Thrift Shop Pickups

[RobDerhak]

Originally Posted by lambeauleap87

That is 100% not a Chris Chelios autograph. I'm not sure who it is, but it isn't close to Chelios, nor did he wear #3 for Team USA.

When i first saw that hat,. I thought the #3 Auto was Christian Colon

[shanks25]

OK, I have a couple questions for the guys (and gals) that have been doing this for a lot longer than me. I've been in the game almost a year and I credit this thread for teaching me so much about all of this.

For the past 5-6 months, I've really hit a groove on buying and selling stuff. I've had a constant supply of inventory in and out. Over the past three four months, I've been averaging about 4-6 sales per day. Sometimes (like weekends) it higher and sometimes lower. I've never gone below three sales in a single day. All of the sudden, I just hit a wall. I haven't sold a single item in 2 1/2 days now. I have also added what I consider to be some really easy sellers in the past week. Stuff that usually is gone immediately. It seems really weird for everything to just come to a screeching halt. Has anyone ever experienced this?

And now for the tin-foil hat. I know the eBay algorithms are a mystery but I've noticed something else. In the past year, I've had anywhere from 120 to 180 items for sale at any one time period. Sales are normal except when I'm around 140 items for sale. Right around 140, there seems to be a very noticeable slowdown. That's exactly where I am now...sitting right at 140.

Someone tell me I'm nuts and this is all in my head. Tell me to take the tin foil hat off and step away from the computer. Am I reading way too far into this????

[BGT Masters]

Originally Posted by shanks25

OK, I have a couple questions for the guys (and gals) that have been doing this for a lot longer than me. I've been in the game almost a year and I credit this thread for teaching me so much about all of this.

For the past 5-6 months, I've really hit a groove on buying and selling stuff. I've had a constant supply of inventory in and out. Over the past three four months, I've been averaging about 4-6 sales per day. Sometimes (like weekends) it higher and sometimes lower. I've never gone below three sales in a single day. All of the sudden, I just hit a wall. I haven't sold a single item in 2 1/2 days now. I have also added what I consider to be some really easy sellers in the past week. Stuff that usually is gone immediately. It seems really weird for everything to just come to a screeching halt. Has anyone ever experienced this?

And now for the tin-foil hat. I know the eBay algorithms are a mystery but I've noticed something else. In the past year, I've had anywhere from 120 to 180 items for sale at any one time period. Sales are normal except when I'm around 140 items for sale. Right around 140, there seems to be a very noticeable slowdown. That's exactly where I am now...sitting right at 140.

Someone tell me I'm nuts and this is all in my head. Tell me to take the tin foil hat off and step away from the computer. Am I reading way too far into this????

You're not crazy at all. It happens. I used to get frustrated and still do a bit but now I use the down time to get more work done. If you're listing things that should sell sooner or later it will. For the one slow week you'll have a week were you see double the sales. The worse thing I've found you can do other than having ebay rule cases against you, is to not list.

I juggle two accounts and its noticeable every time when I stop listing on one for a few days sales really drop off. On one account if the number of listings drop from 1030 to around 970 the same thing. When I get the listings back up to 1030+ sales take off again.

I sort of welcome the down time a bit because shipping many of the items I do can take up a good portion of the day. It allows me to prepare and list more items.

[shrevecity]

Originally Posted by BGT Masters

You're not crazy at all. It happens. I used to get frustrated and still do a bit but now I use the down time to get more work done. If you're listing things that should sell sooner or later it will. For the one slow week you'll have a week were you see double the sales. The worse thing I've found you can do other than having ebay rule cases against you, is to not list.

I juggle two accounts and its noticeable every time when I stop listing on one for a few days sales really drop off. On one account if the number of listings drop from 1030 to around 970 the same thing. When I get the listings back up to 1030+ sales take off again.

I sort of welcome the down time a bit because shipping many of the items I do can take up a good portion of the day. It allows me to prepare and list more items.

