Saver's Delight Thrift

Reselling items from thrift can be difficult. Often times when shopping at a Thrift shop or an antique mall, the variety of inventory can be overwhelming. Where do you start? I know that looking for items from the Thrift is not always easy. To be a good reseller you have to know which items will sell. My starting point is researching vintage antique guides, I do not use the prices on these guides because the information is dated, but I do use other important data in the guides. I review the photos of the items in the guide. I search for the higher priced items in the guidebook and then do a cross-search on the Internet to find updated values for these items. Depending upon their current value, I make a list of what to search for at the Thrift and the antique stores. It is a good starting point and helps from becoming too overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff you will find at these thrift store.   To be a successful reseller, consider the following attributes and strategies: 1. **Research Resalable Items**: It’s essential to identify which items will sell well. To do this, conduct thorough research. Start by exploring eBay and find items you are interested in selling. Examine sold listings to see the prices they fetched—this information is crucial. If you have an eBay store, use Tera Peak, which provides data on sales results for specific keywords. Look for unique or one-of-a-kind items at thrift stores; unusual items tend to do well. Additionally, focus on well-known brands, especially in categories like clothing, housewares, and toys. When thrifting for costume jewelry, ensure that pieces are signed by recognized designers. 2. **Market Your Items Effectively**: Once you’ve sourced your items, it’s crucial to market them strategically. If you plan to sell online, crafting compelling titles and descriptions is key for visibility in search engines. A well-optimized listing attracts more traffic, which can lead to more sales. Start your title with the brand name, followed by the item type and price. In the description, be as detailed as possible about the item’s features, including any defects. By following these steps, you’ll improve your chances of success as a reseller.

3. You need to price your items for resale and to make a profit. Search on eBay filter and advanced search and click on the Sold and Completed Sales buttons to see how much the item sold for under eBay’s sold comps. There are various online resources which include subscription and non-subscription websites that provide data on sales of items sold. Some examples of these types of sites are Worth Point, Ask art, and Art Price, which are subscription sites. The best source is eBay comps. and it’s free.

Resale items are usually priced at one-third of the original during physical garage and yard sales.  Thrift store items are sold for a few cents to a few dollars. You have to evaluate the value of the item to see if it’s worth reselling on any online platform. Selling on online platforms commands higher prices especially if a thrifted item is collectible, rare, unique, hard to find items.

4. As a reseller you need to multitask, by that I mean you have to source items at the thrift, then photograph and list the items on eBay, and then pack and ship the items out to the client. As a reseller, you will wear many hats. Reselling has to involve time management to handle all transactions during the day.

5. As a reseller you have to be organized to set up an inventory system to resell. Especially if handling inventory. You have to organize items so that you can find them when needed. Resellers usually store items in plastic totes in a space in the spare room or garage. They place letters on the individual totes to create storage for individual items to be resold to create an inventory system.

In summary, you need a lot of different skills to be a reseller. You will need to do your research on

prices how to research on eBay’s sold comp. listings. You will have to learn how to write great titles and descriptions to be found online. As a reseller, you need to multitask to do all of the above tasks. As a reseller, you have to be organized to develop an inventory system. You have to have these skills to be a successful reseller. If you practice the skills listed above, you will have success selling online. With a lot of hard work, practice, and research anyone can be a reseller.

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