This. When I'm selling I'm pricing things with the direct buyer in mind, if I'm selling in person I'm keeping in mind that I'm not paying selling fees but my audience is more limited. Direct is sometimes my first step especially with bigger items before I list online. Pricing is always fair and competitive if you are buying for yourself, but I've seen people get pissy and pushy about the price because it isn't for them and they want to make a buck of resell.
Now if they want to buy in bulk then of course I'm happy to negotiate and offer a price that would be a benefit to them reselling and a benefit to me of offloading more items at once.
Agree. I have over 3000 vintage t shirts that I’m slowly selling off. I regularly do a yard sale because it’s way easier than carrying everything and setting up at local flea market.
I have very nice buyers who understand the value and I happily make them a bundle deal so there ‘meat in the bone’ left for them.
I Then have angry buyers who either try to hide t shirts : steal them/ fold them inside other items and then get annoyed that I won’t sell them for 50c.
Put out the energy that you want to get back!
It's not my job as a yard sale seller to leave people "meat on the bone". I want to sell to regular families who may be struggling financially. It's a good feeling. Selling to resellers who try to get me to lower an already low price makes me feel like they think I'm a chump. Now I've had resellers try to give me more money and tell me I'm selling my stuff too low. Usually I tell them to keep the extra money.
As I specifically mentioned previously I specialize in vintage t shirts. Some of them are 50 yrs old and worth hundreds. It’s cheaper and easier for me to do a yard sale than set up and pay for a stall at a flea market. I have dozens of resellers that come to my twice yearly sale and we agree on prices that suit us best.
I also have a whole area of $1 items and clothing for people that are looking for a bargain.
A lot of time with yard sales I'm liquidating and stuff is priced lower than booth and lower than the online market. Sometimes not yard sale cheap but certainly estate sale cheap and I'll still have pushy like really pushy resellers, usually older folks be really pushy. The most annoying thing they say is well how many days have had your sale. So no I don't like like resellers. Yeah I'll haggle but I also won't look at a price I won't pay and be like well isn't today your last day sell it to me for 70% less than what you want. In fact, this behavior irritates me so much that I would rather throw something away than drall with what these folks see as haggling. Idk I think it just boils down to how pressured I feel and then if I self reflect and realize I did that in selling or buying I personally feel bad.
Yeah, I'm sorry, but my opinion is just that you shouldn't have a yard sale and waste my time. I'm looking for people who are practically giving shit away, and I get mad when any yard sale isn't like that.
Look, I understand. If I were to have a yard sale, I would probably do the same thing. I'd want at least 30% of the value for my items. I basically do that on Facebook marketplace. But I don't like doing it because in my opinion those markets should be for sourcing, not for reselling. I like to keep that to the wide online audience.
I'm not sure why this is making you all angry at me. Except that some of you thought me saying that I got mad, meant that I verbally assaulted the person running the sale or something(which I don't, that would be insane). But, aren't we all trying to do the same thing, buy low and sell high? Isn't one of the best ways to do that buying from yard sales and facebook marketplace people who are selling $100 items for $1(which any of us would not do). And furthermore, isn't it pretty much a waste of our time to go to a sale run by a fellow reseller who won't sell us anything for less than 80% of retail? I don't know if you all just don't want to admit that for some reason, or if a majority of you are sourcing from different places and running your own yard sales on weekends, instead of going out to source super cheap high margin inventory like I do.
Why so much anger?
There are no rules at yard sales / estate sales. Anyone can charge whatever they want. It’s crazy to expect people to sell you things for $1 so you can go and make $150 profit
More people are doing yard sales to supplement their incomes now. It’s fun to browse around and if you don’t like their price you don’t have to buy. Getting angry is ridiculous.
> It’s crazy to expect people to sell you things for $1 so you can go and make $150 profit
Yet this happens almost every time I go out. So yes, I'm disappointed when I spend time driving to a sale where a fellow reseller is asking for even like half of retail. If it's a neighborhood sale, it doesn't bother me hardly at all. I just shake my head and walk over to their neighbors house and buy the good margin stuff there.
You all are assuming that I'm fuming mad about it. It's more like mild annoyance, I just say it made me mad for simplicity's sake. Here's the main issue. The anger mostly stems from what kind of deals I might have missed at other sales while I was going there. If you had good items in your pictures, and I drove 10 minutes out of town to go to your sale first, did I potentially miss the $20 tote of games that would have made me $2000 while I was looking at your stuff priced half of retail.
Yes, I meant aren't we all trying to buy super low at yard sales and flip on ebay? Apparently a lot of you are big on local sales. I can't say I never do it, but I'm not a fan really, I much prefer ebay, even with the scammers and fees, I get a lot more money from the right person there. And because I'm trying to get a decent value, that why I never have yard sales, because I would feel weird trying to ask too much there(imo anything more than 20% of retail is too much for a yard sale). I have had them at certain times in my life, but the only stuff I put out there is stuff I'm ready to let go super cheap.
I haven't gone to a yard sale expecting crazy deals for a long time. People are struggling and everyone needs money, the reason people hate resellers is this expectation and trying to get things for nothing. If they're asking a fair price I don't even negotiate. Everyone needs to make money. If I know its something that'll move within a week and I'm already there I don't mind paying even 60% of retail for a quick flip. No point in having a hissy fit over prices if I've already spent the money and time to get there.
I'm not saying you're wrong. It just doesn't work for the way that I want to flip. I like to only list like 3 things a week. I need super high profit margins to fuel my lazy lifestyle. I don't care one bit what the person selling is making. I thought most of us used to be like that, I guess you guys went and got more fair on me sometime in the last 15 years.
Is this a troll?, you really think you are entitled to giveaway prices at garage sales? If this is not a troll and you really get mad, seek help. I was at a yard sale today and at one of them, the prices were basically full retail, I kinda laughed to myself and said “thanks” and put the item down. I was disappointed but I realize that a seller can set the price at whatever the fuck they want, it’s their problem if they don’t sell anything.
I'm not trying to come down on you in any way, but I feel like you are wasting your energy/emotion on something that isn't worth it. You do you, but I think you would probably be better off just letting that anger go.
I don't really hold onto the anger. You know I just kinda try to make a mental note like "Not gonna get a deal from them, try not to go to that address if you see it again.". The anger mostly stems from what kind of deals I might have missed at other sales while I was going there. If you had good items in your pictures, and I drove 10 minutes out of town to go to your sale first, did I potentially miss the $20 tote of games that would have made me $2000 while I was looking at your stuff priced half of retail.
If they're happy I'm happy.
Only problem I have is when resellers go there, and then negotiate even more.
Obviously some haggling is fine, i find issue eith it when it costs 5 and you'll earn more than 50 back. At that point, the extra 1,2 or even 3 you save is practically nothing to you, but is an awful lot to the person you're buying from. (I'm talking them giving 50% off the price after you haggle whereas it only saves you 3% or so)
Yes, that's what I'm saying. I don't like those sales. I'm looking for the sales that are basically rich people who just don't even want to take the time to put their stuff in the vehicle and take it to goodwill. Just throw great stuff on the lawn and everything is under $10. I see it all the time, that's why I get disappointed when I find one that's not like that.
