My Road to Reselling
Prior to retirement, I opened a small ETSY store to sell my glass and mosaic art pieces. I anticipated there’d be more time for creating and hoped to grow as an artist. Building my little art business would become part of my new daily routine. No more 9 to 5. In retirement, I could learn at my leisure and create when truly inspired and motivated.
The in 2020, just months after I retired, we moved Mom across the country to her little “Granny Shed” on our farm; its actually quite a bit nicer then the name implies. Nevertheless, this was a downsizing effort a enormous magnitude. When all was settled, there were some bits and pieces which remained in boxes awaiting new homes. Naturally, I considered selling these vintage items on ETSY. I was already familiar with this platform, had an existing shop, and knew that many vintage items sold quite well there.
The first item I listed was a reproduction Jackie Kennedy berry brooch. It sold for $46.00 and I was hooked. Not that that’s a ton of money, but this was essentially a piece of costume jewelry that would have just sat in a box for eternity. Next, I listed other vintage items from Mom’s storage, as well as my own home. I find this is probably the best way to get started: your very own pop-up vintage store right in your own home.
From there, the all-knowing Google algorithm tilted the scales. I started seeing reseller content in my YouTube and social feeds. I watched a few videos and thought it looked like fun. I started with thrift stores, yard sales and flee markets to find vintage items to resell for a profit. I also started reviewing the local newspaper & on-line resource for auctions and estate sales; I would hit the local ones.
As of January, 2024, I have built my shops up to more than 1,000 items listed in total on EBAY and ETSY. I’ve profited about 13K annually the last 2 years. That’s not bad for a few hours a week. Certainly, the opportunity exists to be more profitable with additional listings, process efficiencies, and a better understanding of what sells. You’ve also go to consider what may take up too much space in your storage area.
I definitely made some mistakes along the way. I discuss some of my Lessons Learned post here: https://www.ozarkcarriagehouse.com/my-first-year-as-vintage-reseller-ten-essential-lessons/
There are some things you’ll want to understand before listing your first item:
- Shipping options. Just because the USPS will provide free boxes doesn’t mean that Priority Mail is your best option. In fact, more often then not, UPS or USPS Ground services are significantly less expensive. You will need your own boxes. And, I recommend using a shipping service to get even more discounts. I use Pirate Ship. It integrates both my ETSY and EBAY sales into a single shipping queue and was VERY EASY to set up. Seriously, if I can do it…….
- Google Images is an amazing tool to help you identify items and even see the prices others are charging. But keep this in mind, just because someone may have listed it high, does not mean it sells high. A much better tool for current pricing is to use the EBAY “Sold” filter. Worthpoint is a paid service which will provide the prices of sold items and I suspect it is a useful service but I have not made the leap.
- There are all sorts of items which you can pick up at thrift stores which will undoubtedly sell. HOWEVER, you’ll want to use good judgement. Set a profit threshold for an expected sale. For example, don’t buy an item unless you can expect to make $15-20 dollars. There’s time and energy involved in every listing (research, cleaning, photographing and listing) as well as storage. Just because you can resell an item does not mean that you should.
- Another note about what to buy. You’ll find your own groove, of course. But for me, I did not enjoy photographing and listing clothing. Many resellers are quite successful doing this. I just didn’t enjoy it. And what I found was I would procrastinate about listing clothing items. Well, items don’t sell if they don’t get listed. Now, I’m much more selective in my purchases (or try to be:-) and generally I’ve got items washed, photographed and listed within 48 hours.
Thrifting Is Fun
Some visits I’m only there for a quick 10-15 minute walk thru. Other days, when my schedule permits, I could be there more than an hour. I look forward to popping in to see what’s new on the shelves. It’s a bit of a hunt and there’s not denying the endorphin hit when you find something amazing, like a Chinese Hat Stand! This pic is quite similar to the vase I found at Goodwill which sold for more than $700.
I’ve also found it fun to look for bags and clothing; it was an unexpected benefit. The first 18 months or so, I never looked at clothing for myself. But I lost quite a bit of weight and needed some new pieces. I was genuinely pleased and surprised by some of my finds. Generally,That’s I stick with brands or designers known to me. I’ve really enhanced my wardrobe at about 20% of the cost of full retail. This year, 2024, I plan to avoid the purchase of any NEW clothing.
That’s about it for reselling. Whatever you decide to do in your retirement, I hope it brings you joy.
