Anyone gone from part timer to full timer and back to part timer?

I know some of us have been fulltime auction buyers, some part time. I know years ago alot of us were thinking about quitting our day gigs and giving this a go fulltime or opening stores. I was just curious how many of you guys have gone from part time buyers to fulltime buyers and have since gone back to working for an employer or gone back to your old careers. It just seems to hard to make money these days even with crowds down.

It's weird, since I've opened the shop, I've bought at storage auctions less. I was up over 4 a month. Now I'm at 1 maybe, if it's really good. Recently the weather's been bad which is keeping the people at home instead of shopping here, plus all the sales that the big box stores are doing, so I may HAVE to buy to put something sexy up on craigslist. But it's been a total bummer so far this month.

I think that people who are in this as a business soon find out that there are other avenues to acquire goods. Storage auctions are good, but it's tougher to make money as you said.

You can pick privately or at yard sales and you get to fully inspect before making an offer, thus it's easier to make your profit.

You can attend a piece auction and get much better prices than you would have 10 years ago because nobody goes anymore. I say that out of my experience locally, I know that some parts of the country still pack the house at their local auctions.

I see a big upswing in clean out services locally. I think people are tired of paying for their inventory.

It's weird, since I've opened the shop, I've bought at storage auctions less. I was up over 4 a month. Now I'm at 1 maybe, if it's really good. Recently the weather's been bad which is keeping the people at home instead of shopping here, plus all the sales that the big box stores are doing, so I may HAVE to buy to put something sexy up on craigslist. But it's been a total bummer so far this month.

I think that people who are in this as a business soon find out that there are other avenues to acquire goods. Storage auctions are good, but it's tougher to make money as you said.

You can pick privately or at yard sales and you get to fully inspect before making an offer, thus it's easier to make your profit.

You can attend a piece auction and get much better prices than you would have 10 years ago because nobody goes anymore. I say that out of my experience locally, I know that some parts of the country still pack the house at their local auctions.

I see a big upswing in clean out services locally. I think people are tired of paying for their inventory.

do you have any luck moving bikes? if so id definately recommend visiting a police auction. in chicago literally the first 2-4 hours are nothing but bikes and you can pick them up dirt cheap. it kinda sucks cuz i dont have an interest in bikes but they do the inspections before auctions start so if you want a chance to see stuff up close you gotta arrive early and sit thru the bikes auctions but man like hundreds of bikes going for $5 and $10 a piece. even the treks and nicer brands are like $40

In Raleigh we have a lot of used bike dealers because of the high population of college kids. I would imagine that they get their bikes through police auctions and other avenues. I have a go to lady to sell my somewhat beat up bikes to. She and her husband fix them and sell them to incoming foreign Duke students.

Ive gone from part-time to full-time to double full-time just to make ends meet! 

Seriously, your right rules, even though the crowds are down, bidding on units is still too high to create the high margins to make this an easy business. Or a combination of bidding being too high and re-sale shoppers buying too little & spending less.

I'm survived by picking and getting inventory from other venues that i'm not going to mention so some idiot doesn't do a TV show about it or flood YouTube with "How to" videos and books.