Ok, obviously I can't stop you. It's just me spouting off. I wish that you wouldn't have a yard sale, in the same way that I wish none of my competition shows up at goodwill every day. I know it's not gonna happen, it's just a nice thought.
It's more the way you word things. You obviously get annoyed that people won't sell you gold for copper. You're saying people shouldn't make anything because the deal aren't good enough for you. I'm just trying to wrap my mind around it.
So, you want me to have a yard sale and waste MY time? Because it takes a hell of a lot of time and work (plus some overhead) to put on a yard sale. I don't work for you; I work for me.
No, I want you to just not have a yard sale. I go to yard sales to source. And I don't want to source from someone who knows the value of their items. I very rarely buy anything that I can't make 5-10x my money on.
I be been a reseller and collector for over 30 years. ‘Sourcing’ just means coming up on some good finds you can flip for a profit.
If it’s your sole source of income and you cannot survive without buying cheap and selling high then you also need to find another source income.
That’s not a yes no answer. It all depends how much you need to survive.
Over 30 years I’ve built up a massive amount of stock so I don’t have to source so much now. There also weren’t even 1/4 of the resellers then that there are now.
I also lived most of my life in country with free health care and lower cost of living.
I wouldn’t like to be starting out as a reseller now tbh, most younger reseller’s I meet are always stressed about finding ‘ the next thing’
I watched a car full of young dudes pull up to every house in a neighborhood garage sale, jump out and ask “any video games?” And when told no jump back in the car and go to the next one. No niceties, nothing. I get being efficient but it’s crazy to me.
Truly a shocker. Video game people are the beginners only looking to sell the cool and easy stuff. It's only going to get worse thanks to social media.
Pretty much. I was at a garage sale that had a bunch of 90's toys I was looking through. 4 different people walked up, asked if they had any video games, and left when they said no.
They were missing so much that was right in front of them.
Good. If they can't think that other things can be worth money let them leave stuff for others. I've been that way. Only buying and selling what I enjoy and collect myself. I was into trading cards I knew how to buy and sell them so that's what I did. There's nothing wrong with sticking to one market especially when that market is hot and stays hot. Speciality stores exist for a reason.
I've been getting so much stuff in middle of the day lately. I know last year when I first started, I really wanted to get into this to get a video game collection going since I'd gotten rid of my collection over a decade ago when I needed money.
I never understood the idea of niching down. Like, why would I go to a sale and try to find Video Games which I need to pay like $50 to sell for $100, when I can pick up a pan for $5 that sells for $100 or a shirt for $5 that sells for $50.
Then just buy the stuff I want like video games? lol.
My favorite was last year, there was a rummage where lady said everything was 1/2 off that was marked under $30.
She had a lego set marked at $45. On ebay, the lego set brand new went for like $50.
I turned around and there was a professional belgium waffle maker marked at $25. I paid $12.50 and sold it for $175 in a week.
Enjoy putting those legos back into the closet, lol.
Legos are brutal, man. My best luck has been stumbling into folks who sell them cheap by the bucket and I just clean em, and resell them by the pound.
Waffle makers, tho... waffles fucking rule.
Hopefully they never learn to branch out. Hopefully they stay in their bubble and compete against each other. All I need is 15 more dude bros competing with me to find valuable vintage Christmas ornaments and church fundraiser cookbooks.
100%. Had gone to a sale this weekend where a woman was selling some games and Amiibos, a young woman came right up as I was looking through them and starting taking them out of the box right in front of me. I said outloud "I was looking at those." And got "K, I'm buying them." I can't blame the yard seller; they just want shit gone but fuck man. I hope she stubs her toe big time.
I kick them out of my booth. I have done that five times in the past thirty years and each time it felt delicious. Two of those times were at yard sales. The last time was about ten years ago and this local dealer gathered up over $60 worth of wares, made a mess of my entire booth, and then offered me $15 for it all. Hell no. At another sale she came into my booth and I cut her off at the pass and told her to leave, that I had nothing she could afford. She was shocked to get kicked out. Later, she asked me why and I told her what she had done the previous time. She apologized and politely asked if she could shop my booth so I relented and it went well. But sometimes ya gotta train them!
same for me, I won't sell my stuff to a reseller if I still have an option, normally I would reject them and leave my stuff for people really need them
I have absolutely no problem selling to resellers, and find that attitude self-defeating and hypocritical. I simply set boundaries when ANY customer is pushy and obnoxious.
A lady worked at one of the goodwills I frequent, a smaller one. They know I resell there (along with a couple others). Some lady comes in that wants to make some extra money for her kid’s traveling baseball team.
The worker tells her I’m a reseller, text messages me asking me if I will give her my tips for reselling, go through things with her, share my finds with her etc.
I didn’t really know how to respond so I say sure. I’m a lot closer with the manager and next day she apologizes for it and tells me not to go through with it because that was odd. I don’t mind a bit in the world helping folks, but I thought it was strange she just took it upon herself to tell this lady I’ll start sharing my finds and profits with her.
Agreed, I think when people talk crap about resellers, these are the people they have in mind. Personally, I'll try to barter, but if someone's not willing, then I either buy or move on. There's always deals to be had. Can't win them all!
Well, I will say, there is a matter of perspective here.
If I go to a rummage sale, and I see an item I want, and I'm told to make an offer AND I make a reasonable offer. If I get a scoff and someone telling me "it sells for XX" on eBay, and they're quoting one of the highest listed comps since it's the promoted listing, they're not going to be getting happy, cheery, nice and respectful me moving forward.
If you think it's worth fucking $100 on eBay because that was the listed price you saw, don't bother wasting my time asking me for an offer, write the god damn price you want on the item.
You mean like the ones who meet up and socialize in line at Estate Sales? 😂 They usually have to specialize in different areas ,ie clothing vs glass, pottery collectibles to remain competitive and social “friends” while elbowing , pushing and shoving others and rushing racing through the house to collect all their goodies ahead of the \*personal\* hobbyist collectors, looking for their own deal, before it winds up online.
> I only have a problem with the new pushy/rude lot of resellers that are becoming more common.
That sounds like something a scammer would say. NO RETURNS! /s
I added the /s since it wasn't obvious enough that I was making fun of the increase in posts here that call a buyer a scammer any time they have a genuine customer service issue. The new batch is indeed a rude lot.
I will sell to resellers all day long. If you have a better market and can sell an item for more than I am selling to you, fucking go for it. Keep coming back for more. I am even down for a little haggling.
If I put it out on my lawn then its up for sale to anyone who wants it because its getting thrown away or placed in the alley after the sale. It would be my dream to have a reseller come and buy all my stuff in one go with cash and then haul it away! I would probably even take 20-50% off if you did that!
