I am about to get a lot of online selling practice

As the subject says, I have a lot of practice selling storage unit types of items coming up, courtesy of a friend.  After this selection of items, I think I will be ready to tackle a majority of sales after winning an auction.

Well, to make a short story long, here goes.....

A friend told me to come to his house to pick up some sports cards he had found for me.  He said he also has few things he would like for me to sell for him, and we will split the income from it.  By the time I get to his house, he has a few boxes out, full, and is still filling more boxes!  He has been collecting Nascar memorabilia, antiques, hot wheels, and junk (lol) for over 20 years.  Well, after 7 hours of packing and loading my pickup, my bed cover would not shut and I could not see out the passenger window, and barely could shift gears!!!!!

A quick list of types of items I have to sell are:

1.   Nascar memorabilia – everything from die-cast cars to shampoo bottles and cereal boxes (full of cereal)
2.   Hot Wheel cars – probably over 300, and almost every single one is still in a perfect package
3.   Military issue gasoline lantern in perfect condition
4.   1800’s ladies small leather boot – yes I said boot, not boots, just one.
5.   Late 50’s hot rod tachometer with control box
6.   Late 20’s Model “A” parts – smaller items
7.   Wired remote control R2D2 robot that works and looks great
8.   GI Joe doll with clothes – missing one foot, will sell as a parts for someone to restore
9.   30’s tricycle
10.   Sports cards – mostly junk, but a few good items
11.   Coca-Cola glass bottle commemorative 6-packs.  All are in excellent condition, including the cardboard carry cases.
12.   More stuff that I can’t think of right of f hand

I will be starting to list a lot on CL tomorrow, and what does not sell, I will periodically move over to eBay.  If I have a lot left by the time I get to go to the next flea, it will all be coming with me.

He told me to try and sell everything.  Sell what I can, give him a percentage, and keep a percentage for myself.  He said do not bring back anything that does not sell.  I told him I will do an inventory and track the sales, so he knows how everything is going.  The reply I got was “Don’t waste that kind of time on me, I just want to see some green”.

After this truckload is finished, I have probably 1 to 1.5 truck loads more to pick up and sell.  The next lot will have a lot more high end die-cast cars, like 1:36 scale concept cars that were only sold to Chrysler employees.

As I list items and they sell, I will probably report updates on this thread as to the good and bad that goes along with it.  I will also post some of the links to the ads for ya’ll to review and help me improve my selling strategies.  I want to hear all positive and negative feedback, because that is the only way I am going to learn what I am doing right and wrong.

When I come across items that I have no idea what the value may be, I will post questions in the appropriate section “What’s it worth?”.

Nascar stuff should be pretty easy to sell though I imagne ike everything else with the economy prices of memorbilia and stuff has come down quite a bit but Nascar is hugely popular nad will be easy to sell, nothing like baseball cards in terms of difficulty.

A good buddy of mine is a nascar nut and actually into racing in general also into formula cars and all that stuff.

If you have a list of items nad maybe some pics either post or shoot me an email, my buddy may be intersted in a lot of it, just depends on where you are and how steep shipping would be. He has everything from car hoods down to die cast cars so may be interestd in a lot of stuff. Were in Chicago.

Anyhow, like I said if you put together a list shoot it to me at [email protected] and I'll pass it along to my buddy.

The majority of what I planned on doing inventory on first is the Nascar.  I will put a list together and get some pictures.  I will send you an email as soon as I get done.  I am going to start it tonight, after I go back to his house and get another truck load.

I don't know how diehard of a fan your friend is, but this collection contains all sorts of stuff:

1.  All sizes of die-cast cars, some limited edition
2.  Hot Wheels
3.  A 1994 short print auto card of Mark Martin
4.  A couple of autograph posters I think
5.  cereal boxes (with cereal still in them)
6.  key chains
7.  bath soap in the package and two empty shampoo bottles
8.  other items I have not even seen yet.

Yeah, my buddy is definately a die hard nascar nut, in addition to the normal stuff like car hoods, steering wheels, etc he also gets all the wierd collectibles too like cereral boxes and any product featurning nascar stuff or racers. He does have a new baby so may not be spending as much on fun stuff as before but he probably still would be intersnted in some items if they had his fav racers. Yeah look forward to seeing what you got. Thanks.

When I get the list compiled, probably just have him make some offers.  I will run the offers buy my friend, since I am not sure how to best price them yet.

I may or may not get to the list tonight.  I just posted a thread on the eBay section for tips on selling sports cards on eBay.  Well, when I finished, I got myself excited, and I am getting some of my Mavs and Heat cards ready to cash in during the finals!!!

I just got home with a third load of stuff from my friend.  There was a major turn of events tonight.  I showed up to his house to pick up the third load of his stuff and after I handed him $400 I left the third load of my stuff. 

I probably have one more load to go and then I can start the sorting and inventory process.  In the past 3 days I have spent a total of 15 hours packing and moving these loads to my house.  I have averaged 2 hrs of sleep a day.  Needless to say, I will not be doing inventory tomorrow.  I am going to crash the second I come through the front door!



Hey Drew, I was beginning to wonder if I shoul have started this in the "Non Related Plugs" section?  If so, can you please move this thread for me?  Thanks.

rulesforrebels -   I have finally sorted through the boxes and have separated all of the Nascar stuff.  I think I have all of the Nascar separated.  I may find more 1:64 scale die-cast cars later when I finish going through what I thought was a little over 300 Hotwheels, but now I think it may be over 600!

Anyways, now that I have the Nascar by itself, all I have to do is go through the 10 boxes and totes, inventory them, and start taking pictures.  

This feels like Christmas, I keep finding all sorts of cool stuff.  I have never received this many toys at one time.  If I were a little kid I think my head would explode!

I have completed the inventory and pictures of the Nascar stuff.  I have started putting all of the pics in my photobucket.

I am about to transfer my inventory list from hand written to Excell in the computer.

rulesforrebels   - When I finish putting the inventory into my computer I will send you an email with the document attatched.

It took a little while, but I made it in to the profit area for this collection I am selling.

I sold six of the Nascar 1:64 trucks and one 1:18 Nascar car for $28 a couple months ago.

A guy just left my house today with the entire non-Nascar part of the die-cast collection.  He gave me $443 for them all.

So, I now am on the profit side by $71 and I still have well over half of the collection left to sell.

Have you kept track of you hours you have spent on this project

Have you kept track of you hours you have spent on this project

Yes.  I spent a total of 16 hours doing inventory, taking pictures, and inputing the data in the computer.  It took about 2 hours to load and transfer everything to my house.  So I have 18 hours total time invested.

wow u r a really nice friend that is alot of work!!

wow u r a really nice friend that is alot of work!!

LOL.  I am a little nice, but not as nice as it sounds.  I ended up buying everything from him for $400 when I was loading the last load.  I wanted to be able to sell the stuff at my own pace.