Commodore 64 Lot with many extras

I was leaving this neighborhood when I saw an older guy setting a few things in his driveway, so I asked if he was having a sale.  I love being the first one to go through all the stuff at a new sale.  I had a huge box of Commodore 64 computer stuff and he wanted $50.  This stuff is big and bulky and sometimes not worth as much as you might hope.  However this lot looked pretty clean and there were a bunch of games (separate auction on some of them), and he ended up taking $25 for the lot, so I bought it.  Special thanks to my wife for putting up with this huge lot of vintage computer crap all over the floor for far too long.  I have included the link to Amazon where someone is selling a system with one floppy drive for $130, good luck with that!

COMMODORE 64 HUGE LOT - 2 DISK DRIVES, CASSETTE, GAMES ends June 1

Update: Unsold.  Relisted at 99 cents.  New auction ends June 7

Update:  Sold for $56.09.  Shipped across the state for $26. 

K'NEX Flying Fun 10 in 1 building kit

I found this for a dollar, and although I normally stay away from the K'NEX kits, I bought this one because the parts were still sealed in the original bag.

Normally the K'NEX kits are big and bulky, and half the value of the toy is wasted in shipping costs.  If you find the kits for really cheap, it could be a good purchase for a Craigslist flip, or eBay, provided they are in excellent condition, and the closer to Christmas, the better.

Amazon has these new for $13.99 k'Nex Flying fun Set Building Set 112 Pc, so I can't hope for a whole lot out of this auction.  I'd give it to my kid if he didn't already have thousands of legos.

KNEX Flying Fun Set 10 different models unopened ends May 30

Update:  Sold for $3.24  I've got to stop messing with this nickel & dime crap!

Vintage cluster bead Japanese clip-on Earrings

I found this lot of clip on earrings, and I knew that the Japanese cluster beads were desirable - although more research has shown that they are not all that valuable.  I picked up a couple more pairs that I thought were in the vintage fashion that is popular among some folks.  I paid $4 for the lot of five pairs of earrings.  I was hoping to make $20 or so, I may be lucky to break even.

I have a flat rate shipping of $2.99 to the USA on this.  I know from past experience that this package is not going to weigh more than 5 or 6 ounces, and after using a free small box out of the Petsmart dumpster (Barnes & Noble also has great boxes in their dumpster)  I will probably pocket a dollar from the shipping as well.  This is win / win, as you see a lot of overpriced shipping for the small stuff on ebay that really does not cost a lot to ship if done correctly.

VINTAGE CLIP ON EARRING LOT FIVE PAIRS JAPAN CLUSTER ends May 30

Update:  Unsold.  Another loss to throw into the goodwill pile.

lot of TI99/4A Computer games & stuff

I have been collecting video games for many years, and I have started getting rid of my smaller collections in an effort to reclaim some garage space.
This is the last of my TI99 stuff.  I didn't purchase it all at once, but I know that I paid less than about 25 cents per game.  I also had a system left over, but I don't have an RF connector (hooks to the TV), and the systems don't bring much money, so for the effort involved to get the system working, I just decided to give it to the thrift store.

TI99/4a 26 GAMES, POWER PACKS SPEECH, & MANUALS LOT ends May 26

Update:  sold for $46.63.  not bad, considering I probably had less than $10 into all of it, and I get to reclaim some more garage space.  I had a lot of European interest in this, and I recall now that the TI99 and the Commodore64 has a lot of collectors in Italy, Spain, and Germany.  If you list this kind of stuff, it may be worth it to ship to Europe.  Be careful to check the customs restrictions with Italy and Spain, their customs are notoriously harsh, and many packages get confiscated and go missing.  -And you know who ends up paying for that, right?  (YOU!)

Six pairs of women's jeans

I saw a guy on ebay who was selling nothing but used jeans, and he was getting upwards of $15 per pair.  So I saw these jeans at a yard sale for 50 cents each, and I picked out the nicest ones.

I got them home and asked my wife what style or cut they were, she looked at them and said, "eww, those are 80's housewife style". 

I guess this is why I'm not allowed to buy clothes for the kids.

6 pairs womens jeans size 12 petite  started at 99 cents, ends May 26.

Update:  sold for less than $2, and I messed up the shipping weight, giving me a net loss of about $5.  The lesson here is that you really need to know the style and the cut of the jeans you are selling.  Mens jeans would probably be a little easier, as the styles do not change nearly as fast as women's clothing.

