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That baseball sounds valuable.. A sports shop might be able to tell you about it. Pawn shops, unlike the ones on TV, will just look it up on ebay. Fyi.

What the equivalent of a flea market and a thrift store in the UK?

Sandy i only read to the end of page 2 and you kill it! Inspiring stuff.

charity shops

car boot sales

second hand shops

things like that arshavin

in other words the uk does not compare lol

Is anyone on this forum from the UK that is finding gems like sandy and co?

I watched that show where the guy would take people around to flea markets and see who did best with their finds so I know the stuff is there.

I am in the US and this stuff is in every sizable town I go into.

I can go any direction and find something.

Hope you guys can too!

Yard sales were slim picking today mainly because of the change of rain.

But did get some goodies.

Roy Rogers lunchbox and a leather Harley Davidson biker vest and a Nintendo DS with some games were some of the better items.

Picked up a vintage Reel to Reel player/recorder today. Hopefully it is worth something.

Have not had much time to post in this thread much.

Hit a few yard sales yesterday and ended up with some goodies.

Box of legos, huge box for 5.00.

Box of old 60-70s fisher price toys. All look like they have never been played with.

Nice trumpet in case. Will have to dig on this one.

Box of old coke bottles. 1930's.

why are people selling things like a huge box of legos for only $5? Are they older people, or younger who really don't care? I'm interested because I thought everyone knows about ebay or craigslist. I know that it's too much hassle for some people to sell on these sites, but it's still strange.
But what really matters is, that it's good for us :)
Have you found out anything about the Mickey Mantle signed ball?

There are still many people who just dont care or just do not want to deal with ebay etc.

I find things all the time, every weekend actually and wonder myself why would someone not sell this item themselves.

I found the solid oak bistro set for next to nothing and re sold it on CL for 5 times the money.

And a lot of people dont want certain people showing up at their house from CL because CL is known for having some weird people show up.
With a yard sale you usually have help, other yard sales and other people around and not a one on one deal with someone who do not know.

Yes, the Mantle and other Yankees signed ball is worth over 1000.00.
All I need is it to get graded etc. Mantle itself is 500-600 range by itself but then you have Berra and other good Yanks on it.

I cannot list it until it is graded and for a while because I posted the info here and my user ID would be known so I will just hold it for a while or take it to a card show and sell it off.

Speaking of signed balls.

Stopped in a local pawn shop today and found a new Nintendo DS for 89.00.
And a Carlton Fisk, Fred Lynn, Carl Yastremski signed ball and program from 1974 spring training game in Florida.

I usually never looked at electronics but learned from you guys to always keep an eye out for certain items.

I see a lot of electronics hitting the thrift and pawn shops all the time but never took the time to look or learn.

Not being very techy hurts.

I've never stepped foot into a pawn shop that didn't revolve around ebay. Pawn shops usually base all their pricing on ebay sales and they won't pay a dime over 50% of what something SELLS for on ebay.

In my area you can find some off the wall items that pawn shops normally do not carry.

The DH walked out with a nice like new Skil chain saw with me the other day for 35.00 in the case.

The DS was a steal of a deal as they go for 125-150 easily on eb.

I don't understand why the box of legos stood out to you. I feel like I'm missing something here. Five dollars for a box of legos doesn't seem cheap to me. Is it some sort of a collectible or vintage item?

But in any case, I don't know why some people are so shocked by what people sell at Estate sales. It's not strange at all.

I know from experience that most people throw things they don't want. I don't mean like Mickey Mantle balls or anything but little things like a $10-$20 item. Many times these people don't think it's possible to sell these items because they can't fathom why anyone would want them.

Also, for many people it's not worth their time to sell every item they own. If you make $60,000 a year and have a house and is stable why would you waste time selling a $20-$50 item? You would have to:

1. Do research and figure out what it's worth.
2. Open an Ebay account.
3. List the item and figure all that out.
4. Check the item for flaws or problems.
5. Then ship the item if you actually sell it.
6. Hope there are no problems from the crazy buyers on Ebay.

Quite frankly, I wouldn't do it. It's not worth my time if I am already working full time and have no financial difficulties. I'd much rather spend my time doing something actually fun or worth whiled.

So just remember, many people that sell items for cheap aren't stupid or lazy, they are probably just busy with other things.

