The Problem of Business as Usual
Flipshark stayed in the back seat this May. While I could admit I didn't list much, write much, post much, or sell much in April, I did inch my way to more in May. I was able to double my listings with some dedication, a windfall of small action figures, and a new photography setup. But I did end up selling at about the same rate.
I think I just need a new nudge. Will I find it this summer?
Let's find out...
By the numbers
Spend: $222.37
Net profit: $406.52 (vs. $406.99 last month)
Listed on eBay: 40 (vs. 21 last month)
eBay rating: 100%
What Sold
Highlights
$50 swing
Thrift stores have been hit or miss the past few months. Some weekly Thursday Thrifts bring me home close to empty-handed. One particular Thursday this month was looking like that after about an hour exploring the first regular stop until a fresh cart of toys rolled out. I was amazed to see no one else was rifling through them so I dove in! I grabbed every bag of potential I could. There was some Power Rangers and Digimon and more. I ended up doing enough research to take a $50 gamble and the day's luck turned. Luckily, since then, I've sold off three minifigures, totaling $57 in profit already!
Mother of Junk
Every once in a while, I'll travel out to Williamsburg, Brooklyn to see my friends at the Nitehawk Theater for Spoons, Toons & Booze. We eat cereal, watch cartoons, and have a gay ol' time. And normally I walk by a thrift/antique store called Mother of Junk. It's so hip I didn't even know that was the name of the place until the internet told me so. Well, one weekend this month, my girlfriend and I decided to spend some time digging around there amongst the old desks, bookcases, and beer bottles. I found a basket of random toys and got to work. The employee there noticed my interest and gave me a tiny chair to sit on and a basket to help me sort. I ended up finding a few Wiggles toys, which seem to be rather rare! Time will tell if they sell but at a buck per piece, I was willing to take the chance. Who would have thought New York City thrift stores would have the potential for reselling profit!?
Hoboken thrifting
Much like Brooklyn, I don't often attempt to thrift in Hoboken. There is a small little community shop but most times, it's either closed (due to a short staff) or full of clothes and not much else. But since the weather has changed, they've been putting out buckets of toys in front of the shop. During one lunch hour, I stumbled on some vintage Ice Cream dolls - two in a package for $1. They sold almost instantly right at the end of this month for $30.
Playstation VR
I don't think I'll ever really learn my lesson - you need to list it to sell it. I let a Playstation VR headset sit in my car and then on my living room floor for weeks before I finally took the time to check it out and list it up. Hours later, I found a buyer. Easy $50.
Boxes in plain sight
I've been eyeballing some Amazon search results for the perfect lucite box to continue my shadow box experiments. I even mentioned it to my girlfriend and showed her the video that inspired the design. She thought it was a great idea too! Color me surprised when I noticed a lucite box of champagne-shaped gummy bears on her TV stand and made note of it. She put two and two together and remembered she saved a few more of them from sweets past. What dumb luck!
Fails
I can't say I've had too many failures of note this month except for a lack of motivation. I stopped sharing Instagram guides a few months back and haven't really picked up any experiments to replace it. I have ideas but the weeks fly by. And that's okay. Life happens. I just want something new and exciting to report here.
Going forward
It's been months since I pushed the business into new territory. I'm in need of some excitement and some execution. I think I'm just scared to set aside the comfortable reselling aspect in order to take a shot at something else.
But what's the something else? If I had to sum it up, I'd say it's all about turning trash into treasure. There is always a thrill of finding a cheap bag of toys and turning a profit. But that's not always the case. And tons of stuff ends up in the landfills. I want it all. I just need to learn how to do something with it.
How cool would it be to upcycle toys?
I have lots of ideas - good and bad. I just need to start making things and see what hits. That's what I need to do this month.
In the meantime, I think the skills I've learned throughout my professional career would be a good starting point for building a helpful blog. i've mentioned it before but barely began. I need to start making some content to help folks around the world do what I do.
That's the plan. Let's get to work again.