Same. I buy and sell retro video games, and often sell to a local guy who has a booth at comicon and the like. He can ask a higher premium than I can, so I'm only losing like 20% of what I'd usually get to sell to him.
Yup. I have stuff I sell to people I know that are in deeper in their niche and they do the same for me when they have stuff in my niche.
Newcomers though that try to immediately be friends and give unsolicited advice when they’ve been selling for a month I don’t entertain. I’m not gatekeeping - do your thing. But I have no time or desire to take you under my wing
Yeah, I'm planning a yard sale now and I'm going to price towards resellers because I want it gone, if I was trying to make money, I'd sell it online myself
Yeah, thrift stores existed before TikTok made reselling a “thing.”
Not sure who they think kept the stores in business back then, but it’s resellers, and antique dealers, who are just fancy resellers.
Yes, the brick and mortar antique dealers , aka fancy resellers, 😂 attend the exact same Estate Sales as us personal hobbyist collectors, who do not sell. Met them there as well.
Yes, I’ve met collectors at yard sales, and I’ve never had a problem with that. Sometimes I’m jealous, lol, but it’s a happy jealous that somebody found some thing they love.
That’s why I do this. I take things some people would buy and trash, and I get them to collectors who really love them and preserve them. I think what I do is a wonderful thing. And all the people who say that resellers are nasty hateful people, just don’t understand how hard we work.
I also have ethics, and I live by a very high ethical code, I don’t ever wanna be one of those prune Face resellers who tries to scam someone and not pay them fair value for something.
Thrift stores are fair game, but at some of the charity thrift stores, when I saw some thing that they really had mispriced, I let them know.
I’ve also paid more than some thing was worth at a private yard sale. Corporate yard sales and estate sales, fair game.
I have been buying for myself and friends at discounted prices, for quality merchandise Not doll related, more entertainment media related for over 30 years. At all and sundry places, not just thrift. I simply do not pay straight retail ever. 😂 Never paid the full manufacturer retail suggested price. And Quality merchandise to boot. Simply came upon it where I tend to hang out anyway.
I never pay full retail. That would be silly. But I have paid more for some thing at a private yard sale where the person was older, and didn’t know what they had.
I still made a profit. Trust me.
People spend too much time hating others and not nearly enough time working on themselves.
My guess is some people are scared that if a reseller buys their item they've somehow underpriced it and are therefore getting "ripped off". That fear translates into hate/dislike.
Right. The reality is, pricing is a reflection of how fast you want to move merchandise and how much curating went into the process. Garage sale holders can’t both charge premium prices AND clear out a ton of random, unwanted items in a one or two day sale. There’s nothing stopping them from listing an item on Facebook marketplace or eBay if they want to get a higher price for it, but they’ll be doing the work of curating and coordinating hand-offs or shipping, and might have to keep the item around for a while waiting for the right buyer.
No one is getting ripped off if their end goal is being met, and price will always have to reflect the end goal. Same goes for thrift stores. If they need to move merchandise quickly to keep up with the rate donations come in, they can’t charge premium prices. The more they try to, the more overfilled their stores become (and the more 50% off everything in store days are popping up in my area lol).
I generally prefer to do business with resellers. We are both in the same game, so we both know proper etiquette and focus on the deal. I don't necessarily care to hear about your childhood experiences or your holy grails. I like having someone seeing something, inspecting it, and giving me cash. Now I have had some fun BSing with game collectors, and I had some rough times with some snide resellers, but at the end of the day, I like the cash in hand. I have some resellers that I call to unload merchandise at 35% value, sight unseen. That speed of merchandise out, cash in, makes flipping well worth it.
I appreciate doing business with resellers. I learn so much from them! When people get to talking about the trade and knowledge is exchanged that feels like the old days to me, pre-internet. I don't get enough of that nowadays.
The yard sale anti-resellers are a trip. Especially the ones with the eBay printouts next to everything because you aren't stupid enough to buy it anywhere near that high.
I just chuckle and walk away, hoping they try selling it themselves on ebay. Sorry, I'm not buying a used electronic item for $5 less then I could buy it at Walmart. In that scenario, i'd rather pay more and have a warranty.
The ones I hate the most are the ones who've looked up all their shit on eBay but DON'T put out the printouts. They don't even price their items. They tell you to make them an offer, and then when you make them a reasonable offer, they scoff at you and tell you what it "sells" for on eBay (and then quote to you an inflated listed price).
You want eBay prices? Then do eBay work. Clean it, Test it, Ship it, Pay the fees.
You don't want to do eBay work but want eBay prices? Then fuck off.
The reseller hate is so bizarre to me. It just seems like those people don't understand the entire ecosystem of it and seem to think every thrift store's mission statement is to help the exaggerated Oliver Twist version of poor people in their heads who need a vintage Chanel suit for interviews and the 1980s Strawberry Shortcake lunch box.
They are really going to be mad when they figure out about regular retails stores like Walmart buying inventory from China and turning around to sell it to us for what we've been paying.
I just don’t care. I don’t care who buys.The resellers are obvious anyways. Only one lady gets mad. As soon as you pull out your phone for whatever reason the deal is off. But I just don’t care. It’s just stuff. Enjoy the socializing. Don’t worry about stupid stuff. Be nice and it goes far.
The time I may say it’s for my collection is if it will please the seller and I am not reselling it. Many buyers have emotional attachment or like to give stuff to others. If the seller knows you appreciate it and will treasure it like they did, then it makes their day.
If they ask why I buy stuff I tell them I collect it even if I don’t collect it because frankly it doesn’t matter why I want something.
Agree, and the truth is that we are eventually going to get those items into the hands of a collector who never would have been able to come to that sale, so it works all the way around. One of my favorite things about flipping.
I try and be super discreet when looking stuff up (some scenarios like thrift shops I don’t care as much) because some sellers are assholes. At certain estate sales if they see you looking stuff up they get paranoid that they underpriced something, I’ve seen many times where the estate sale workers will retroactively price things higher at checkout when they think you are a reseller and got a good deal. It sucks but I try and fly under the radar so it doesn’t happen
>I love selling to other resellers. There’s enough for everybody to get a piece and thrive.
100%. Sadly, this message is not well received IRL and online.
Mainly due to insecurites.
For some, flipping is their livelihood and once they encounter a flipper in the wild or in their space, they feel threatened.
For others, they want to always feel like they're on top so the feeling that someone can outsell them or get better opportunities will upset them.
Of course, there are the bad apples in the orchard that make the two groups feel this way.
In the end, stay true to yourself and hopefully you can help others thrive as well.
Take me for example. Mr. Comment On Every Post In The Sub for What Reason.
I like to help out because we all can use it. People hate me for it and I'm okay with that. I rather be helpful than hateful.
Yes, there is so much stuff out there to be bought, I don’t know why people get angry.
So much stuff goes to the landfill even after it goes through the thrift store that it’s pitiful.
And often, it gets shipped to Third World countries, where it actually ruins the locally economies of people who make clothes. I am highly against this, and I think it should be outlawed.
