Smartphone Apps 4 Storage Auction business

Efficiency.  The better you are at being efficient, the more money you stand to make.

With that in mind, I wanted to start a topic where we can all share what smartphone apps have helped make our buying/selling more efficient.

I will start with my 5 favorite uses of a smartphone! 

1.  Internet look-up.   As long as I have a decent connection, I can look-up a hard to price item while bidding is going on... that way I have an edge when it comes to the bidding.

2.  Turn-by-turn GPS.  I have Google Maps Navigation installed (it's free) and it gives great turn-by-turn directions from where ever I am to the destination that I choose.  Now I'm never late.

3. My Mileage.  A free mileage tracker that starts automatically when you start driving and tracks how far you go.  Great for tax purposes.

4. Scansfer.  Free app that allows you to accept credit card payment through Paypal for any item you want to sell.  Great if someone doesn't have enough money on them but still wants to buy. Simply create a "payment request" with price and name of item being sold.  The person buying it then uses their smart phone to scan the QR code that is generated which takes them to paypal with all the payment info already filled out... all they have to do is fill out the credit card info and address and it will transfer money to your paypal account.  I'd say you need to have moderate knowledge of smartphones to use it.

5. Balance Book - Profit Tracker.  This one cost, but only $4.99.  It allows you to track all your expenses and profits and puts them all into an excel file that you can email to yourself or your CPA.  Best part is you can snap a photo of receipts and attach it directly to the entry for later viewing and record keeping.



What apps do you use?  Let me know because I'm always looking to improve my efficiency. 

I was recently at a high school reunion a buddy of mine is a computer programer and has several apps on the apple market. Were working on comming out with a storage auction app that lists auctions nad gives turn by turn directions. There's a million location based apps so this would be easy to come up with just a twist on all the other location based apps programming is pretty basic for someone who does that for a living. Trying to decide whether to charge for the app or jut make money off advertising I'm leaning towards free as I rarely pay for apps.

Efficiency.  The better you are at being efficient, the more money you stand to make.

With that in mind, I wanted to start a topic where we can all share what smartphone apps have helped make our buying/selling more efficient.

Efficiency is good. What's your history with bidding on and winning storage auction lkrs?

@MovieMan,

I'm batting 1000 so far... though I almost lost that a week ago.  Spent about $620 on 3 units (that includes transportation, storage, and time spent).  In the end I only made $740.  I held a garage sale right before I went to the dump and made the last $170 (whew!).

You might call me a hobbyist.  I don't do this full time.  I maybe buy a few units every few weeks.  Although I want to start doing it more now since they can't give as many hours at work.

Major app that I just found... best part it's free.

I was using Scanfer and Paypal apps for accepting credit card payments.  As far between they are now, I've seen 10+ and will grow as the individual item price increases.  Now I've found a FREE APP WITH FREE CARD READER.  The company is Squareup.com
You get a free card reader, and there are no contracts, monthly fees, or hidden fees.  Just 2.75% of the transaction.  With Paypal charging almost 7%, I've already transferred over!  This thing allows the customer to sign in front of you (making them more secure) or if it is a phone/internet order you can input that way.  Receipt can be emailed or text to their phone instantly!

Yeah, best app for a small business ever.

This concept has been discussed here before; usually I will provide a link, but will PASS this time.

In my opinion....this would never fly at my flea market ... a small business. Most of my customers wouldn't grasp the concept. I think the NUMBER of customers who would understand this would be so small that it would be inconsequential.

Sometimes....Steve Jobs not withstanding....there is a limit to what will fly, or to what EXTENT it will fly.

I could see this app being useful in a hybrid situation like if you are selling big ticket merchandise out of a location you don't have set up like a proper store with a cash register and credit card reader. I agree with Movieman this app would go off like a lead balloon at my flea market, five-ten years from now maybe it would be accepted by the masses, but then again someone has got to start the trend.

You also have to be careful with charge backs (something you don't have to worry about with CASH). When you take a credit card, you are subject to the terms and conditions of the card issuers merchant agreement and even if you sold something as-is where-is, you may still suffer a loss if someone charges back the sale or the card turned out to be stolen or things of that nature.

Here is one that is pretty handy depending on your area:

iscrapapp.com/

Basically it locates scrap buyers in your area and gives you their current pricing.

...this app would go off like a lead balloon at my flea market

LOL!

Yeah, I would definitely agree that this app wouldn't be good for the flea market/garage sale.  I was thinking it would be good for more of the high end sale... i.e. $800 piece of antique furniture that is being sold out of storage unit.  I had this situation happen to me once.  Was selling ~12,000 baseball cards that I got in a single unit and my asking price was higher than the buyer wanted to pay so he came prepared to only pay half.  Once he examined the collection he agreed that it was worth more than what he brought.  He then jokingly offered his credit card (knowing I couldn't process it).  So I decided to sell it for cash he had on hand because I wanted it sold.

Hopefully next time I can use this app to capitalize on the extra $$$

4. Scansfer.  Free app that allows you to accept credit card payment through Paypal for any item you want to sell.  Great if someone doesn't have enough money on them but still wants to buy. Simply create a "payment request" with price and name of item being sold.  The person buying it then uses their smart phone to scan the QR code that is generated which takes them to paypal with all the payment info already filled out... all they have to do is fill out the credit card info and address and it will transfer money to your paypal account.  I'd say you need to have moderate knowledge of smartphones to use it.

i suggest squareup over anything related to payfraud. I lost all the profit on a unit 4 years ago due to paypal. Bought the unit for 3100 because we all could see the top of a skid loader in it. Turned out to be a Bobcat 873 diesel. It ran, but needed an overhaul due to extensive blow by.

Anyways, I listed it on e-bay stating it needed the engine overhauled but it did run.

Guy wins it for 8100 and paypals for it. I hit flush to checking and the guy picks it up. Goes home and I don't hear from him. He then starts a charge back because.. wait for it... The engine is worn out. (uhh duh!) paypal gives him the money because he funded it with a credit card. I never got to fight it. BTW paypal canceled the flush to my account and I never saw a dime on that machine.

So.. Long story short. I only use a true credit card processor bound by law to give me my money or let me fight it out to keep it.

Also, at 2.75% for swiped transactions (they send you the card reader that plugs in to your headphone jack) it's cheaper and it goes automatically in to your checking or savings account in a day or two.

Or just go old school! If it looks good bid if not pass. Get things to complicated you loose. You know what will sell and what wont. Keep it simple. Keep it simple!