2 Gun Belt Buckles

I have never sold belt buckles before, but I figured these were worth more than the dollar each that I paid for them.  After some research, I found that some belt buckles will go for upwards of $50.  It looks like a $1 gamble is a good investment.  Even if you get a few duds, you can save them up and put them in a lot.

Gun Belt Buckles Winchester, Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum Ends May 11

Update:  Sold for $8.39

Palm Pilot M130

Usually you see this stuff priced at garage sales for more than it sells on ebay, and the technology moves so fast, it is hard to keep up with it.  They were asking $20 for this lot, and they ended up taking $10.  It came with the collapsable keyboard, so I thought it was a pretty good deal.  I think I'll be lucky to get $30 out of it, but that's alright.  Older Pocket PCs sell a lot better than older Palm Pilots.

The saving grace on this lot is the original manuals, cd-roms, and original box.  It is always good to find original boxes.

PALM PILOT m130 HANDHELD IN BOX W/ CASE, DOCK, KEYBOARD ends May 11

Update:  Sold for $15.50.  A co-worker was telling me that no one likes palm pilots because their system is all proprietary.  Pocket PCs of the same age will sell for a lot more.

Police Radar Gun - MPH K55

I was on my out of this sale when I saw this sitting there.  The off-duty female cop shouted from the garage, "It's a radar gun, three bucks".  "How can I resist?" was my reply.  She showed me how to work it, but I forgot what she said and I couldn't figure it out.

POLICE RADAR GUN UNIT FROM PATROL CAR MPH K55  ends May 12

Update:  Sold for $43.86

2 Vintage Cameras, Imperial Satellite, Kodak Brownie Starmite

I thought I had a couple of winners here, I picked up both cameras for $7.  I have started this auction out at $9.99, and if I only get one bid, I will just about break even after all the fees.  These old cameras are hit or miss, but for that price I will always take the gamble.Here's one on Amazon without the box for over $20 when you add shipping:  Vintage Kodak Brownie Starmite TLR Camera.  Of course, it is still sitting there, not selling and collecting dust.

The key to this gamble was the condition of the cameras.  There were two more sitting right next to these, but they did not have the boxes.  Original boxes can double or triple the value of a collectable.

CAMERAS IMPERIAL SATELLITE 127 KODAK BROWNIE STARMITE ends May 12

Update 5/20/10:
No takers on this lot.  I have relisted it for 99 cents.  Someone will buy it, but I will almost certainly lose money on this one.

Update 5/27/10:  sold for $5.70.  The shipping on this was almost $15, which really killed the deal, as well as the cameras not being worth a whole lot.

Baby Car seat and Stroller

Here is an opportunity to talk about another area of yard sales that often goes overlooked - baby stuff. I picked up this Evenflo car seat with base and stroller for $10. If you have done much selling, you know that this is going to cost a fortune to ship.

So don't ship it!

If you haven't heard of craigslist.org, it is a free local classified advertising site. I use it to list all the big stuff where shipping would kill the deal on ebay. The other great thing about it, is that it is free, so there are no ebay or paypal fees. It is also fast and simple to set up a listing. I didn't spend more than 15 minutes on this listing, and I will most likely have it sold within a couple of days, even with the ugly stain.

http://dayton.craigslist.org/bab/1726596088.html

I am asking $40 bucks for it.  The other nice thing about craigslist is that the buyer will come to you and take it away.  No packing, no shipping, and get paid in cash.

*Please use caution and common sense when meeting strangers over the internet, online craigslist scams are common.  Face to face crime is rare, but it has happened.

Update 5/20/10:
So zero response on this.  I bought a pack n play for $10 last weekend and I am going to list them together in the same lot.  It's time to use the first trick of retail;  if it's not selling, raise the price!

Lord of the Rings Trilogy Boxed set of books

I've been getting into selling books lately, and it has been hit and miss.  I have take a lot of books to the goodwill.  I picked up this boxed set after having some great success with the Lemony Snicket Series last week.  I was disappointed to see that the individual books from this set all have 'buy it now' prices of $1 with $3 shipping.  However when I searched the ISBN number of the boxed set, there are only 5 complete boxed sets like this for sale, and they are all asking over $50.