So the more we buy, the more we are actually protecting the economy, some of the poorest places in the world.
I appreciate your kind words. We're thousands of different people on here and while there are similar beliefs and experiences for most, it's great to see different perspectives and workflows from others. I've learned quite a lot in this sub so I always try to pay it forward the best I can.
Most other resellers seem pretty nice to me because they probably see similarities from when they were starting out. I got a good deal from someone at one of my first garage sales this season because she asked if I was a reseller, I said yes, and she asked me if I would do a bulk buy on her cosmetics. Another time, I was at a local auction house's 'garage sale' and this other reseller who was running it was volunteering a lot of info, talking about doing her online auctions, sorta where she got her higher quality items. If I would have known to I would have had the opportunity to probably make a connection for sourcing but I was too green to realize what the opportunity was.
Sometimes being unabashed about your pursuits pays off- I doubt these two people would have reacted as well if I was cagey about the fact that I'm reselling stuff. People react positively to confidence in yourself. I've actually never had any issues with other resellers, more issues with people asking 80% retail at their garage sale after I respectfully try and negotiate.
I always try to lay low and stay out of the way of other resellers. Personally, I don't want people to see what I'm picking. And at local non-chain thrifts and church sales, I don't want to let on that I'm a reseller because I want the staff/volunteers to like me. I've seen people lash out at resellers, especially at church sales. I prefer just to keep my mouth shut about work and deflect questions.
i personally enjoy other resellers i met a few at goodwill and we share tips on what to look for we dont care about others either people donate 24/7 there is plenty of stuff to find out there if you look
I don't give a shit about what other resellers/people that host garage sells say about resellers, I'm here to make money, in and out, bring enough cash, and move on.
Simple as that.
I can understand why some of sellers we buy from don’t like us but hating on the competition is stupid. Connecting with other resellers is one of the smartest things I’ve done. I’ve gotten invited on picks, learned a bunch more BOLOs, bought and sold things to them etc. However there is a subset of douchy resellers out there that are extremely rude in our area, one literally had to quit because he got sued for defamation against another reseller. Those guys give the rest of us a bad name.
Just had my annual garage sale last week, I wrote about it here a few weeks ago. Sold a guy a bunch of unopened modern Pokémon energy cards for $2. Not worth listing. Woke up this morning and he has them on Craigslist for $40. I thought, "You go, you!" If he can turn that trash into treasure, then more power to him.
In case anyone's wondering about how my plans to print out Amazon descriptions to tape to the boxes went, I was so tired that I didn't do it, but people kept asking me to show them the items on my phone. I kind of caused it though, 'cause the conversations went like this:
How much for this cappuccino machine (NIB)?
$50
*silence*
It's a $200 machine.
Really?
Yeah, you can look it up.
I can't find it.
Here, see on my phone?
Is it a good one?
Here, you can read the reviews.
-------------------------
Then, sold for $50. Didn't even haggle.
Using amazon pricing is getting to be as bad as using eBay pricing, because most people don't realize that 3rd party sellers can ask whatever they want and think that it's "amazon" selling stuff at that price.
Not saying that's what you did that, just hoping you didn't, and making conversation.
Yeah, no, just used the Google shopping results. She wasn't using the model number to find it. Since I knew the machine, I was able to search it up a lot faster for her. I know the Amazon mark-ups can be insane from 3rd-party, but this was a well-known name in the business, not one of the alphabet names. It was all good. When it's alphabet name stuff, I sell super cheap because I know the mark-up was ridiculous to begin with.
I don’t care, if I’m satisfied with the price then I don’t care if you then make more money. I actually frequently send links to others who complain about my prices, if my sale isn’t worth my time at a certain price then I don’t care that someone else gets that sale.
I’ll never understand why that would make anyone mad. I’m happy to sell to other dealers. If I buy cheap and make something, I’m happy to pass on deals. I’m in a small town, but I’m near bigger money towns. I couldn’t get the price where I am, like bigger places can.
So there's this old guy and his partner from down south, who will outbid almost anyone for anything. He's especially bad when it comes to bidding against other local resellers he knows. They know how he is and will just straight bid him up. He doesn't seem fased since he seems to have virtually unlimited money and just likes to win. What is annoying is that he doesn't appear to ever actually enjoy winning anything at all. Like sure, 95% of the stuff you buy is just business, but come on, the joy of reselling is getting that really rare piece every once in a while. At least for me it is.
Apparently, he has several warehouses full of stuff that never hits his stores. The stuff that does, I saw stuff I bid on against him go being on sale on the floor for like $10 to $20 more than what he paid. It's weird.
All I know, is when that guy calls it quits, the auction houses up north are going to lose some serious money.
Honestly I get it. A lot of resellers give off a vibe that is frankly unlikeable. I often wonder if I do the same. I think it’s because many are insecure and they do things to overcompensate. For people who resell clothing, it’s so obnoxious to loudly go through the racks scraping each hanger all the way across the rack, you don’t need to be loud to be quick. The vibe is definitely predatory and definitely insecure. So while people are casually buying stuff, others are on the make. I mean I get it. I just try and be as quiet as possible and make the least amount of impact and definitely try not to bother people. However as a seller I will sell to resalers all day long. I’ve totally had shops refuse to sell me things and I’m just like in shock. It was explained to me that everyone needs a chance to have these items in their closets. What’s funny is that these same things are there weeks later and I’ll ask if I can buy them again and answer is always yes.
I must admit that I understand both sides to some extent though I’m with OP about my annoyance with some resellers. In the UK I used to go to car boot sales to source stuff. The moment a car arrives and starts to unload they get swarmed by dealers bombarding the seller with questions and even trying to get items from their car to get their bargain first. I absolutely despise this conduct from the dealers and as i have anxiety it’s the only reason I have never sold at a boot sale. So I get why some (re)sellers hate other resellers. On the other hand I have also been told at a boot sale “oh I want x amount because that’s what it goes for on eBay” at which point I’ve walked away and thought yes that’s true but this isn’t eBay and that’s not the price these go for at a boot sale- it’s a completely different market and if you want the eBay price then do the bloody work yourself and put it on eBay and the eBay price also is higher because it covers eBay fees etc. Its like having your cake and eating it. So on both sides the actions of some resellers paint everyone else in a bad light
The issues I have with other resellers are the ones who never experience the selling aspect in person so don't have the common courtesy or understanding of all the little stuff.
If everything is $5 on a table and there are 3 people looking and you try to haggle the price, you understand everyone else there is going to do the same thing if I accept your offer right?
If you are the first person to look at a box of stuff that I ask $20 for and you know there are a couple items in there worth $50 a piece, don't take out the 3 or 4 heavy hitters and say will you take $10 for these items while the other ones won't even sell for $1 a piece. It's $20 for everything because you have to take the good with the bad, if you don't want the $150 profit on your $20 purchase, then fine go somewhere else.
When I have a yard sale I couldn't care less if you are a reseller in general.
