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How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

How do you decide what items are profitable to sell? And where do you buy your items? I am just a beginner, 19 year old student, and I have inventory worth of +/- 20-30K in USD, but it's a bit hard to sell after my suspensions and increasing competition. I can sell them though, but it will take a while. It's probably peanuts compare to what you guys sell. I sell maybe 2-3 products per day (collector's items), but that's already worth between 80-150 USD.

But I'd like to sell more items. I want to differentiate, I don't want to sell just collector's items. I want to sell a lot for cheaper.

Instead of 2 items for 50 each, 30 items for 5 each. It also reduces shipping costs, and in case an item does not arrive or arrives damaged, refunds will be less too.

Could someone advice me on how to determine what items are popular (and maybe even a small tip? :humble: ).

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

For me I used the Ebay app and went to garage sales. I would scan the item to see if it has value. If it has value I would buy it and sell it on ebay.

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

O, so most of you are just buying used items? You're like pickers, like Mike & Frank from American Pickers? Are there people who like, sell 'new' stuff *clothing/gadgets/etc.) instead of antiques and stuff? There is not really a ''picking'' culture in the Netherlands, so I have no idea how and where to start :p.

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

You answered yourself. If there is no ''picking'' culture in the Netherlands you could find very goot stuff at a very cheap price which could be turned to GOLD in some other country... this is the power of global selling.
Just my opinion.

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

A lot of research.

Best way to decide what to sell is to choose an area that you enjoy and know a lot about, and then find a niche in that area.

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

There are many diff ways you can tackle this and not everyone will reveal their secrets.

Most of my knowledge is obtained through trial & error along w/ years of experience. If I knew now what I did at 19, I'd be very rich by now!

I started out by selling what I like. I didn't think it would be profitable. I ventured into other items and grew from there.

If you start out w/ what you enjoy doing, then the rest may take care of itself.

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

you have great antique markets in holland, plus people leave their old stuff on the road, that is your country type of picking culture, you could turn it in to a business.

have you thought of wholesalers for new stuff in your country or overseas? if you are a business you can go to a local cash and carry wholesaler. Yes alot of forumers sell new stuff.

I spent 3 months last year researching and hardly trading, I used the time I had spare. I am now set up at least for a while I hope on that research. finding products is harder than trading and it drives me nuts, because every product takes you to several leads and also the product takes you in different directions because you look at one inventory and then see more you like and then enquire at different places on those, and it truly can go on forever that way, you call a halt and say these are my quotes and go for them!

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

Research, experimentation, and dabbling in various niche markets is one approach - rarely will someone tell you exactly what they sell or how they get it...could lead to more competition

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

LOL

I was picking yard sales, flea markets and auctions long before Mike and Frank dreamed of doing this.

My Grandparents took me to these things as a kid and I still pick almost daily today.

No clothing, not much money in it and who wants to handle used clothing anyway.

Collectibles and antiques is what I buy to sell.

You can pick right on ebay if you know what you are looking for.

I buy lots of items off ebay and re sell.

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

Love it :thumb:

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

I buy on eBay to sell on again and also scour the charity shops and local car boot sales. I find I am learning all the time what will sell. A week does not go by where I find something new I can make a profit on. I am constantly surprised by what will sell on eBay for big money. Things change however and you always have to keep this in mind. Tastes and styles change so what sells today you may not shift next year. For example stuff i could not sell five years ago is now selling for big money.

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

A very important lesson to learn is not to get stuck with stock that simply does not sell when it goes out of fashion.

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

It is not all of of what I sell but it is my main area of expertise and I love it.

I have branched out into dollar store items to gain feedback as it gives me almost a 100% sell through rate.

Also, sell many NFL, NBA, MLB hats, jerseys, tire covers etc which sell well all year around.

And a few other things that are new and sell well.

Also sell some tool items that seem to do better in the summer time.

I buy my inventory with cash, cards, paypal etc.

LOL

Have even bartered on CL to trade for something I know I can make a killing on and get rid of items I dont want to take the time with from an estate sale purchase.

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

Bartering is quite the skill to master - not done often enough these "cash money card" days for sure

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

Also be flexible with what you sell, variety. I used to sell a lot of character socks. And I made a lot money BUT just before one Christmas I paid a visit to the warehouses and there were no character socks!. I asked where they were to be told that the company had stopped making them. And that was the end of my business for a few years and i ended up a in some debt. It was quite a tough time for a while as that was my only source of income..

