Thrift Shop Pickups

[DarkTiger29]

This was my best pick up for $15

[CCSportsCards]

One item from today

[amazingpacks]

8,000,000 hits and going strong
Flea Market Montgomery - Long Version - YouTube

[r0yals2012]

Originally Posted by DarkTiger29

This was my best pick up for $15

That's pretty tight!

[TwinGnats]

Only went to one shop today, but I think I can get a couple quick sales out of it with St. Patrick's day coming up. The 3M Championship golf polo I think was tournament issued, has the name Tom Vannelli on it.

[TwinGnats]

My latest pickups. Could use some logo help again. The NWC Eagles is Northwestern University which is a small bible college in St. Paul. I'm unsure about the purple/gold "N" and the PA wildcats? bearcats? bobcats? It's a really nice adidas climacool polo. I have a feeling it's high school or even elementary.

The Mighty Ducks shirt is Goldberg 33

[RetailChamp]

That Goldberg shirt is too nice

[touchdowntimekc]

its tougher now to "thrift" than even last year...Just seems like everyone has a smartphone and is buying to sell plus at basically at every store I go too it seems most of the good stuff they throw online or the employees keep it for themselves.

I literally made around $3k in profits last year just by thrifting here were some of my top deals of the past year...

49ers retro reverse starter jacket bought for $6 sold for $192
Princess Diana Franklin mint bought for $4 sold for $160
Derek Jeter sp bought in a box of cards for $10 (sold jeter for $100 and the rest of the lot for $40)
Steve Young Bucs authentic jersey $3 sold for $100
Mizzou game issue jersey and warmip $8 sold for $110
Head Racquets bought for $8 sold for $100
Jordan 1 retro bought for $5 sold for $152
Then the Billy Butler stuff bought for $40 so far have sold for $225

so just in those 8 transaction less than $100 spent over $1000 profit

[TwinGnats]

I haven't had any massive hits yet, but I'm just starting out and still learning what to look for. In a down economy it makes sense that more people are on the lookout for a way to make a little money. I would have never picked up the Diana, this is why I started the thread, I've already learned something new.

Originally Posted by touchdowntimekc

its tougher now to "thrift" than even last year...Just seems like everyone has a smartphone and is buying to sell plus at basically at every store I go too it seems most of the good stuff they throw online or the employees keep it for themselves.

I literally made around $3k in profits last year just by thrifting here were some of my top deals of the past year...

49ers retro reverse starter jacket bought for $6 sold for $192
Princess Diana Franklin mint bought for $4 sold for $160
Derek Jeter sp bought in a box of cards for $10 (sold jeter for $100 and the rest of the lot for $40)
Steve Young Bucs authentic jersey $3 sold for $100
Mizzou game issue jersey and warmip $8 sold for $110
Head Racquets bought for $8 sold for $100
Jordan 1 retro bought for $5 sold for $152
Then the Billy Butler stuff bought for $40 so far have sold for $225

so just in those 8 transaction less than $100 spent over $1000 profit

[r0yals2012]

I think the Thrift Hunters show is kind of ruining it as well. People see it say hey I can try that too even though I think the guys on that show really don't know what they are doing. Garage Sales are the best for me and my favorite. Goodwill I think has gotten too expensive but with the occasional good finds.

[touchdowntimekc]

yeah i just started watching thrift hunters.... those guys just basically buy anything and everything and then list on ebay. I do like how on their website they show what they bought and show the actual ebay auctions they made the sale with. I think the show will help them get more sales and they have done other stuff too to get their names out there

Me I don't have the space to have that much inventory and I basically only specialize in sports items (it's what I know best) but sometimes toys too.... and stuff I know will sell quick and I can make a great return on.

I do pretty well with craigslist too...just gotta find good items cheap. The profit to me is what I put back into my personal card collection. Last year for example between thrift stores, craigslist, ebay I had around 15k in sales and put prolly double that into my collection for free.

[WalrusCircus]

Originally Posted by cardlover29

Try and ignore the obnoxious TMZ commentary... skip to like 0:50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hhzWYd9chA

[ChicagoCubsWS]

Originally Posted by r0yals2012

I think the Thrift Hunters show is kind of ruining it as well. People see it say hey I can try that too even though I think the guys on that show really don't know what they are doing. Garage Sales are the best for me and my favorite. Goodwill I think has gotten too expensive but with the occasional good finds.

I'm actually pretty good friends with Brian and Jason and they really know what they are doing.

I really don't think the show is ruining it. At least around me I see no difference. Will more people try to thrift for profit, yes. But a lot do not know how to sell an item or how to list WELL.

[r0yals2012]

Originally Posted by ChicagoCubsWS

I'm actually pretty good friends with Brian and Jason and they really know what they are doing.

I really don't think the show is ruining it. At least around me I see no difference. Will more people try to thrift for profit, yes. But a lot do not know how to sell an item or how to list WELL.