Is the cardboard box that holds the books worth $35 ???
I paid $5 for the set, so we'll see what happens... Ends May 11
The Lord of the Rings by Alan Lee, J. R. R. Tolkien 

Update:  Sold for $32.79, however due to my packaging error, the cardboard box broke open and the buyer settled for a 50% refund.  I still ended up making money, but hasty packing cost me a chunk of change on this.

King Oil by Milton Bradley

I found this one two weeks ago, but I thought it was worth sharing.  Many times board games will only cost a dollar at yard sales, this one actually cost $1.50.  After a while you will figure out which games are valuable and which are not, but I try to go with games that I have not heard of before.  Also, any game with a dungeons & dragons theme, or a WW2 theme sells pretty well.  

Sorry, you childhood copy of monopoly is worth about 50 cents, unless of course it was a first printing.  The same is true for other common board games.  I bought a pristine copy of Clue from the 1960's, it is worth $10, which is what it costs to ship anywhere.  Stay away from common board games to resell unless it is a first printing in good condition.  

Anyway, I picked up this game for $1.50 and it sold for $31.  Board games are good to know about, because a lot of people will skip right over them.  It was after noon in a large community garage sale when I found this.  Hundreds of people had already passed it over.

Magic the Gathering (MTG) trading cards

I've seen these from time to time, and have only done the most basic research on them.  When I saw a huge box of them and the lady was only asking $5 for the lot, I grabbed it.  There turned out to be almost six thousand cards in that box.  In a nutshell, here is what you need to know about these cards:

For the most part, alpha, beta, and unlimited series (the first years, 1993, 1994) cards can be worth substantial money - more than $50.  I'm sure there are exceptions, but with over 20,000 different cards, I'll let the MTG folks flame me over this broad statement.

You can tell the rarity of most of the cards by the color (or lack thereof) of the symbol that is halfway down on the right hand side of the card.  If there is no symbol, it is an earlier one, you probably ought to look it up.

Most of the common and uncommon cards have values from about 10 cents to 50 cents, if you go by the rarity guide.  Some will go for 1-2 dollars.  The rarest card, black lotus, regularly sells for over $1500, with one instance of a perfect (10/10) graded card selling for $20,000.

Here is a good guide to help you identify the card series.
Here is a rarity guide.
Here is my auction for 5,200 common MTG cards, ends May 8

Update:  note from buyer:
Sorry I haven't gotten back with you sooner. This was the coolest box of cards I have ever gotten on ebay. I am still going through them. Please let me know if you ever have another lot like this. TJ

So in retrospect, I probably should have just counted the cards and sold them.  I probably could have got a  lot more money for the lot from just advertising a completely unsorted lot of 6000 cards, nad it would have been a lot faster.

Antique Barn Beam Borer

I was feeling a bit defeated walking into this sale as there were a bunch of people already there, and I could see some good stuff getting paid for and carried off before I even saw anything.  I picked out some tools and a fishing pole, then saw this beauty sitting there:

I didn't know what it was, but I knew it was old, and being an engineer by trade, I was instantly fascinated with the hand crank gears.  I asked him what it was, and he admitted that he didn't know.  I asked how much, he said "ten bucks", I said, "Sold!"  

So after a little research, I found that this is a Buckeye Mfg. Barn Beam Borer (drill) "The Boss" made in 1882.  One sold a little while ago for about $150.  I started the auction at 99 cents, here it is:

BUCKEYE MFG "THE BOSS" ANTIQUE BARN BEAM BORER DRILL NR, ends May 6

First Post

Welcome to my Blog! In this blog I will track some of my yard sale purchases that I flip on ebay. This has been a side business (and at times a primary business) for me since about 1996 when I started buying old Atari games at the thrift store and putting them on ebay. Back then, it was very uncommon for an ebay listing to have a picture, as most people did not own digital cameras. Paypal did not exist, and you had to trust the person on the other end with a money order.

My best percentage to date is an atari game that I bought for 70 cents at the thrift store, and sold it for $285. My best profit to date is a McIntosh Preamp that I bought for $20 and sold for $500. Lately, as more people are selling their own stuff on ebay, garage sales have been getting thinner and thinner, and I have had to expand my knowledge base to keep my sales going.

My current ebay user name is bcsteveandsara, and I will try to share my successes here as time allows