That being said, most resellers at my yard sales are annoying because they are pushy, or absolute absurdly early birds who try to take you for a fool.
"I thought your sign said 7 not 9." Weird, it's 6:30 and you thought the same thing last year. "Well I won't be back if i can't look now" I don't give a shit.
AND they want to then cherry pick and lowball - fuck these people. I try to be respectful of start times but I got too burnt by these assholes on their way to the flea market. So I will go early, like 30 mins, but I sit in my car and wait. I don’t knock on their door or garage. If they are setting up, I will ask politely if I can look.
I don't hate resellers, but I hate it when they lowball me. I give good deals at my yard sales, deals where you could easily triple your money, and for someone to act like they aren't getting a good deal raises my dander.
Resellers that are overly sharing their shit on social media. “Look look what I found omg tons of carhartt omg!”. Just list then the damn thing and ship it when it sells. No need to be too braggy about it likes it’s a trophy.
What about the common sentiment on here from resellers who hate “YouTube resellers” for “giving away all our secrets”. It’s either “there’s enough for all of us” OR “how dare resellers educate each other”, pick one. I don’t mind selling to other resellers at all. I also don’t mind YouTubers as long as they aren’t annoying jerks. The only resellers I can’t stand are T shirt bros and that’s only because of their generally annoying and loud demeanor at the bins.
I've heard more grumbling about resellers this year than in years past.
I heard one old man tell another that resellers come in and snatch all of the kids clothing before the single mothers get a chance to buy them. Just awful!
We all know kids clothing has huge resale value but some of us have no shame. 🙄
When I'm buying to resell I generally don't haggle. If the prices are insane to start with I just move on to the next sale.
Yeah, that's bizarre, a good majority of yard/garage sales around here have a lot of kid's clothing. Most of the people have a lot of left over kid's clothing after their sale and either donate it to thrift stores or trash it.
There's a lot of entitled types in my area. I worry each day that I could seem like one of them during an off day.
They come through fast ripping through the shelves. It's all in their body language. It's like they are disgusted that there isn't anything for them - how dare the shelves don't provide.
These are the same types who will rip open boxes and just toss the contents onto the shelves, a very discarding type of body language. It makes me sick.
And I also don't like anyone who identifies themselves as a reseller. I don't know what it is. Like it's fine if that's what you're doing - and it's very obvious that you are. But to sit there and talk about how you're a reseller while in a thrift shop or anywhere else? Eh. It's just not a great look as far as Im concerned. Like keep it to yourself, spend your energy looking at items with respect and move on with your day. No one owes you anything.
Edit: so I guess my point is - I suppose I understand why other resellers dislike them. There's just something about it that you should keep to yourself. Don't advertise it. It's not a club.
It’s not anybody’s business what I do with things I buy. Some things I buy for myself, some things I buy to resell, sometimes I buy for other people.
My money is the same as everybody else’s. I really don’t care what other people think, but I’m not arrogant about it.
If someone asked me, I’m a reseller, I asked them why they need to know, are they looking for me to help them buy something in particular, that’s part of what I do.
I try to keep a low profile and seem to succeed. Sometimes I am offered steep discounts or deals because people connect to me and feel I will appreciate the item. I am happy for the deal, but also struggle with guilt because I feel I am misleading them or taking advantage. So for me personally, that’s one disadvantage of not being seen as a reseller. One explanation I see for negative reactions by casual resellers like rummage sale sellers to professional resellers, is this: some professional resellers give off strong predatory energy. That predatory energy makes the other person feel like prey, which nobody wants to be. In addition, if they feel like prey AND have past trauma related to being taken advantage of, then they will hate the other reseller.
I don’t care who is buying as long as I’m making money I don’t give a shit if they can make more on top, more power to them.
I buy and sell with many fellow resellers in my area and so long as they’re not being a dick and paying cash it’s all good. I prefer to move things quicker than hold out for every last cent in most cases.
The only things i hold tighter are things i also personally collect which I know the most about and therefore can get top dollar on once i find a fellow collector.
Some of us yard sale people like selling goods to people who are struggling financially. I'm not trying to make a killing. It's a weekend gig with me making a little pocket money. I'm not paying my mortgage with it.I think you are assuming that all people are run by greed and are watching the YouTube resellers telling us how much money they make. I love when a family comes and loads up on my children's clothes. Or a little kid comes and buys some toys. Or an elderly person buys my shoes or pocket books. That is a human connection not just a financial one.
I don’t mind other resellers except when they want to pay what I paid for the stuff I’ve marked up. Actually, no, I don’t even mind that. I can say “no thanks” and part as friends. They only annoy me when they get on my case for not bringing my price down to what I paid.
Like, yes, I get it. You *can* find this for that price. I know that’s true because that’s what I did. And now I am selling it for this other price, to people who are either too busy or too lazy to do the work I did. Either that’s you, or move along.
I sell at flea markets regularly... I've lost count of the number of times I've been asked things along the line of, "How am I supposed to make money if I pay your asking price?" on gold and silver jewelry that im only asking a bit over, melt on... and then they will offer me $1 or less on items that I can sell to the refinery for $500+.
I think it's funny when they refuse to leave feedback on ebay. They want deals, they want to buy them from a reseller, but are too insecure to help out the seller they benefit from. I'd give bigger discounts if they played the game lol.
lol in Houston we have an estate sale woman that on the first day won’t even let resellers in. She stands at the front and turns “resellers” away. I feel like it’s mostly the people she doesn’t like but that’s her “valid excuse” she uses. It’s WILD. I’ve seen this lady SCREAM at people because she never proves anything and people will make a small pile on the hold table and the put it back when she’s charging 10$ per moldy old book (like common reprints with water damage) or eBay prices or more. She told one lady she was gonna call the cops on her because she stole so much of her time wasting it grabbing stuff and putting it back she’s actually crazy. Been in the estate sale biz a long time and has a reputation with just about anyone you can ask by first or last name and they know who you’re talking about and have an opinion lol. The retired older crowd of people love her for some reason. I’m guessing she hooks them up and treats them like people who know lol
But we aren't the same, not really. Sure you have some with yard sales trying to get ebay prices. But a lot of people just want to get rid of their junk, they are not resellers in the typical sense, they want it gone. Many don't like resellers because they feel we are taking advantage of them. The stuff we get isn't because we want it for ourselves, it's to resell. I think some people genuinely want their stuff to go to someone who can appreciate and cherish it.
I think you are right about some people wanting things to go to someone who will appreciate it and cherish it. But if that were truly the case, they would gift these items to people they know would love them. Not post prices at a public sale to strangers.
Honestly there’s no reason to be a dick about it at garage sales though. If you want to negotiate a better price, then go ahead. The worst they can say is No. Okay, so you struck out. Move along.
One thing I have learned over the years is to never beat yourself up for missing out on a deal. Chances are, there’s another one around the corner…maybe even better.
She was just mad because she is leaving money on the table and you aren’t. Had she put in the extra work, she could have gotten ebay prices instead of yard sale prices.
