Your Favorite Non-Storage Source For Product?

I guess it's my fault that this forum exists, so I might as well kick things off. 

If there was all the above I would have checked that.

I voted other. I have started going to auction houses for furniture to supplement my inventory. Granted there is no "WOW" factor, and the profit margins are much smaller,but it helps keep some inventory in the line when storage auctions are few and too expensive.

Years ago my source was retail stores.  I'd buy Pokemon and Magic cards and sell singles via my friends gaming store.  Would also buy the NASCAR coke bottle sets and sell individual bottles for the price of the whole pack on ebay.  Then it was estate and equipment auction sales.  Mostly for myself but would pick stuff up to re-sale on craigslist and such.  Then came the storage auctions, and from there my many trips to the flea to sale.  So now while I'm at the flea I check out other people that are setup there for unique items to re-sale on ebay.

Mostly sticking with collectibles like coke, sports, or such.  Pick up trains and related items sometimes as my brother-in-law sales them on ebay.  So I take a picture and text him the info and he will say ya or nay as to buying.

Not real heavy into buying and re-selling like many.  Mostly due to being one of the lucky ones with a full time job.

Currently I'm mostly not buying as want to clean out inventory and build some shelves and such in my barns.  So if things don't sell this weekend it's a trailer load to Goodwill on all of the cloths, furniture, and such for the tax write-off.  Will start over in January.

Why isn't shoplifting a choice?

Why isn't shoplifting a choice?

For polling purposes, I would have you choose where you prefer to shoplift. 

Was never a big yard sale goer but with lockers going for so much we go on the hunt.
This pass weekend we spent $56

Bought a glider recliner    sold $20 (actual trade at thrift for small frig. Which we got one in our locker today)

3 dinning room chairs      4sale @ $30

A high back rattan chair    4 sale @ $40

A China tea set (Only marks are in Chinese)  From the '50 or '60's  ?

A home-made jewellery box full of costume jewellery (manly glass) 22 Necklaces one vintage blown glass chilli peppers ?

Hand painted wine decanter and 6 glasses.  ?

I have realized how little we know about the smalls. Might need to post the tea pot on what is it worth.

So we are into yard sales. We hit the ones late on Saturday and on Sunday think that is why we do so well.

Money,sounds like you did great.

I get my inventory from several sources:
1. Storage Auctions
2. Govt Auctions
3. Free section on CL
4. ON side of road or dumpster diving
5. Sweepstakes
6. I do make readys now, and I sometimes get merchandise that way.
7. Flea Market
8. Yard/Garage Sales
9. Thrift Stores
10.Estate Sales

Don't count out retail stores. My favorites are Dillard's and Staples. My last purchase from staples was 13 otter box cases for the iPhone at $2.50 each and 3 graphics cards at $10 each. The iPhone cases I'm selling for $15 dollars profit each and the graphics cards for $20 profit each. That adds up to about $255 in profit for a $62.50 investment. That's using a profit calculator of selling price - ebay fees - paypal fees - shipping - initial investment = profit  for a 260% return on investment.
Dillard's does an extra 40% off their reduced merchandise about every three months. And I tend to pick up things already marked off 75% and use a reward coupon which takes another 10% off. Watches are my favorite, but I've picked up small coach items, sunglasses and intimates as well. I worked at a Dillard's while I was in college so I got to know the store pretty well. My best find while working there were two pairs of Versace sunglasses marked down to $2 each.
That being said I generally just drop in when I'm shopping there for one reason or another and hit up the clearance section.

Dillard's does an extra 40% off their reduced merchandise about every three months. And I tend to pick up things already marked off 75% and use a reward coupon which takes another 10% off. Watches are my favorite, but I've picked up small coach items, sunglasses and intimates as well. I worked at a Dillard's while I was in college so I got to know the store pretty well. My best find while working there were two pairs of Versace sunglasses marked down to $2 each.
That being said I generally just drop in when I'm shopping there for one reason or another and hit up the clearance section.

I worked for them for a while, as well, and I am totally on the same page with you. Went to their New Year's Day sale, but the prices weren't nearly as nice as last year. I had hoped to find some things and come on here to brag about my retail pickin' finds. Oh well. 

I've done the "retail store" thing only a few times.  Most of the time it's a popular game or electronic item that I buy local and sell for $30-$50 profit to others in the US that can't find the item.

Only other time I ventured out from that was at Khols.  Mother had a 30% off coupon and I got stuck driving her and my kids there to shop.  So while waiting for them to try on the 20th something item I walked around the store.  Found a table of clearance household items.  Found one of those nice "single cup" coffee machines.  Thought my wife would like it so picked it up.  Think with the 30% off I paid like $12 and change.  She didn't want it so I posted it on CL and sold it for $50.


I keep my eye out on govdeals.com and few other auctions sites mostly.  Other then storage auctions it has always been estate and equipment auctions for me mostly.

Thought about the retail thing. I am good when comes to me personally. But do not have enough knowledge for the resale end of stuff at retail. Some things I do. So am treading lightly on that. Still learning to much out of the locker stuff. 

Did a little picking at the Goodwill yesterday and found out they give 15% discount @ age 55   Ash Lawn plate cost .84 saw one on eBay buy it now $12 will go in my booth for $9.95.  Cute deviled egg serving dish for $1.84 will go in my booth for $14.95.  Not big profit, but never be ashamed to make a little profit

I do well at apartments dumpter area at the end of the month. One that Microsoft employee's rent from when on contract for 3-6months is a great one. Also around the university at the end of quarter, really good at end of year.

Alleys downtown are great on trash day.

Got a couple auto stores I check out for car batteries. Get $9/ea if I turn in 20 or more at once. And there is a auto shop that pays to have the recycling taken away so the more I take the less they pay. Catalytic converters are like gold!

Boeing surplus is s hit or miss. Sometimes can get scrap per piece that recycle weight is good.

And autobody shops always have bumpers they are more than happy to let me take to fix and sell....