We all get into a listing purgatory it seems. I have a friend who says it as well It seems like anytime I get to right around 1400 listings I drop to 1350 real quick from sales and then it goes dead again. It was the same thing when I tried to get over 1300 I would fall back to 1260 or so quickly then hit a brick wall till I got just short of the next 100. Its just crazy how the algorithm seems to work sometimes.

I am getting to where I enjoy my Tuesday thru Thursday slowdowns cause lately Friday through Mondays have been crazy for me.

[gglenn3278]

It is a bit strange how that happens. Tuesday of this week, I sold roughly $600 worth of items, which is a GREAT day for me. Yesterday, I didn't sell a single item, and that lasted until this afternoon. Late this afternoon, I got a return request for a clothing item that didn't fit the buyer. Within 5 minutes of approving the return, I sold two items that magically met my "average" daily sales. I 100% believe that my daily sales are manipulated by an algorithm, and that is the main reason I have chosen to keep my day job instead of doing ebay full time. With the occasional up or down week, my weekly managed payments payout is suspiciously consistent.

[Hess687]

Does anyone care to share their numbers from PYTD? I'm not saying I'm doing well, because honestly, I don't know, but I'd be interested in seeing numbers from higher end guys with 800+ listings and see how much profit they make per item along with overall total number of sales.

If no one is interested in giving up that info, I understand.

[shanks25]

What’s PYTD?

I do t fit into that category as I usually have 120-160 listings. Just curious.


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[Hess687]

Originally Posted by shanks25

What’s PYTD?

I do t fit into that category as I usually have 120-160 listings. Just curious.


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Prior Year to Date.....so essentially January 2020-December 2020

[Hess687]

So for clarification Shanks, because I don't mind sharing as either way, I'm happy with what I've made based on my sources to gather items:

Sold: 1100 items
Gross: 50k
Avg Profit per Item: Approximately $20 per item
Net: 22k
Avg Margin: 44%

I believe in the "turn and burn" process though. Where I take a best offer that may be slightly smaller than average previous sales to get rid of the item and move onto the next one. Where as some may have many items but do a strict BIN but receive a higher margin along with profit, but sit on more inventory playing the long hold game.

Neither are wrong, just interested to see where everyone else stands.

[shrevecity]

I am up 52.9% from this time last year. However this time last year I was going through an inventory audit. I closed most of my listings to reorganize my storage system to make things easier to go forward. I may have to do it again soon just to clean things up some.

[Crisscross4767]

Roughly

Sold: 1100 items
Gross: 20k
Net:9k

I've got a similar approach to what Hess does in terms of "turn and burn"

[Hess687]

Originally Posted by Crisscross4767

Roughly

Sold: 1100 items
Gross: 20k
Net:9k

I've got a similar approach to what Hess does in terms of "turn and burn"

Nice! Thanks for sharing, and congrats on a great year! Glad to see you're a believer in the "turn and burn" process as well. I see why people play the long hold game and I'm not an arguer against it, but for me I prefer to sell fast and reload the best I can. Sometimes it drops my listings down substantially when I can't find anything, but I always seem to find my way back up.

Here's hoping I can surpass my all time high of 280 listings from this past year which I think I will as I'm continually expanding into different categories and learning about new products/brands thanks to this forum.

[shrevecity]

Originally Posted by Hess687

Nice! Thanks for sharing, and congrats on a great year! Glad to see you're a believer in the "turn and burn" process as well. I see why people play the long hold game and I'm not an arguer against it, but for me I prefer to sell fast and reload the best I can. Sometimes it drops my listings down substantially when I can't find anything, but I always seem to find my way back up.

Here's hoping I can surpass my all time high of 280 listings from this past year which I think I will as I'm continually expanding into different categories and learning about new products/brands thanks to this forum.

I don't understand the idea of holding onto an item waiting for it to get top dollar either. That day may never come or it may take so long you could have cashed out and turned that money over a dozen times because you want to get that extra 25.00 or whatever.

