How Craigslist Can Help You If You Win

Making Money With Storage Auctions And Craigslist

Are you looking for a relatively easy way to make money with the buying and reselling of goods?  Your first thought may be to attend neighborhood yard sales, but there is an even better option.  That option is attending mini storage auctions.  At these auctions, you tend to get more merchandise for your money.

If you want to make money with the buying and reselling of merchandise, you need to find a profitable method of reselling.  You do have a number of different options, including eBay, yard sales, and flea markets.  One option that you may want to pay close attention to is that of Craigslist.

If you are an avid internet user, you may have heard of Craigslist before.  If not, it is a free online classified website.  A wide range of information is posted, including job want ads and garage sales, but you can also list items available for sale.  The website is divided into separate sections for cities.

To make a profit with the buying and reselling of self-storage auction units, you need to limit your expenses.  This starts at the auction.  Do not bid high unless you are sure you are getting valuables.  Next, limit your expenses when trying to resell the items.  This is why Craigslist is recommended.  As previously stated, it is a free online classified website.  This means that you do not have to pay to list your items for sale, unlike the popular online bidding website eBay.

If you perform a search on the Craigslist.org website, you will find that many people are selling merchandise without posting pictures.  Do not do this.  If you have a digital camera or even if you must borrow one, use it.  Classified ads with pictures are likely to generate more interest, which increases your chances of making a sale.  Before taking any pictures, be sure to clean the item in question.

On Craigslist, you can post classified ads without having an account.  You are encouraged to signup for one anyways.  When you do so, those interested in buying your merchandise can contact you through the website.  This is ideal if you don't want your personal information, such as your email address or phone number listed online.

Since classified advertisements are free to post on Craigslist, you will want to create a listing for each item that you have.  This is important as you will be able to create a unique headline.  You don't want your headline to be something general like "a lot of items for sale."  Instead, write "1999 push lawnmower – works great." 

Although you are encouraged to create separate postings for each item that you want to sell, there are a few benefits to grouping similar items in lots.  For example, did you end up buying a box full of DVDs?  Instead of listing those DVDs for sale individually, sell them together in one lot.  This works great if the movies share similar themes, such as all action and adventure.

Grouping items together in lots can also reduce the amount of merchandise you throw away or donate to charity.  Do you have a collection of kid's clothes with sizes between 3T and 5T?  If you have a mixture of name brand and off brand clothing pieces, you may consider donating the unknown brands, but you don't have to.  Sell them altogether.  As long as you have a few name brands in the group, everything should sell.

When listing merchandise you purchased at a mini storage auction on Craigslist, it is important to choose an easy method of contact.  If you opt to be contacted through the website, be sure to check your email.  Have an answering machine turned on if you provided your phone number and will not be home.

Finally, decide on a method of delivery or pickup.  State this in your listings.  You can deliver products to your buyer, but keep the cost of gasoline in mind.  Don't let unnecessary travel expenses prevent you from profiting from the buying and reselling of public storage auctions.

Flea Markets and Storage Auction Secrets

Make Money With Storage Auctions And Flea Markets

Do you want to profit from the buying and reselling of merchandise sold at mini storage auctions?  If so, you need to choose a method of resale.  If you have customer service experience and many quality items to sell, you may want to sell at a flea market.

If you want to make money with selling mini storage auction merchandise at a flea market, proceed with caution.  Remember, your goal is to make money, not lose it.  You must rent a table or space at a flea market.  Some organizers charge very high fees.  Depending on what you have for sale, flea markets may not be worth your time or your money.

Speaking of what you have for sale, know how to buy valuables and resellable items at mini storage auctions.  If you can inspect bins or storage units beforehand, do so.  If not, look for signs or use your best judgment.  A storage unit filled with moving boxes and furniture may be the sign of two households that consolidated into one.  Household goods can be resold for a profit.  Also, look for name brand products and antiques.

Returning back to selling at a flea market, see what is available.  If you live in a large city or town, you may have multiple flea markets to choose from.  Before making your choice, visit them.  Which flea markets receive the most traffic or are open the longest?  Then, examine dealer fees.  You do want to keep your costs down, but keep quality in mind.  A flea market that receives more traffic is worth a higher dealer fee.

In keeping with location, if your local flea markets are not popular, you may want to examine those in the nearest large city.  You may have to pay higher dealer fees, but the increased traffic may be worth it.  Do you have a large van or truck that you can use to transport your goods?  If so, consider this as an option.  If you cannot find a decent flea market, remember that you can sell your mini storage auction merchandise online or host your own yard sale at home.

