Sunday 11 November 2012

Favourite Buys This Week

I thought I'd try listing my favourite buys.  Mine are not as exciting as on other blogs.  I have no posh brand-name clothing or rare china.  Generally, my sales are lower in price, so not as exciting.   I wasn't going to bother, but then I thought - hey, we all have different niches - you might learn something.

So here goes.   I did pick up some rare higher-profit items this week.

I am quickly finding that board games are becoming my big sellers, and the biggest profit makers for me.     With trial and error, I'm finally learning which ones are bombs, and which are good for a quick buck or as good-profit sellers.

The trick is to find places that sell them at a price where you can make a decent profit.    I went into a nearby Salvation Army yesterday, and they had Risk Game - the Lord of the Rings Edition.   This is the first time I've ever seen a Risk game after reading so much about them on eBay Underground.   I jumped on the box and looked at the price - $8.   *snort*   I looked at all little fiddly pieces inside, and put it back.   No way was I investing that money on something that hadn't even been checked to see if it was complete.   When I got home, I searched completed's just in case, and used ones were only selling for $20 maximum.   So I'm very glad I didn't get it.

Then they had this game for $2.99.    I pounced on it before someone else did.  VERY conservatively priced for the Salvos, which is a surprise.

This is a good seller in Australia.  I have sold a copy before for a very good price. This game still had the cards in the shrink wrap, so it hadn't been played.    I put it up yesterday, and now I'm waiting for a bite.



My sister very nicely found me this game at the Animal Shelter Op Shop for $2.50.   It was in pristine condition inside.  Now I KNOW this one is rare, and you can get a good price.    I put it up, and it actually SOLD for full price the next day.



I love finding old Scrabble games that still have all the wooden tile holders.   I grabbed this one, even though I didn't count the tiles.  You just sell the tile holders for about $10 and keep the tiles as spares.
As it turned out, all the tiles were there, and the board was in excellent condition.


I bought 6 games at $1 each :

~ Twister (already sold)
~ Atmosfear (incomplete - for spare parts - also had lots of cards for a different Atmosfear game)
~ Nightmare (incomplete - for spare parts)
~ Trivial Pursuit For Kids
~ Payday
~ Pass the Bomb


I had a good look at my huge pile of games, and decided to have a clean out.    There was some games that I was only selling on Quicksales, because it was free to list there.   I've had these for more than a year.  There was also a couple that were incomplete - sitting in my What To Do With pile.   I ended up getting rid of about 10 games.  I also naughtily trashed the games for spare parts - coloured dice, playing tokens, egg-timers and small pencils.

So I took a boot-load of stuff and put it in the donation bin this morning.
It feels good to have a clean-out, and make space for money-generating games.


Just for a change, I grabbed this NWT doll - which I now know is Agnes from Despicable Me.   It costed me about 25 cents.



Doing research I see somebody selling them for $10 each (NWT) and they're only selling about every third one.   So no huge profit there.


I'm also focussing on quirkier or vintage children's books.  These are the ones I found this week.

I remember reading this book as a child.  It's from 1982.  Cost = 10 cents.


Surprisingly, there are NO copies of this up for sale, nor have any sold in the last three months.


I always pick up vintage illustrated books on Aboriginal Legends.  This one is a 1st edition, published in 1972.    Cost = 10 cents


There are two for sale on eBay at the moment - both for about $17.



These two are so cute.  Published in 1961 & 1963.  Costed 10 cents each.



I can't find any of these up for sale on eBay or sold in the past 3 months.  One book in the "Whitman Learn About" series is up for $9 at the moment.



Bum Buy Of the Week

Yes, I did it, I tried to expand my horizons to children's toys - again.  I spent one day looking at Completed's for children's toys.   There was too much to choose from, so I zeroed in on Fisher Price toys only.    I decided to start at my favourite local Op Shop.   They have a room full of toys - we are talking floor to ceiling.  I instantly got overwhelmed.   Kids screaming, toys laid out on the floor as a waiting death traps.      All my best intentions instantly fled.

Then I spotted these:


Oh joy.  Wiggles products.  An easy choice.    These were probably under a $1 each in total.
At another Op Shop, I bought a little kids cassette player thing with microphone attached (not in photograph).

Got them home and tested them.  Cassette player didn't work.  One guitar didn't work.  Other guitar had 2 buttons stuck down and one button didn't work.   Accordion DID work.

Unless I carry around a range of batteries in different sizes, and a screwdriver (not going to happen), I think I'd better steer clear of those things.     Useless things got binned so nobody else spent money on trash.


Star Buy Of the Week

There were actually a few this week, so hard to choose.    That wonderful item that you saw, that gave you a naughty tingling in your bits.

At my favourite (local) op shop I rolled up to the bric-a-brac area and there, glistening in the early morning sun - is a HUGE plastic container with the sign "FREE VIDEOS."    I stopped for a  moment, and did deep-breathing exercises.    The lady that works there came out the door and spotted me.    "Ah, the Veeeedio Laydee" she says (she is Dutch).   "Take them.  Take them all.  Free - all yours.  We have too many.    No room."    I felt that I should buy something (well, I bought those children's toys and games) and took them to the car.    I snaffled all the good ones for nothing.    There was 16 videos.    Happy days!    



NOTE:   In Op Shops,  I am known as the "Veeedio Laydee".  Other places I am known as the "Book Lady."   Most other places, I am known as "That Weirdo."


1 comment:

  1. I sold one of those agnes dolls forlike $35 but that was a long time ago and I think it was a bigger size doll. I get overwhelmed by looking at board games so I usually pass that aisle. The Goodwills here sell games starting at $2.99 and up. Nice scores Too bad about the wiggles toys. I hate when people donate broken toys

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