My bad maybe the one episode I watched they didn't really find anything but that's cool that you know them. I know that coupon show ruined it at the grocery store. Thrift stores could potentially raise their prices if they know what they have. That's why I like garage sales the most. 7/10 times people don't know what they have. I just hope garage sale pickers show doesn't come out.

[ChicagoCubsWS]

Originally Posted by r0yals2012

My bad maybe the one episode I watched they didn't really find anything but that's cool that you know them. I know that coupon show ruined it at the grocery store. Thrift stores could potentially raise their prices if they know what they have. That's why I like garage sales the most. 7/10 times people don't know what they have. I just hope garage sale pickers show doesn't come out.

I don't know if Thrift Hunters will last long to be honest. It's a fun show but I don't know if it will have enough viewers long enough.

[touchdowntimekc]

it's way better than auction hunters...so many fake shows like auction hunters, storage wars, that other storage show on spike...

Even some of the ones I love to watch Pickers, Pawn Stars, Hardcore Pawn they have a ton of staged elements..What I like about Thrift Hunters it appears to be pretty legit and honest

[Aaron]

I love doing this for a few extra bucks ... just found a taekwondo bag with brand new sparring gear in it ... bought for $20 sold for $125 ... one of my better finds

[touchdowntimekc]

yeah honestly if you like margins and return of investment...its way better than ripping wax.

I've been collecting a long time and the past 5 years I've basically just stayed away from ripping stuff ( I might open 5-10 boxes a year) but I buy peoples huge card collections..go through them keep what I need and resale the rest. Get tons of free cards, always make a profit and still go through around 2 million cards a year

It's a lot of work but I've built a great collection that way

[TwinGnats]

I've noticed that too, I have zero emotional attachment to the stuff I pick up. I really like looking at something I don't know anything about that I think is cool and finding out there are plenty of other dorks who think its cool too.

Originally Posted by touchdowntimekc

yeah honestly if you like margins and return of investment...its way better than ripping wax.

I've been collecting a long time and the past 5 years I've basically just stayed away from ripping stuff ( I might open 5-10 boxes a year) but I buy peoples huge card collections..go through them keep what I need and resale the rest. Get tons of free cards, always make a profit and still go through around 2 million cards a year

It's a lot of work but I've built a great collection that way

[TwinGnats]

Today's pickups, there is a burn hole in the front of the Thomas Jersey that I missed. Hopefully someone will want it to get signed on the back.

[touchdowntimekc]

I didn't have too much luck at the thrift stores this weekend...but got about 6 hats for $6 bucks I think I can eventually make around $60 profit on...

My best find was on craigslist got this for $90 w/the box. The last 4 without the box on ebay and have sold between $220-$260...listed right w/the box I think I could get $350...

but I'm keeping for my own collection but a steal for $90

[jstbuch]

Someone above mentioned thrift stores jacking up their prices if they knew what they had. That is not really the thrift store business model. Sure, the really obvious stuff they will price high but items that come in large bulk (like clothes), it doesn't make sense for them to sort through the bulk they get to pull out 20 or even 50 things. They would rather let those 50 things go super cheap than sort through the 10,000 other items to find them.

One of the easiest thrift store money makers is good china. Nearly all thrift stores have a china sections and it is usually really cheap. Complete sets or near complete sets usually do the best but I also buy misc pieces for nicer sets because people are always buying replacements. You usually have to invest a bit more (like $50 for a near complete set) but the payoff is usually pretty good. I turned a $40 set into $950 last year.

Just familiarize yourself with the more collectible names. The best part is, a complete set of china will nearly always sell for more than you buy it for so even if you make a mistake and buy something that isn't really collectible, it is not a big deal because you will likely still make money. Also, considering how many dishes thrift stores take in, they nearly never pull the good china out (crystal they do) so it is almost always there and no one else is really shopping for it.

The downside, this is information that likely won't stay profitable forever because less and less people are interested in fine china. It is also a bit** to ship properly so pay for the insurance.

Also, let's say you find a setting for 8 but you are missing a few pieces or something. You are usually better off selling it as a complete set for 6 and then selling to other pieces seperate.

Another thing I find at thrift stores a lot but I don't know a ton about other than they are usually valuable are things made out of jade. Either jewlery or sculptures (even small figurines). A lot of that stuff sells really well and often people don't buy it because it looks cheap. But jade is super expensive stuff.

[TwinGnats]

I'll keep an eye out for jade. My mom is going to want me to sell her huge fire king collection one day. I'm kind of dreading it because dishes are so breakable.

[SDcardguy24]

Good stuff. What days do you guys usually go? I have most of Tuesday and Thursday off so I'm thinking then.

[TMichaelSC]

I have two questions for those of you that do this. First, are you looking at mom and pop type thrift stores? Or places like Salvation Army and Goodwill? Second, where do you sell these things for that money? Is this a Craigslist-type thing?

Thanks,
Tom