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

Variety - good point - like stealth, always need backup lines of products

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

Agree.

You need multiple products.

Most of items I purchase can bed replenished in a day many different ways.
Never ending inventory and as boomers get older and sell off their goodies I am good to go for many years to come.

But also always adding new items to my line up.

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

Have a shot at a huge estate with tons of items. Got a quick tour of the house.
Wow. Packed in every room, basement, garage and out buildings.

If I can get this it would be an easy years worth of good products to sell.

Stacks and stacks of tresures.

Father was taken to a nursing home, mom has passed and their kids want it all gone so they can sell the house.

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

IF you get it, how will you clear it? And store? Sounds amazing :thumb:

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

Well i did for research for 3-6 months and i do dropshipping, had max profit of 5-15£ per item (mostly non branded china electronics)

its hard to find good suppliers nowdays :D
and also use supplier who accept paypal so if theres any problem i get my money back,

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

Read back - she was looking at acquiring a huge estate for sale :)

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

I buy several estates and have for years.

I own a warehouse and have a few storage sheds with items I list on craigslist for. Safe as mine are right beside the office and when I met someone I am out front and have the manager on duty always close by if the DH cannot be with me.

Easy to clear.

Go in sort out the good stuff, have totes and bubble wrap ready.

Take the good items to the warehouse.

Take the antique furniture etc to the storage shed.

I have a pickup group that buys the left over items I do not want to mess with and one guy who buys all the furniture that is not antique and the appliances.

When I buy an estate it is NOT your job to clean the house.

I just take everything of value that was agreed on in a contact and usually for goodness sake I dont leave anything just laying around and have my guy take anything left over when he cleans up the items I dont want.

I had a record year of sales on ebay last year mainly because I was able to buy many estates filled with great items.

If you are organized you can get the good stuff out and into the warehouse in a day if it is a large estate and 1/2 a day for a smaller one.

Call you connections and they do the rest for you.

LOL

A few estates ago I sold enough blocks and bricks that were a planned edition that never happened, tools out of the garage to almost pay for the entire estate and did not have to lift a finger.

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

Estate.


Meaning someone is retiring or a family has moved one or both parents out of the home and want to sell off the belongings in the home.

Happens a lot.


With boomers getting older this will increase over the next few years.

family usually cleans out personal items and leave what they dont want.

You can find REGULAR estate sales on many auction websites ( I use auctionzip ) being sold by an auctioneer. I try to get the estate before it goes to the auctioneer who charges 25-50% to sell the items.

I also attend a couple estate or antique sales a week to purchase items.

One I go over early and leave bids on items I want and they call me after the auction to let me know what items I have won and when I can pick those items up.

I dont do this as a job. More of a hobby that turned into more then a money maker because I have been making money doing this since I was a kid. Truly enjoy doing it. The thrill or pit in my stomach to find a treasure is what I like most.

Always a hidden gem inside one of those cabinets, closets, shoe boxes.

heck, I pulled the cork out of a piggy bank from one estate sale and found 10 - 100 dollar bills in it. Good thing I looked as I paid I think 25.00 for the box lot of items and the pig bank was inside the box lot.


BOX LOTS- Great for building ebay feedback. They go cheap and you usually can make some decent money on them as well.

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

Yeah a friend of mine buys from auctions. He will often buy what looks like a box of rubbish for a £5.00 and find something in there worth a lot (a recent find was worth £60). He sticks that on eBay and then does a car boot sale to get rid of the rubbish. He can easily make £20 an hour just selling the rubbish.

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

Hi can someone from the US tell me more about stocklots (florida) I am trying to purchase form them, are they legit? They take forever replying to my emails.

And there are many companies too, all different named, but selling same inventory.

Also, having trouble getting them to answer simple question as to whether they ship to the uk , any help appreciated.

Re: How do you guys buy your inventory?
 

If you know what you are doing you can build niches - buy cheap on Ebay and resell on the higher end antique sites like Ruby Lane, Tias or your own website. Buying collections or batches and splitting them up is also a good tactic with antiques.

In the trade you build up relationships so you can sell on the stuff you have no knowledge or interest in. On the same basis people will also offer you stuff they have bought. Ive had people come up to me during am auction and offer to buy stuff I won in a "mixed" lot. Ive also approached other dealers on the same basis. Most dealers are amenable to making a quick profit on stuff they dont then have to haul home.