The Art of Finding Collectibles to Sell
by Carrie Hinkel on November 7th, 2007
Certainly there is a lot of money to be made selling antique and collectible items. Many collectors start their business by successfully selling some unwanted items from their attic. The quick profit makes them hungry for more, and they start searching garage sales and flea markets for more items to sell. However, for most, this is just a short-term endeavor because finding new items to sell can be difficult and time consuming. Without a steady stream of new items to sell, you don’t have a business.
If you are in the business of selling collectibles, whether on eBay, your website or in a store, you will need to do some active networking and advertising to keep the items coming in. Before you put your plan for finding new products in place, you need to first develop a marketing strategy.
First , decide what types of collectibles you will specialize in. Typically, successful collectors specialize in a specific area, like baseball cards for example, because that gives the impression that they are experts in that area. Plus, it will be easier for you to be knowledgeable about features and prices in a specific category if that is all you focus on.
Second , develop a pricing strategy that will have sellers thinking they are getting a good deal — a good enough deal that they will come back to you again and refer others to you as well. When you’re first starting your business, you might want to give sellers an even better deal, so that you are sure to get repeat business in the beginning, when you really need it.
Okay, now that you are prepared, it’s time to find products! Here are some ways to keep your stockroom full of quality collectibles to sell:
Place ads - Get the word out in newspapers, Craigslist, or online sites that you are willing to pay top dollar for collectibles.
Talk to everyone - You don’t know if the person in line with you at the bank or in the elevator has an attic full of the collectibles you are looking for, unless you first strike up a conversation. The more you talk, the better your chances are of finding someone that has something you want. If you want to be a successful collector, it’s best to be outgoing and get over your shyness. Always keep a pocketful of business cards with you that tell exactly what types of collectibles you buy and sell.
Meet with other collectible dealers - Tell them you’ll buy the stuff they don’t want and give them your business card. The more people who know that you are a serious collector, the more your phone will ring.
Go to collector shows and auctions - Talk to both buyers and sellers. Hand out your business cards and let as many people as you can know what you do and what you are looking for. Be sure to let them know that you pay top dollar for for niche of collectibles.
Go to garage sales and flea markets - This isn’t always the best way to find items on a regular basis but it can be fun and sometimes you might just get lucky. Show up early and talk to the sellers and the other buyers that are there – let them know what type of collectibles you are looking for and ask them to keep you in mind if they ever have anything related they want to sell.
As you can see, once you get the hang of actively networking, getting a steady stream of products can be easy, especially once word gets out that you pay top dollar. The key is being an active networker – always talking to people about what you do, no matter where you are.
i live in danville illinois and i want to get into the flea marketing bussines but i have a problem i dont have nothing to sell there a warehouse that sells their stuff for you to resell but i cant find it would you please help me locate it i believe it is in bloomington illinois or in terre haute indiana would you please help me
tonya
March 26th, 2009
at 9:28 pm