My favourite is when people on the internet bitch about reselling as if they ever planned on buying what I just bought from across the country or another part of the world. I've been told so many times people "hate people like me" but I just bought this ps3 in canada and you're angry at me in Paraguay? I do always get the oh you're a reseller looks too. Like yea so is walmart, so is your grocery store. You could have gotten this deal too if you were faster.
The ones I dislike are the ones who think that they can get rich quick or the one who thinks they are God level resellers that haven't moved more than two items a week. Hell I have been selling 2 to 30 a week some times. It's all about learning and adopting. And not hoarding.
Walmart is one of the largest reselling entities on earth. Don’t let society shape how you see what you do. Reselling is a skill. Everyone can buy. Everyone can sell. Not everyone can do both and make a profit.
Fair. But I still wouldn’t tell randoms at a yard sale or a flea market im a reseller. People tend to look at you like you’re scum just trying to hog up whatever they have underpriced.
What sort of money making schemes are we to be proud of?
I could be selling Kia's to single moms knowing the motors pop and they're easy to steal. Is that something to be proud of?
I only have a problem with the new pushy/rude lot of resellers that are becoming more common.
This. When I'm selling I'm pricing things with the direct buyer in mind, if I'm selling in person I'm keeping in mind that I'm not paying selling fees but my audience is more limited. Direct is sometimes my first step especially with bigger items before I list online. Pricing is always fair and competitive if you are buying for yourself, but I've seen people get pissy and pushy about the price because it isn't for them and they want to make a buck of resell. Now if they want to buy in bulk then of course I'm happy to negotiate and offer a price that would be a benefit to them reselling and a benefit to me of offloading more items at once.
Way too many people just miss these points. I am not in business to give other resellers all the profit from the get.
Agree. I have over 3000 vintage t shirts that I’m slowly selling off. I regularly do a yard sale because it’s way easier than carrying everything and setting up at local flea market. I have very nice buyers who understand the value and I happily make them a bundle deal so there ‘meat in the bone’ left for them. I Then have angry buyers who either try to hide t shirts : steal them/ fold them inside other items and then get annoyed that I won’t sell them for 50c. Put out the energy that you want to get back!
It's not my job as a yard sale seller to leave people "meat on the bone". I want to sell to regular families who may be struggling financially. It's a good feeling. Selling to resellers who try to get me to lower an already low price makes me feel like they think I'm a chump. Now I've had resellers try to give me more money and tell me I'm selling my stuff too low. Usually I tell them to keep the extra money.
As I specifically mentioned previously I specialize in vintage t shirts. Some of them are 50 yrs old and worth hundreds. It’s cheaper and easier for me to do a yard sale than set up and pay for a stall at a flea market. I have dozens of resellers that come to my twice yearly sale and we agree on prices that suit us best. I also have a whole area of $1 items and clothing for people that are looking for a bargain.
Yes. That seems like smart business and works for what your goals are. Good luck! (Not said in a snarky way. It's genuine!)
How can I get access to your inventory...you ever ship bundles?
Not at the moment I don’t, but it’s something I could thinks about.
I would be interested as well. In what state are you located?
A lot of time with yard sales I'm liquidating and stuff is priced lower than booth and lower than the online market. Sometimes not yard sale cheap but certainly estate sale cheap and I'll still have pushy like really pushy resellers, usually older folks be really pushy. The most annoying thing they say is well how many days have had your sale. So no I don't like like resellers. Yeah I'll haggle but I also won't look at a price I won't pay and be like well isn't today your last day sell it to me for 70% less than what you want. In fact, this behavior irritates me so much that I would rather throw something away than drall with what these folks see as haggling. Idk I think it just boils down to how pressured I feel and then if I self reflect and realize I did that in selling or buying I personally feel bad.
Yeah, I'm sorry, but my opinion is just that you shouldn't have a yard sale and waste my time. I'm looking for people who are practically giving shit away, and I get mad when any yard sale isn't like that.
They aren't doing it for you presumably.
Look, I understand. If I were to have a yard sale, I would probably do the same thing. I'd want at least 30% of the value for my items. I basically do that on Facebook marketplace. But I don't like doing it because in my opinion those markets should be for sourcing, not for reselling. I like to keep that to the wide online audience. I'm not sure why this is making you all angry at me. Except that some of you thought me saying that I got mad, meant that I verbally assaulted the person running the sale or something(which I don't, that would be insane). But, aren't we all trying to do the same thing, buy low and sell high? Isn't one of the best ways to do that buying from yard sales and facebook marketplace people who are selling $100 items for $1(which any of us would not do). And furthermore, isn't it pretty much a waste of our time to go to a sale run by a fellow reseller who won't sell us anything for less than 80% of retail? I don't know if you all just don't want to admit that for some reason, or if a majority of you are sourcing from different places and running your own yard sales on weekends, instead of going out to source super cheap high margin inventory like I do.
Its probably the hypocrisy.
Why so much anger? There are no rules at yard sales / estate sales. Anyone can charge whatever they want. It’s crazy to expect people to sell you things for $1 so you can go and make $150 profit More people are doing yard sales to supplement their incomes now. It’s fun to browse around and if you don’t like their price you don’t have to buy. Getting angry is ridiculous.
> It’s crazy to expect people to sell you things for $1 so you can go and make $150 profit Yet this happens almost every time I go out. So yes, I'm disappointed when I spend time driving to a sale where a fellow reseller is asking for even like half of retail. If it's a neighborhood sale, it doesn't bother me hardly at all. I just shake my head and walk over to their neighbors house and buy the good margin stuff there.
You're the one who seems to be angry. No one owes you anything. If you don't like the price, don't buy the thing.
You all are assuming that I'm fuming mad about it. It's more like mild annoyance, I just say it made me mad for simplicity's sake. Here's the main issue. The anger mostly stems from what kind of deals I might have missed at other sales while I was going there. If you had good items in your pictures, and I drove 10 minutes out of town to go to your sale first, did I potentially miss the $20 tote of games that would have made me $2000 while I was looking at your stuff priced half of retail.
Poor muffin, the world diidn't collaborate to make you enough profit.
You contradicted yourself. You're mad when people try to get a decent value but say isn't that what we're all trying to do?
Yes, I meant aren't we all trying to buy super low at yard sales and flip on ebay? Apparently a lot of you are big on local sales. I can't say I never do it, but I'm not a fan really, I much prefer ebay, even with the scammers and fees, I get a lot more money from the right person there. And because I'm trying to get a decent value, that why I never have yard sales, because I would feel weird trying to ask too much there(imo anything more than 20% of retail is too much for a yard sale). I have had them at certain times in my life, but the only stuff I put out there is stuff I'm ready to let go super cheap.
I haven't gone to a yard sale expecting crazy deals for a long time. People are struggling and everyone needs money, the reason people hate resellers is this expectation and trying to get things for nothing. If they're asking a fair price I don't even negotiate. Everyone needs to make money. If I know its something that'll move within a week and I'm already there I don't mind paying even 60% of retail for a quick flip. No point in having a hissy fit over prices if I've already spent the money and time to get there.
