Where do we go now?
It's been bittersweet on the other side of this new year of reselling.
While things continue to trickle off the shelves (through eBay and Facebook Marketplace), it's not like it used to be. Naturally, I have no new inventory coming in. But worse than that is the opportunities are beginning to appear again, and I'm scared. my local thrift stores are open now (at a limited capacity) and I'm guessing garage sales are right behind it. But without a vaccine or a viable treatment or, really, any reliable data, it's hard to know how stupid it would be for me to get back out there.
It's been a long winter and I forgot how frantic and fun it was to zip around on the weekends and haul back home an Ikea bag full of second-hand treasures. Now that the possibility is around the corner, what do I do? Are gloves and masks enough? They say being outdoors is much safer than indoors, but what about driving around for hours to a dozen different homes? What about circulation in the car? I suppose I'd feel more secure if New Jersey's spread wasn't still so disastrous.
If not now, when? If it's not going to be 100% safe for a long, long time, the only thing to do is get out in the world as safely as you can, right? Maybe that means less stops. Maybe it means I skip the real crowded sales. Maybe it means spending a few days without touching whatever I buy.
While I continue to debate the whole situation with myself, I'm still at home for the most part, selling the last bits I can.
By the numbers
Profit this month: $237.92
Profit last month: $281.43
Spend: $0
Listed on eBay: 7/60
eBay rating: 98.1%
YTD total spend: $2,369.62
YTD total net profit: $6,109.42
What Sold
Other highlights
Just when you think no one will buy a piece, the offers come rolling in. Of all people, a Hoboken neighbor, literally down the street, found my local listings for a magazine rack and a framed map, and she bought em. I was already happy with the sale. But then she found some of my other listings and went wild! I ended up selling several Pyrex bowls that had been collecting dust on my shelves for months! (And I even surprised myself and decided to keep a few when the prospect of actually selling them came up.) The thrill of pocketing some cash is great, but have you ever slowly emptied your apartment, on purpose? What a rush!
Because my treasure collection continues to dwindle I found some time to make some space in my apartment. It's amazing how relieving it can be to break down some cardboard boxes and see some more floor space. Since I've been spending so much time at home, alone and safe, I've returned to my interest in home decor, which means I have some plans to hang and organize my mini Ebay studio. Photos to come.
FailsI had all intentions of continuing my thrift store studying and making a daily Instagram study about valuable toys. But I forgot about Mother's Day early in the month, and when the pressure was on, I wanted to use my focus and audience to sell some gifts. I abandoned the toy research after only a single day. Alas, Mother's Day advertisements didn't amount to much but the dilemma of how to use my Instagram made me wonder about my business strategy. Am I advertising to local folks (for delivery or pick up) or am I hoping to show off something someone could want from anywhere? It sounds like a small difference but with the volume I hope to, one day, throw around, it might be something to ponder further.
Going forward
Is it still the goal to make this full-time? Is it even feasible any time soon?
Never mind my apprehension with running around for now, I'm still wondering how to make something like this into a feasible business. Just trying to multiply my busiest and most fruitful months seems like too much for one person. Not to mention the slow-down of winter months, gas money, and a whole bunch of other things.
I'm not planning on quitting at all. This is still something I love to do, full-time, part-time, any-time. But I'm wondering if I could manage to make this part of my future income and maybe focus on making some money going into business for myself some other way. (I have started to pick up some steam on an older entrepreneurial venture, building Squarespace websites.)
Beyond all that, this next month might finally afford me the opportunity to register my car. Then I can hit the road. Maybe hit the thrift stores. Maybe go further and visit my buddy Jess upstate. Who knows?
Time will tell.
