Hitting goals and locking down
It's safe to say this has been the wildest month yet - for my reselling and for the world.
Before things starting locking down and closing up, I was doing pretty well. Everything I was doing was on track to beat last month's net profit - the goal I set for myself when you last read this blog.
But when things got serious, and going to the thrift store seemed more dangerous than worthwhile, I was sure I would need to abandon the goal and regroup. Believe it or not, though, it's been pretty good for business! Let's get into it.
By the numbers
Profit this month: $554.33
Profit last month: $540.16
Spend: $76
Listed on eBay: 25/60
eBay rating: 97.7%
YTD total spend: $2368.62
YTD total net profit: $5587.95
What Sold
Other highlights
I've always kept my own reselling pursuits and profit separate from any sales made in conjunction with the Junk company partnership. I'm not totally sure why. I suppose I just wanted to wait until we got into a better groove before I could consider it successful and part of my business.
But it’s worth noting that this month I made my biggest sale yet with the help of the Junk franchise - a brand new outdoor patio set! That's right, someone paid a junk removal service to take away a brand new outdoor patio set, in the cardboard boxes it came in - a four-chair sofa, a love seat, a coffee table and ottoman. Profit: $400. And one very happy buyer (who said she was literally just looking up the same set when she saw that I posted it online).
It could not have happened at a better time either. I sold the outdoor patio set right as Hoboken was contemplating shelter-in-place regulations. I already felt odd taking the NJTransit train home to drive down to the Junk office in suburban New Jersey.
Plus, only days later, when things were obviously getting a bit more stressful, I ran home to Lyndhurst once more to make the quick deal of purchasing the second car of my life. She's a beauty, ain't she?
Instagram continues to be a fulfilling platform to sell through. As soon as I saw a full set of green espresso glasses, I had to buy them. My friend Teri felt the same way. As soon as I posted them on Instagram, she asked "how much?"
Of course, I miss the thrift stores and the regularly scheduled programming. But being sad has made me realize how important thrifting is to me. It's not something I'm doing to get rich quick or pass the time, I genuinely love doing it.
With that being said, I've tried to turn this quarantine into the impetus for painstakingly listing all the things I was avoiding. I had to scrub down some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I had to go through other giant bags of toys. I had to move my lights around to take photos of some larger pieces. But it's been well worth it! It was a simple reminder to think twice about items I don't plan to buy or clean or list in the future. Plus, it's made my apartment/warehouse that much more organized!
Not to mention I did sell quite a bit! I think the slight nudge over last month's profit had to do with the pandemic. There was a slight boost in Ebay sales (most likely due to Amazon prioritizing home goods), but there was also quite a few sales that had to do with this new world order. An Ebay buyer purchased a Frozen Lego set (above) I've had listed since last summer - no doubt for some kid home from school. And a local buyer picked up some Mr. Potato Head pieces, some Duplo Legos, and three giant boxes of Lincoln Logs I've had for a long, long time. She said they were an iconic American toy for a daycare she was running!
Plus, I took the chance on buying a few small furniture pieces earlier in the month and they sold almost instantly. It helped that they were incredibly cheap in the thrift store. I'll definitely be doing that again (when I can).
Fails
I've realized it's been quite a failure to avoid listing and shipping certain things. I was nervous to waste my time listing things I thought wouldn't sell and then, wouldn't you know it, they sold days later. And I was anxious, and mostly ignorant, about how to ship certain items, especially fragile ones (like Teri's espresso glasses). But once I did and they arrived unbroken, it felt like a failure-turned-victory.
One such anxiety-producing shipment drove me crazy before even leaving the apartment. I sold a black metallic hand-etched vase to a Facebook buyer in Massachusetts. She loved it so much she wanted me to ship it, so I gave her my Venmo username. But when I had a chance to start packing the piece up, panic struck, I thought - "Did I give her the right account?" Originally, it was @njflipshark to match my Instagram username. And recently I changed it to @theflipshark. Somehow I forgot if I did or not, and to make it even more confusing, Venmo didn't send an email immediately after she sent the money. I embarrassingly wrote to the buyer, asking if she could cancel the funds, thinking I asked her to send it to the wrong place. But after a calm look at my profile, I realized I'm an idiot. Crisis averted and she loved the piece.
Like everything else right now, it's really hard to say what the future holds. I'm lucky enough to work from home at my primary gig, but without the ability to go out and source, my reselling options are limited. Plus, there is probably little sense in wondering how to scale or sell outside Ebay since I don't want to get myself or others sick.
It really makes it clear how much of a vulnerable hustle this route could be, especially if you're someone who relies on buying anything and everything from others. What's important for the long run is staying flexible and growing your skills with every chance you can get. Over almost the past year I've honed a great eye for finding gems through the shelves and sales, but I know there is still plenty more I could learn to make more money.
And it comes down to the same thing I've said too many months before - I need to specialize.
Besides, what's the worst that could happen? I share too much on Instagram and scare away the few followers I've managed to find. That's it. That's literally it. Maybe people, i.e. the same Instagram followers and friends, start to see my business as leaning in one direction or another, but that's the whole point, isn't it? This is America - you have the freedom to change your mind if you want!
I'd like to hold myself to the goal on this blog. I've been thinking about a specialization for some time now and I think I've always gravitated toward glass in more than a few ways. I've been fascinated by the colors and shapes. I love porcelain figures and milk glass for no discernible reason besides the aesthetic. I collect glass hard candy. Hell, I even collect sand from different beaches I visited and that's the beginnings of glass!
So why not double down? Let's make it a month-long challenge - learn something new about glass every day. Just one fact. I can do more but no less. And if it's juicy enough, I'll share it on Instagram too. After 30 days, we'll see what we know and if we keep going, but, at the very least, I'll have a bit more knowledge about something I may see on the shelf some day.
While I do that, the other goal is to continue emptying my apartment. Every piece should be photographed and listed somewhere.
Now, let's get back to work.