As for dealer fees, see what options you have.  Can you purchase a selling spot for only one weekend, a month, or the whole year?  If you intend to use mini storage auctions to your full advantage, like by traveling to attend them and buying as much as possible, a long term rental is recommended.  The longer you rent a space at a flea market, the bigger discount you should receive.

It is also important to get as much information as possible.  If the flea market organizers have a website, visit it.  If not, call or ask questions in person.  It is not uncommon for some organizers to limit what can be sold.  Upscale flea markets do not want to appear as if they are one big yard sale.  In these instances, it may be common to find secondhand clothing prohibited.  Before paying a dealer fee or signing a contract, make sure you can sell what you have.

When pricing your items, it is recommended that you first do research online.  Make sure you don't have any valuables.  Yes, you can still sell valuables and antiques at a flea market, but know their worth.  As for the rest of your merchandise, keep your eye on making a profit.  Remember what you paid for the merchandise, as well as your dealer fee.  Make sure you walk away with a profit, even if you must slightly raise the price.

As for why flea markets are considered a better method of reselling, it has to do with sales.  Those shopping at flea markets expect to find a good deal, but not deep discounted items like the ones sold at yard sales.  This allows you to reasonably set your prices higher.  Shoppers also visit flea markets with the intent to buy, as a shopper may have to pay an admission fee.  This, alone, increases your chance of making multiple sales.

Insider View of Dave Hester - Storage Wars Villian

The Lighter Side Of Dave Hester

Dave Hester is the "bad guy' on Storage Wars. However, in this video he shows an insiders look into how he makes his living buying storage lockers at auctions. The video is provided by The Auction Guy Dan who is the auctioneer you see on the show. You can visit his YouTube channel here or his website here. Dan and Laura Dotson are good people and provide alot of insight on the storage unit auction business.

Sellling Your Storage Auction Merchandise

Tips For Reselling Mini Store Auction Winnings

Do you want to make money with the buying and reselling of items purchased at a mini storage auction?  If so, you need to know what you are doing.  Many people rely on trial and error.  Yes, you can do this or you can continue reading on for a few helpful tips.

The first step in profiting from mini storage auctions starts at the auctions themselves.  When possible, bid low.  This increases your chances of making a profit.  The less you spend, the larger your profits will be.  Next, be on the lookout for items you can profit from.  The tricky part is that some items are stored in boxes, making it impossible to see what you are bidding on.  That is why you are encouraged to keep your bids as low as possible.

The key to making a profit with the buying and reselling of merchandise is to buy it in the wrong market and sell it in the right.  Mini storage auctions are considered the wrong market, but this is in your favor.  Why?  Because you tend to walk away with a better deal.  You are essentially paying a wholesale price for multiple items.  As for the right market, this is where you stand to make the most money.  By choosing the best method of resale, you can make the biggest profit.

So, which method of resale is the most profitable?  It depends on what you have to sell.  Due to their size, furniture and large household appliances are best when sold locally.  When selling locally, you can rent a table at a flea market, host a yard sale, or post a for sale listing on Craigslist.org.  Yard sales are nice, as you can sell all of your items at once, but many people expect to find deeply discounted merchandise.

Items that are smaller can be sold online.  One of the best markets for doing so is eBay.com.  When you sell on eBay, someone from across the country can buy from you.  Smaller items are recommended for reselling online, as they are easier and cheaper to ship.  It is also recommended that you sell valuables online, as you stand a better chance of their full value.

Speaking of valuables, there are some items that you may wish to have appraised.  Be on the lookout for dealers who appraise your items low and then offer to buy them.  This is a common scam that you do not want to fall victim to.  If this happens to you, you may have a very profitable item on your hands.  Why?  Because true dealers do not purchase junk. 

When reselling merchandise you bought at a mini storage auction, it is usually recommend that you clean that item.  For example, if you get a box full of clothes, you may want to wash them first.  You may want to wipe DVD packages clean before selling them.  You will want to be careful with antiques though.  Their age and the history behind them are what makes them valuable.  Not only do you wash away history when cleaning them, but you may also damage the product.  With antiques, it is best to let the buyer decide what they want to do.

In short, there are many ways for you to make money with mini storage auctions.  To improve your chances of making a profit, buy as much as you can.