No one said they are stupid or lazy. Most either need the money, do not care to look into the item or just want to get rid of it.

Every aspect of what I do is different. I go to several antique and estate auctions and those people are banking on getting decent money out of there stuff when in fact they pay 25-30 to the auctioneer and people like me buy all night long and if you stay late at one auction you can fill a cargo van full of box lots of goodies for less then 100.00.

As far as fun goes, this is my fun and I get to make money doing it.
Not many get to do that or just do not have the skills or knowledge to do both.

For instance a couple weeks ago I went to a large community yard sale.
After one street I had to call home for reinforcements and the cargo van as I had bought so much my backpack was full and I started leaving my name on items at the homes to come back and pick up.

My enjoyment is the thrill of the hunt and the reward is the stupid money I make doing it.

Do you know how many people work 40 hours a week and bring home 1,000 a month? I have days I make 1,000 a day and buy and sell for the fun and enjoyment and make more then most who work 40 hours at wal mart in one day.

Who gets paid to do what they want when they want? I do and so do others.

Now down to the business of it.

The weekend I hit the community yard sales I spent 423.50. Three trips to pick up the items including some clean nice furniture, an antique dresser, an a nice antique oak secretary.

I put the furniture on CL and got back 1200.00 for the furniture alone.

I bought tote after tote of goodies.

By last Saturday the items from just one day of 5 hours of yard sales, 2 hours of sorting and cleaning if needed, 1 hour of photos, approx 2 hours listing, little research because most items I knew what they were. Packing was easy so maybe 1 hour packing and I have a front door pick up for the account I sell these item on. Total hours approx were 12 hours or so.

From 423.50 in money spent. Sales 2613.55, Net profit of 2190.00. Take out 250.00 for eb and pp and you get 1940.05 TOTAL PROFIT for 12 hours of work.

This is not a typical Saturday yard sale but many Saturdays I am out 2-3 hours and usually can manage 500 or more profit easily if the items are there.
Not many Saturdays do I not find anything.

Would you work for 12 hours and make 1900? Doing what you love and enjoy.
Do you get thrilled to go to work everyday? Do you enjoy your work?
Are you excited the night before you go to work?

Well, I get excited to hit a yard sale, thrift store or going to an auction.

Not too long ago I bought an entire estate full of items. Everything in the house, basement and garage for one price. It was like Christmas going into the house.

And I get to stop and spend time with my kids and husband, we have a caged pool to enjoy, we go to Disney world 1 or 2 times per week every week for several hours, we hit the beach 4-5 times a week during the summer and 2-3 times per week during school time.

Yup, I get paid for doing what I enjoy and make money doing it. Not many can say that.

The Mickey ball, I will make no less then 800.00 or so on it.

And by the way I dont always post all of my finds because I list them right away. I have now 5 storage sheds full of purchases and the inventory goes in and back out.

Just as a note that I did not mention. I found 4 glass cups in a box lot at last weeks auction. They were a sample color and very rare. They sold on eb for 800.00 BIN. The box lot,------ 10.00. No one in the entire building but me knew what they were. The lady bid me up to get a stupid pyrex bowl which I ended up just giving it to her.


It is 2 47 am and everyone is in bed asleep and I am listing items I found today. One item I should be able to profit close to 100.00 easily and only hit two thrift stores today on the way back from the grocery.

I am not a couch potato and never will be.

And we have jet skis and hit the ocean with them often.

When I was working a real job making decent money I did not have a 4-3 pool home, several vehicles, buy anything I want and go anywhere I want.

This site taught me that I cannot be taken down without a fight and now I have more accounts then I can possibly sell on. But I will be making more and more because eb wont screw me over ever again.

My goal is to rent a warehouse and be able to pick from a large asst of items to sell.

I am finally getting prepared to buy from overseas. I do buy some new items now from a DH gate seller here close to me but I mainly love to sell my usual.

I hope you are doing what you like and not in some rat race job making only 60k per year because you can make more money going to yard sales, flea markets, swap meets, thrift stores, auctions and have fun doing it on your own terms and time.

Wow, Sandy, you are as has been said before an inspiration.

Im just as the start of a long road back to eb, after getting the mother of all kicking from them and pp.

