• “I’m sorry; I simply cannot afford to pay that price.”
• “That must be the tourist rate. So what’s the real price?”
• “No thank you, it’s just too expensive.”
• “I’ll think about it and come back later.” Be aware that this tactic could result in item being snatched up by another buyer before you return.
• “What’s your best price for this?”

Some buyers like to examine an item, put it down and then come back later. This variation on one of the above phrases can work but again you risk the item being purchased by someone else in the meantime.

Among other haggling tactics, watch out for unmarked items. Usually the seller wants you to make an offer in this case, so don’t volunteer a price. Ask the seller for his or her price for the item. Often what they are asking is less than what you would have offered.

When you find something you want that’s listed for 25 cents or less, don’t insult your seller by haggling over something this cheap. If you can’t afford something for a quarter, you shouldn’t be out shopping.

There are many factors that affect prices: season, region, condition, age, current retail price, and competition.

Season:

Selling items in the off-season makes them a little harder to move; most folks just aren’t looking for Christmas decorations in May, so keep the seasonality of items in mind when pricing. Ditto for gardening tools. Not much of a market for them in September (unless you’re selling a leaf blower!), but they are in high demand in spring. Sweaters and jackets will bring more in an early autumn sale.

Region:

The part of the country you’re selling in plays a big part of what you can hope to get paid for your goods. Garage sales tend to be more prevalent in the suburbs and rural areas, whereas flea markets are more common in urban areas. The general cost of living in your area will also have an effect on prices. If you are in an area hard-hit by the recession, folks just don’t have as much money to spend, so your prices will have to be low enough to move your inventory.

Condition:

Is the item like new? Slightly used? Does it come with its original packaging and/or instructions? Are all the parts included? Or has it obviously been collecting dust in your attic for several years? Dirty stuff is harder to sell, so take the time to clean stuff up.

Age:

Some things are timeless, and some things are even more valuable because they’re older, but just because something is old, doesn’t make it a collectible or antique. Anything you plan on marketing this way will need to be researched. Ebay is probably your best source for current prices (be sure to check the COMPLETED auctions for actual price data). Clothing usually continues to go down in price the older it gets. Other items that get “dated” particularly fast are home dec items. Remember those acrylic bunches of grapes everyone had in the 60s? Not a big market for them now. Ditto for avocado green Tupperware, etc.

Current Retail Price:

It doesn’t really matter what you paid for an item several years ago; today’s prices are all that matter. So, that computer that you paid $1200 for 5 years ago, is likely not even going to get you 10% of it’s original price. This is particular true with technology items: the costs have dropped so dramatically in the past several years that there’s really no good secondary market. That goes for kitchen appliances, DVD players, etc. (In 1986 a new full-size microwave would set you back over $300, now you can get one for less than half that price.)

Competition:

Where else can shoppers find the items you are selling used? Is everyone else in the neighborhood having a sale? Are there many second-hand shops in your area? How unique is your item? Is it something people buy and use forever, or is everyone else also selling the same “as seen on TV” widget.

Oh, and finally, how bad do you want to be rid of the item? (I actually had a guy offer to pay me to take his exercise bike away last year!).

I recommend heading to a few second-hand stores in your area to get an idea of prices, then charge about 70% of what they do. If you have things that you feel may be valuable, check eBay for prices. If you don’t sell these items at your sale, you can always sell them online.

Some of these prices seem shockingly low, so you may want to consider whether donating the items to charity will net you more money as a tax deductible donation. Many popular income tax software packages, such as Turbo Tax, include features to automatically calculate the value of charitable donations using IRS-approved values. At the very least, make sure you take inventory (a digital photo for support is a good idea) of items before donating them to charity.

My daughter and her family are moving to a different state and they have several items they don’t want to take with them so they are having a garage sale. I just organized a two car garage and my client found so many duplicate, good, and unwanted items that she is having a garage sale. The reasons for a sale are many and varied. No matter why you are having a garage sale here are some tips for a successful sale:

1·Gather Your Inventory
Once you have decided on what you will sale be tough with yourself. Store your yard sale inventory in black plastic garbage bags or boxes with lids. No peeking! There is no appeal, no mercy and no second chance. The things in the bags or boxes are no longer junk or stuff, its inventory!

2·Set The Date
Choose your day, and plan a one-day sale. Have a strategy for sale’s end. Many charities will pick up all unsold items. Or set a time and after that time give everything away free, or charge a dime for everything. My daughter got a beautiful, in excellent condition queen size bed free at a garage sale. She didn’t even know after 3:00 everything was free, but they stuck to their decision and she benefited. Whatever you do, don’t let the survivors back in the house! If you can’t sell this stuff at a garage sale, why would you want it to clutter your home?