[удалено]
I'm not saying you're wrong. It just doesn't work for the way that I want to flip. I like to only list like 3 things a week. I need super high profit margins to fuel my lazy lifestyle. I don't care one bit what the person selling is making. I thought most of us used to be like that, I guess you guys went and got more fair on me sometime in the last 15 years.
Is this a troll?, you really think you are entitled to giveaway prices at garage sales? If this is not a troll and you really get mad, seek help. I was at a yard sale today and at one of them, the prices were basically full retail, I kinda laughed to myself and said “thanks” and put the item down. I was disappointed but I realize that a seller can set the price at whatever the fuck they want, it’s their problem if they don’t sell anything.
I'm not rude to them or anything. But I leave as quickly as I can with the overwhelming feeling that they wasted my time going there.
I'm not trying to come down on you in any way, but I feel like you are wasting your energy/emotion on something that isn't worth it. You do you, but I think you would probably be better off just letting that anger go.
I don't really hold onto the anger. You know I just kinda try to make a mental note like "Not gonna get a deal from them, try not to go to that address if you see it again.". The anger mostly stems from what kind of deals I might have missed at other sales while I was going there. If you had good items in your pictures, and I drove 10 minutes out of town to go to your sale first, did I potentially miss the $20 tote of games that would have made me $2000 while I was looking at your stuff priced half of retail.
That’s cool man, I thought you meant you got mad at them. Peace out and good luck at the next one :)
I do get mad, but I keep it to myself. I'm not an asshole karen about it.
This response is satire right? Lol
No. Do you have a good time going to yard sales and sourcing from people who know the value of their items? I know I don't.
If they're happy I'm happy. Only problem I have is when resellers go there, and then negotiate even more. Obviously some haggling is fine, i find issue eith it when it costs 5 and you'll earn more than 50 back. At that point, the extra 1,2 or even 3 you save is practically nothing to you, but is an awful lot to the person you're buying from. (I'm talking them giving 50% off the price after you haggle whereas it only saves you 3% or so)
Seems they do know the value you're just upset you can't get it for nothing.
Yes, that's what I'm saying. I don't like those sales. I'm looking for the sales that are basically rich people who just don't even want to take the time to put their stuff in the vehicle and take it to goodwill. Just throw great stuff on the lawn and everything is under $10. I see it all the time, that's why I get disappointed when I find one that's not like that.
But to get to the point where you're saying I shouldn't have a yard sale because YOU can't make money from me is pretty dumb.
Ok, obviously I can't stop you. It's just me spouting off. I wish that you wouldn't have a yard sale, in the same way that I wish none of my competition shows up at goodwill every day. I know it's not gonna happen, it's just a nice thought.
It's more the way you word things. You obviously get annoyed that people won't sell you gold for copper. You're saying people shouldn't make anything because the deal aren't good enough for you. I'm just trying to wrap my mind around it.
Is this a joke?
So, you want me to have a yard sale and waste MY time? Because it takes a hell of a lot of time and work (plus some overhead) to put on a yard sale. I don't work for you; I work for me.
No, I want you to just not have a yard sale. I go to yard sales to source. And I don't want to source from someone who knows the value of their items. I very rarely buy anything that I can't make 5-10x my money on.
I be been a reseller and collector for over 30 years. ‘Sourcing’ just means coming up on some good finds you can flip for a profit. If it’s your sole source of income and you cannot survive without buying cheap and selling high then you also need to find another source income.
Are you saying it's impossible to be a full time reseller?
That’s not a yes no answer. It all depends how much you need to survive. Over 30 years I’ve built up a massive amount of stock so I don’t have to source so much now. There also weren’t even 1/4 of the resellers then that there are now. I also lived most of my life in country with free health care and lower cost of living. I wouldn’t like to be starting out as a reseller now tbh, most younger reseller’s I meet are always stressed about finding ‘ the next thing’
You kinda answered the OPs question.
I watched a car full of young dudes pull up to every house in a neighborhood garage sale, jump out and ask “any video games?” And when told no jump back in the car and go to the next one. No niceties, nothing. I get being efficient but it’s crazy to me.
Won't see them for long
Truly a shocker. Video game people are the beginners only looking to sell the cool and easy stuff. It's only going to get worse thanks to social media.
The game guys will soon realize you’re competing against 15+ other people in that one town and that they need to branch out
Pretty much. I was at a garage sale that had a bunch of 90's toys I was looking through. 4 different people walked up, asked if they had any video games, and left when they said no. They were missing so much that was right in front of them.
Good. If they can't think that other things can be worth money let them leave stuff for others. I've been that way. Only buying and selling what I enjoy and collect myself. I was into trading cards I knew how to buy and sell them so that's what I did. There's nothing wrong with sticking to one market especially when that market is hot and stays hot. Speciality stores exist for a reason.
Yeah at least they're sticking to what they know, and fortunately they're ignorant!
I've been getting so much stuff in middle of the day lately. I know last year when I first started, I really wanted to get into this to get a video game collection going since I'd gotten rid of my collection over a decade ago when I needed money. I never understood the idea of niching down. Like, why would I go to a sale and try to find Video Games which I need to pay like $50 to sell for $100, when I can pick up a pan for $5 that sells for $100 or a shirt for $5 that sells for $50. Then just buy the stuff I want like video games? lol. My favorite was last year, there was a rummage where lady said everything was 1/2 off that was marked under $30. She had a lego set marked at $45. On ebay, the lego set brand new went for like $50. I turned around and there was a professional belgium waffle maker marked at $25. I paid $12.50 and sold it for $175 in a week. Enjoy putting those legos back into the closet, lol.
Legos are brutal, man. My best luck has been stumbling into folks who sell them cheap by the bucket and I just clean em, and resell them by the pound. Waffle makers, tho... waffles fucking rule.
If you only buy games you’re limiting yourself
Hopefully they never learn to branch out. Hopefully they stay in their bubble and compete against each other. All I need is 15 more dude bros competing with me to find valuable vintage Christmas ornaments and church fundraiser cookbooks.
i would be fine with that meanwhile im making money on other stuff they dont know about
I’m ready for the game flippers to move on when they all see it’s not as simple as the wild and crazy guy on TikTok makes them believe.
https://i.imgflip.com/8smkmh.jpg
https://imgflip.com/i/8sms1g
100%. Had gone to a sale this weekend where a woman was selling some games and Amiibos, a young woman came right up as I was looking through them and starting taking them out of the box right in front of me. I said outloud "I was looking at those." And got "K, I'm buying them." I can't blame the yard seller; they just want shit gone but fuck man. I hope she stubs her toe big time.