Like yourself, I love to have a deal with people - i used to be pretty into myself in terms of approaching people, but the ability to buy and sell gives me a real buzz.

I used to be a buyer for a large auto company, but health setbacks took that away from me and it kind of feels like im getting the chance to start again, which in my mid-30's I never thought I would have.

I get excited reading stories like yours, because I love the $ signs - well the £ signs over here...I have had moments like that when I have walked up to someone to buy something, paid them what they wanted and skipped away trying not to smile the widest smile because I know I got a real bargain.

The US is definately more clued up interms of swap meets, yard sales than the UK - our car boot sales are closer but to be honest people over here generally only bring the rubbish to those that they cant sell elsewhere.

I like to find the items that I know most about - in my case its cars and accessories - and go after a bargain with a seller. I sometimes am a little cheeky with a low bid, but I always back that up with a promise to collect promptly with cash.

In terms of selling - I struggle to understand how folks undersell what they have over and over again. Most items I have bought I have bought from badly written or photographed ebay adverts. Things get so overlooked, not matter how valuable they might be. I say to my wife that it still astounds me that something that I have just bought from eb, can be resold a week or so later for multiple times what we paid for it, and how a simply clear advert, with a good description and good quality pictures gets the bids in.

I love a story when buying something and I tend to do that with my adverts as people love to be sold something, rather than just shoving it in their faces with no care or attention to detail.

Best deals - not many recently, because of the problems I have been faced with - in the recent past though I have had some corkers:

A Peugeot 406 Saloon for free because the seller thought it had engine problems, and went out and bought another car - they just wanted it out of their drive to the first person who could collect - picked that up on Thursday, advertised Friday, sold on Sunday for £650.

Another one was I bought a VW beetle from a lady who was emigrating. I seen it slightly cheaper than others local to me and enquired. No one else would be flexible and allow her to use the car until she flew out in two weeks time, but I agreed. She brought the car to me, I checked it out and made her what I thought was a fair offer for the car - £1000 - it was actually more than she hoped for and was delighted. I spent that afternoon cleaning it and put it on eb (this was Dec last year). Within an hour I had an offer for the car at £1850. The guy came the next day from London (6 hours by train from me) and collected it. He too was delighted because it was just as described and around £700 cheaper than the same car in the London area. Everybody was happy!

Great story!

It is out there, you just got to have the will and desire to do it.

One thing I do a lot is if I see a young family having a yard sale and she is carrying a baby or has babies near by and appears to be she is selling to get some money together I will do one of two things.

Either offer her more money for something or ask her if she sells on ebay. If she says yea sometimes or has an account I tell her what the item is, what category to put it in and what price she can sell it for.

There is plenty out there so I have a big heart for young families who could use the money.

I buy all the time on ebay and re sell items. I use terapeak like I always do and find many things in the wrong category etc.

Most people want to work their 8 hours a day and stop. Those are the ones who will be in line whining about not having the money to have the things they want or need or the money to do things.

I have a 14 year old who sells on ebay, she goes with me to yard sales, buys her own items with her own money and has her own stealth eb account.
She has no problems making 100-200 a week and sometimes more. Not to long ago she bought a box lot at the auction house for 35.00. Full of Fenton Glass, return 300+.


Good luck and I hope I did inspire you and others that if I can do it so can you.

** I was a picker long before the picker show even happened. I AM THE ORIGINAL PICKER!!!

That is awesome! I wish I new stealth at 14 years old! Plus, your 14 year old isn't give out any personal info to all those creepers on ebay.

And I'll add something about flipping items on ebay. I learned this when someone bought something from me and I saw that they resold it for double the profit just by listing in a much better way.

I bought an item just last week for about $200. I was able to break it up into 3 pieces and resell for over $400 total. Used a different ebay account than I bought it with of course. :)

Awesome BG!

Now that is how it is done.

Me too but I was way past 14 when eb started.

Exactly, the less info they get the better off.

I hooked her up with a tweaked name of hers and a nice new address.

She buys her own stuff, takes her own pics, researches items etc and does very well. Sometimes it is like a mad dash to a table of goodies at a yard sale between us.

Not many 14 years can carry a debit card with a nice chunk in it and not spend it all in one place like does. She knows she can turn 1000 into 1500 etc.