You have to know how to use a gold test kit, as well as how to weigh and use a calculator

Yes, those are given factors. Generating gold sellers to come to YOU over the others doing it is the real problem that needs to be solved IMHO.

For me, just finding the occasional gold in a lkr or buying a piece from some unknowing flea seller is what works....though that is quite seldom.

Best thing so far is a sleep apnea machine brand new in box still has invoice. Unit costed 655. Plus still has all the plastic wraping. Im going to a place that sells medical equipment and rent stuff out tomorrow and see if I can sell them that.

I'll be interested to hear about your experience at the med place. Remember, they buy things wholesale in some degree of bulk so they can SELL that unit at 655, so think about what you might expect from them IF they consider buying it.

You wouldn't be able to sell it on eBay as they would kick it off in nothing flat. They have people selling them there who are licensed to do so.

Today I sold the little "wild boar" cuff link to one of 4 gold buyers at the flea market I use.

One guy (a friend yet) told me he was paying $27/gram for 14K. Another person (also a friend) was paying $30 a gram. I took the latter and got $84 for 2.8 grams.

I can either count that against the $313 safe repair, or against the lkr price of $350 in general...either way, a nice chunk off the expenses side.

If taken off the cost of lkr, it represents 24% of the cost....gotta love gold for it's value based on size.

Also on eBay, list as LOCAL PICKUP ONLY. I do it all the time and people will come from several hundred miles away DEPENDING ON THE ITEM and how much they will save by buying used over new. THIS WORKS FOR ME...it may not work for you and I therefore hold myself NOT RESPONSIBLE for anything you do ! 

Nice locker.  It's just giving and giving and giving.  

Well, the "giving" part is coming to an end. I'm within 5 feet of the back wall and am facing a "wall" of big pieces like hutch top (I don't see the bottom though). Aside from those big pieces there are about 5 cardboard boxes, one cheap footlocker (the kind WalMart sells for $20 or less) and one OLD trunk that when viewed from above looks like it's about 2 feet square and dates back to the mother's time period.

The other day I found a box full of "historical" newspapers the mother had saved and some old programs from some concerts (Cher final concert, some ticket stubs from a variety of rock shows, etc). Don't know how much value they have, but it's fun to "work" with those things and one or two might pay off. Those programs like Cher, Celine Dion, etc sell for like $50 at the concerts, so some hard-core fan might want one for $20 or so.

Saturday, Sept 3rd I didn't sell one Hubley model though several guys looked at them seriously but couldn't part with a $15 bill let alone a $20. Typically I don't go down on prices much until the bitter end. I have taken a pair of nice throwing knives to the flea for about 6 months and never came down from $20....finally the right buyer came along and took them away for $18....1/3 more than the $12 I was regularly offered.

Anyway, in unpacking the nicely-packed, bubble-wrapped Hubleys, a fair number started dropping off windshields, headlights, etc as I opened them up, so I am now thinking some groups of 4 might go on eBay in "as is condition" maybe $20 for all 4 as a starting point. Still good money to be made on that group.

Almost 10 pm here on the west coast, Friday, September 2, 2011 and about ready to turn in before getting up at 4:30 to get to my reserved flea space by 5:30 or so. After 6 they can give your space away if you are not there.

******
I always make up an Excel spreadsheet for each unit I buy and that ties to monthly and yearly figures. I start listing items as I unpack a lkr and if I miss something I add it when I sell it at the flea or online.

My original "estimate" of this safe lkr was that I could make about $1500 profit but I am now thinking double that as I have found more good items (and that is on regular items, not counting the guns or safe),  . I am usually not more than 10% off on these figures having a pretty good idea of values after some years of doing this.

I have sold about $400 worth so far and am therefore about even when considering gas, etc. The next few weeks will be the gravy.

Two nice boxes I found contained 36 Hubley die-cast models which came as kits and required painting and assembly. I've sold 3 so far and in looking at them on eBay, I will pull some for that purpose and sell lesser models at the flea. The three I sold went....2 at $20 each and 1 at $15, so if that rate kept up, these 36 models alone would more than pay for the lkr. Love it.

I'll try to remember the camera and take some pics at flea.

Gotta go...only going to get about 6 hours of sleep tonight !

Welcome to September, 2011 as we continue our watch on units, prices and buyers (or non-buyers).

Today I went to the one auction available; 4 units advertised. I think they had 3 when done.

First one a 5 x 10 I would have paid $100 for and that's what he started it at. I hate it when the auctioneers say,
"I know it's going to get to that" and in fact it might, but with a bunch of newbies in the crowd of 25, one of them is bound to say "yep" and then another will go to $125 or such.  Ended up selling for $475 I think. Better their money than mine.

Later I talked to the fellow who stopped at $450 and I asked how many lkrs he had bought. "One" came the non-surprising reply.  He and wife arrived in a 24 foot motorhome of all things.

When I told him the $475 lkr would have sold for a max of $150 or so 10 months ago before Storage Wars, he smiled from ear-to-ear and PROUDLY told me that's where they learned about the auctions.

Oh, my !

On to the next one which was a 10 x 15 I think, piled high with crappy looking boxes; maybe 10 of them were largely lettered with the name of a local retail store from which they had somehow been obtained.  Sucker went for $1200 I think and Mr. plaid pants will get a valuable economics lesson there. I thought my friend was just bidding him up, but when we moved on to the next same sized lkr my friend took him for a ride again, but my friend got it and he claimed he wanted it. It was equally junky...cost was  $1K I think.

Have to mention that any of us who had half a brain knew the 2nd lkr was same owner as first because of same boxes in #2, but he auctioneer who is dumb-a** of the highest order (and wife a close second) said no it's two separate owners. Didn't take 10 seconds for others in the group to set this a**hole straight. What an idiot!

Needless to say, not an auspicious start to the month, but I got a good one recently so can't complain.