It’s Toy Time
Halfway through June, I was still feeling the business slip away into nothingness. With no inventory coming in, there was only the occasional sale when someone out there in the world saw my months-old listings. But then I started to take some chances and make some moves, and I'm happy to say I think we've found a new direction.
By the numbers
Profit this month: $138.94
Profit last month: $225.13
Spend: $131.5
Listed on eBay: 23/60
eBay rating: 99%
What Sold
Other highlights
When I seriously started reselling, one of my earliest childhood friends, Pete, popped back up on Facebook. His grandmother lived down the block when we were young, so we grew up spending our weekends together - shooting hoops in the driveway, body-slamming wrestlers, and riding our bikes everywhere. Turns out, ever since then, Pete has been collecting and reselling Hasbro WWF figures - the very same kind we used to play with way back when. Except now he has amassed a giant, dedicated Facebook group of fans all across the country.
And just when my inventory was starting to dry up, Pete reached out with an opportunity to flip some figures. He didn't have enough time to do what I do but he had a contact, so we threw around some numbers and a few days later I had 18 wrestlers at my door. And a few days after that, they were flying off the eBay shelf. Of the 18 listed, I've already sold 9.
What could be better than some fresh sales? Some new treasures!
I finally felt comfortable enough to venture out when the thrift stores officially reopened in the Jersey burbs. My father picked me up in Hoboken so I could avoid taking mass transit and I masked up when my mother and I took her car around town. We made our triumphant return to a total of four thrift stores last Thursday and I had my eyes set on finding toys. If you've been following my journey for a bit, you might have noticed that they sell fairly well. Month after month, it was getting easier to flip some Shopkins or Littlest Pet Shop or Transformers. Now I've been doubling down and it's been awesome! Besides Pete's wrestlers, the thrift store toy aisle is always packed. There is less competition for grown men like myself, so I walked away with a great haul.
Plus, I spent June posting daily Instagram Stories learning about the reselling value of some common and not-so-common toys (see most of them below). I even sprang the extra bucks for an e-book (Top Secret Toys) from a major YouTube reseller, Steve Raiken. It wasn't cheap but I chalked it all up to business expense, and it's been paying back dividends in knowledge. I feel like I know so much more.
Going forward
Which brings me to the new plan - toys.
In the few months before the pandemic really locked everything down, I found myself really enjoying the toy aisle during my local thrift runs. I often brought back home decor of all sorts, but toys were always a solid sell on eBay. And after a few months away from it all, I've started to wonder what it would be like to double-down on G.I. Joe action figures and plush Pokemon.
I think I was always nervous to admit I'd like to buy and sell toys, or even collect them. It's not what most grown men do. But fuck it! If a world-wide pandemic has taught me anything, it's that life can change in an instant. Why not enjoy yourself?
And with that, my first return back to the thrift store felt different. I made my normal sprint to the toys but it felt more freeing. I could take more chances because the prices were always lower than most other things in the store, and if they didn't sell, I could display them on my shelf. Collecting became the back-up plan to buying anything that might be fun to own. And I brought home a ton for slightly more than $50.
Beyond that, I felt something special when I cracked open a thrift store copy of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. I hadn't watched it since childhood, and, let me tell you, it held up for a movie about teenage mutant ninja turtles in crime-ridden New York City. There was definitely a feeling of nostalgia but there was something else, something deeper. Deciding to watch a retro 90s film felt like the beginning of a road I could travel on. It felt like my lane.
With that being said, I've taken a few steps in the direction. I made a new Instagram account for my toy adventures: @flipsharkfigures. If you'd like to see what I buy and sell and collect, give it a follow.
Besides learning about decades of toy production, and buying from the thrift stores, I want to start seriously buying. I know there are people out there with toys in their attic, just rotting to dust, and I want to rescue them. I have a hunch that producing some wanted ads could drum up some amazing treasure. If you or anyone you know might be interested in getting rid of toys, send them my way. It's time to make some deals!
Until next time...