3·Advertise
You’ve sorted your stuff and scoped out the field. Now it’s time to play retailer. First rule: advertise, advertise, and advertise. Put an ad on Craig’s List or other local advertizing places.

The secret to a successful yard sale is foot traffic. The more folks who walk through your sale, the more you’ll sell. Lots of cars parked on your street tell yard-sale cruisers where to find you. If business is brisk, buyers won’t leave your premises without that lighted beer sign, for fear that someone else will snatch it right up. The more, the merrier; your muffin-tin change sorter will overflow.

Depending where in the country you live put an ad in the newspaper. Many local papers offer special garage sale rates or free signs to yard sale advertisers. Watch your wording. Mention furniture, baby items, garden tools or other desirable items you have to offer, but don’t waste your money on “miscellaneous”.

If you want to keep pre-dawn bargain hunters from banging on your door at 5 a.m., include the phrase “No early birds!” in your ad. A creative use of “Early birds pay double” will discourage all but the most fanatic; make them pay for the privilege.

Use your computer (or your kids) to make signs, lots of signs. Use neon poster board and deep-black markers. Make the directions BIG. If you can’t see your signs from a block away, neither can your customers. If you live tucked deep in a twisted spiral of subdivision streets, place sign at each and every corner between your house and the nearest main road. Make it easy for buyers to find you.

4·Preparation and Price
Assess your inventory. Does it look garage-sale drab? A little elbow grease can yield big bucks. Run dusty dishes and filmy glassware through the dishwasher. A quick spritz with automotive vinyl protectant makes small appliances and plastic items shine like new. Clean, fresh-smelling clothing hung on hangers commands a higher price than stained and rumpled items tossed into boxes.

Pay attention to packaging. Plastic food storage bags group children’s game pieces, display jewelry, and hold hardware bits and pieces.

Price every item. Yes, haggling is part of the yard sale scene, but for those with shyer natures, a price sticker saves a lot of energy. Buyers are more apt to buy when they know the price is in their ballpark. Use masking tape or small adhesive stickers to label your wares.

Bundling is an old retailer’s trick, and one well suited to the yard-sale seller. Abide by your area’s yard sale price guidelines. Yard sales have their own economy. The goal is to get rid of stuff. Your shoppers know the going prices as well as you do.

5·Set Up Shop
Make sure your site can be seen from the road, and plan to haul a few big items out front, for good measure. It’s best to work from a stripped site, so remove everything that’s not for sale from the driveway, garage or carport. If you can’t, drape the not-for-sale items with sheets or tarps.

Set out your wares. Tables, even a slab of plywood board resting on sawhorse, make it easy to browse. Hang clothing from ropes or chains attached to the ceiling. Display books, spines up, in shallow boxes for easy shopping. When possible, use signs to identify merchandise: full-size sheets, infants’ clothing. Lay a heavy-duty extension cord to operate radios and television, and test electrical appliances.

Remove anything that can be tripped over, including the dog, who should live elsewhere for the duration of the sale. Check the garage floor and driveway for slippery spots or hidden hazards. Tape down extension cords or cables.

Are you ready to make change? A muffin tin makes a good change holder. Be prepared with at least $20 in small bills and change. Or a big pocket apron works too or an old tackle box.

6·Ready, Set, Sell
Don’t sit there like a lump in a lawn chair! Get up and talk to people. Be excited and enthusiastic. Be bubbly and vivacious and share lots of information about that wonderful set of bed linens that you love and adore but no longer match your color scheme. Put your best foot forward.

Plan for at least two staffers for every yard sale, and more is better. One person acts as “background”, shuffling cash, keeping an active eye on everything. A cashier sits at the front with muffin tin or cash box. Leave the selling to the most enthusiastic salesperson.

Offer free lemonade or some drink, and give your children a taste of private enterprise, entrusting them with a donut concession. If people are eating, they’re staying–and if they’re staying, they’re buying. That’s the point!

7·When The Sale Is Over
Wrap up your sale when you said you would. A yard sale is a lot of work, and you’re still not finished. Dispose of the leftovers, either to the charity pick-up or by boxing and delivering the items yourself. Be considerate of your neighbors and next week’s yard sale enthusiasts. Remove all signs, and return your sale site to normal.

Then go count your proceeds–and take the family out to dinner. You’ve earned it!