[BGT Masters]

I’d have to look but on my accounts I’m probably around 1600 sales 50-60k in sales. Most all of that minus shipping and fees is profit. Though most of it I should add is being reinvested into growing the business. Storage, work area, etc.

[Hess687]

Originally Posted by shrevecity

I don't understand the idea of holding onto an item waiting for it to get top dollar either. That day may never come or it may take so long you could have cashed out and turned that money over a dozen times because you want to get that extra 25.00 or whatever.

Completely agree. I'm happy with my margins and as you mentioned it gives me more money to reinvest into more items. I've done this for five years now and each year I've grown my business. Maybe not at the same heights as others on this board, but for a part timer I'm happy with where I am and hope to be in the future. It will be interesting, as I expand, to see what this year will hold.

Originally Posted by BGT Masters

I’d have to look but on my accounts I’m probably around 1600 sales 50-60k in sales. Most all of that minus shipping and fees is profit. Though most of it I should add is being reinvested into growing the business. Storage, work area, etc.

That's awesome! I'm not looking forward to tax season as I write off as much as possible, but am very happy with this past year. 1600 items is amazing!

[ajlaxmn]

Items sold: 1,700

Gross: $69,000

Net: $35,000

Listings: steadily grown since January 2020 where I would hover around 75ish, now it’s more around 400, but I’m trying to get it up more. I think I’d like to be at around 750. Large lots I’ve purchased off Craigslist have helped listing and sales numbers, this isn’t strictly thrift stores and garage sales.


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[ajlaxmn]

Since we are in tax season could we also discuss how people file and different write offs used? If people are ok with sharing.

I’ll be filing as a sole proprietor this year, not sure if forming an LLC for resale is worth it but I’m reading up on it.

Obvious write offs are inventory, shipping, fees, mileage to stores/get items, deduction for your work area. Any others beyond that?


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[nateyad]

Sold: 1222 items
Gross: 44.9k
Avg Profit per Item: Approximately $18.41 per item
Net: 22.5k
Avg Margin: 50.1%

[Hess687]

Nice sales gentleman. Looks like everyone had a great year, IMO. And Ajax the only thing that comes to mind for tax write offs you didn't mention was ink and paper for printing labels. But yeah everything else is what I write off as well. I do a sole proprietor as well when filing.

[shanks25]

My first year into this and my rough numbers are

800-ish sales
$19,600 in sales minus tax, fees, and shipping

[BGT Masters]

Originally Posted by Hess687

Completely agree. I'm happy with my margins and as you mentioned it gives me more money to reinvest into more items. I've done this for five years now and each year I've grown my business. Maybe not at the same heights as others on this board, but for a part timer I'm happy with where I am and hope to be in the future. It will be interesting, as I expand, to see what this year will hold.



That's awesome! I'm not looking forward to tax season as I write off as much as possible, but am very happy with this past year. 1600 items is amazing!

Looks like I did better than I thought. Just looked at the numbers 1800 items sold and $70,000 in sales. It'll be nice in a couple years when I can start pocketing most of that. I easily can see 2-3x growth. For now I don't mind re-investing the profit to build a good foundation for a hopefully long lasting business. I've spent a small fortune in the last two years for just storage, land, tools, ect and that won't change for another year or two unfortunately.

[Crisscross4767]

This was the first year that I moved away from buying mainly close, and man can you tell the difference in how fast stuff moves vs clothing. Also I went with an LLC. It's not really needed for the average ebayer but I wanted to have one, and it only cost about $150 more a year to have.

[Branesergen]

Picked all these up off Facebook for $25. So... many ... small ...pieces lol Overwhelmed and no idea where to start. 1st attempt at Legos haha Any help/ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[trask7]

Originally Posted by Branesergen

Picked all these up off Facebook for $25. So... many ... small ...pieces lol Overwhelmed and no idea where to start. 1st attempt at Legos haha Any help/ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Pull out the mini figures and sell separately, you could then group legos and sell as lot.

[shrevecity]

Pull mini figs and the base plates the rest can be pretty much lotted up unless you really want to break it down further.