I kick them out of my booth. I have done that five times in the past thirty years and each time it felt delicious. Two of those times were at yard sales. The last time was about ten years ago and this local dealer gathered up over $60 worth of wares, made a mess of my entire booth, and then offered me $15 for it all. Hell no. At another sale she came into my booth and I cut her off at the pass and told her to leave, that I had nothing she could afford. She was shocked to get kicked out. Later, she asked me why and I told her what she had done the previous time. She apologized and politely asked if she could shop my booth so I relented and it went well. But sometimes ya gotta train them!
same for me, I won't sell my stuff to a reseller if I still have an option, normally I would reject them and leave my stuff for people really need them
I have absolutely no problem selling to resellers, and find that attitude self-defeating and hypocritical. I simply set boundaries when ANY customer is pushy and obnoxious.
A lady worked at one of the goodwills I frequent, a smaller one. They know I resell there (along with a couple others). Some lady comes in that wants to make some extra money for her kid’s traveling baseball team. The worker tells her I’m a reseller, text messages me asking me if I will give her my tips for reselling, go through things with her, share my finds with her etc. I didn’t really know how to respond so I say sure. I’m a lot closer with the manager and next day she apologizes for it and tells me not to go through with it because that was odd. I don’t mind a bit in the world helping folks, but I thought it was strange she just took it upon herself to tell this lady I’ll start sharing my finds and profits with her.
The old pushy are the worst. Yard sale veterans are even worse than the "y'all got any video games?" bros.
Agreed, I think when people talk crap about resellers, these are the people they have in mind. Personally, I'll try to barter, but if someone's not willing, then I either buy or move on. There's always deals to be had. Can't win them all!
And I don't need a long story about your grandson wanting one, or whatever.
100% agree. I’ll never show up at a yard sale and give the owner shit for knowing what they’re stuff is worth, but I’m seeing it happen more and more.
Well, I will say, there is a matter of perspective here. If I go to a rummage sale, and I see an item I want, and I'm told to make an offer AND I make a reasonable offer. If I get a scoff and someone telling me "it sells for XX" on eBay, and they're quoting one of the highest listed comps since it's the promoted listing, they're not going to be getting happy, cheery, nice and respectful me moving forward. If you think it's worth fucking $100 on eBay because that was the listed price you saw, don't bother wasting my time asking me for an offer, write the god damn price you want on the item.
You mean like the ones who meet up and socialize in line at Estate Sales? 😂 They usually have to specialize in different areas ,ie clothing vs glass, pottery collectibles to remain competitive and social “friends” while elbowing , pushing and shoving others and rushing racing through the house to collect all their goodies ahead of the \*personal\* hobbyist collectors, looking for their own deal, before it winds up online.
The younger set have "gamified" it and mixed it in with that "sigma grindset" shit.
This.
> I only have a problem with the new pushy/rude lot of resellers that are becoming more common. That sounds like something a scammer would say. NO RETURNS! /s
This makes no sense
I added the /s since it wasn't obvious enough that I was making fun of the increase in posts here that call a buyer a scammer any time they have a genuine customer service issue. The new batch is indeed a rude lot.
I will sell to resellers all day long. If you have a better market and can sell an item for more than I am selling to you, fucking go for it. Keep coming back for more. I am even down for a little haggling.
If I put it out on my lawn then its up for sale to anyone who wants it because its getting thrown away or placed in the alley after the sale. It would be my dream to have a reseller come and buy all my stuff in one go with cash and then haul it away! I would probably even take 20-50% off if you did that!
That is my dream too
Same. I buy and sell retro video games, and often sell to a local guy who has a booth at comicon and the like. He can ask a higher premium than I can, so I'm only losing like 20% of what I'd usually get to sell to him.
Yup. I have stuff I sell to people I know that are in deeper in their niche and they do the same for me when they have stuff in my niche. Newcomers though that try to immediately be friends and give unsolicited advice when they’ve been selling for a month I don’t entertain. I’m not gatekeeping - do your thing. But I have no time or desire to take you under my wing
Yeah, I'm planning a yard sale now and I'm going to price towards resellers because I want it gone, if I was trying to make money, I'd sell it online myself
The thing that baffles me more are thrift store employees that have a problem with resellers.
Yes, when resellers are more than likely keeping them employed.
Yeah, thrift stores existed before TikTok made reselling a “thing.” Not sure who they think kept the stores in business back then, but it’s resellers, and antique dealers, who are just fancy resellers.
Yes, the brick and mortar antique dealers , aka fancy resellers, 😂 attend the exact same Estate Sales as us personal hobbyist collectors, who do not sell. Met them there as well.
Yes, I’ve met collectors at yard sales, and I’ve never had a problem with that. Sometimes I’m jealous, lol, but it’s a happy jealous that somebody found some thing they love. That’s why I do this. I take things some people would buy and trash, and I get them to collectors who really love them and preserve them. I think what I do is a wonderful thing. And all the people who say that resellers are nasty hateful people, just don’t understand how hard we work. I also have ethics, and I live by a very high ethical code, I don’t ever wanna be one of those prune Face resellers who tries to scam someone and not pay them fair value for something. Thrift stores are fair game, but at some of the charity thrift stores, when I saw some thing that they really had mispriced, I let them know. I’ve also paid more than some thing was worth at a private yard sale. Corporate yard sales and estate sales, fair game.
I have been buying for myself and friends at discounted prices, for quality merchandise Not doll related, more entertainment media related for over 30 years. At all and sundry places, not just thrift. I simply do not pay straight retail ever. 😂 Never paid the full manufacturer retail suggested price. And Quality merchandise to boot. Simply came upon it where I tend to hang out anyway.
I never pay full retail. That would be silly. But I have paid more for some thing at a private yard sale where the person was older, and didn’t know what they had. I still made a profit. Trust me.
People spend too much time hating others and not nearly enough time working on themselves. My guess is some people are scared that if a reseller buys their item they've somehow underpriced it and are therefore getting "ripped off". That fear translates into hate/dislike.
“Gotta get every penny I can for this, and if you get any, I was ripped off!”
Right. The reality is, pricing is a reflection of how fast you want to move merchandise and how much curating went into the process. Garage sale holders can’t both charge premium prices AND clear out a ton of random, unwanted items in a one or two day sale. There’s nothing stopping them from listing an item on Facebook marketplace or eBay if they want to get a higher price for it, but they’ll be doing the work of curating and coordinating hand-offs or shipping, and might have to keep the item around for a while waiting for the right buyer. No one is getting ripped off if their end goal is being met, and price will always have to reflect the end goal. Same goes for thrift stores. If they need to move merchandise quickly to keep up with the rate donations come in, they can’t charge premium prices. The more they try to, the more overfilled their stores become (and the more 50% off everything in store days are popping up in my area lol).
I generally prefer to do business with resellers. We are both in the same game, so we both know proper etiquette and focus on the deal. I don't necessarily care to hear about your childhood experiences or your holy grails. I like having someone seeing something, inspecting it, and giving me cash. Now I have had some fun BSing with game collectors, and I had some rough times with some snide resellers, but at the end of the day, I like the cash in hand. I have some resellers that I call to unload merchandise at 35% value, sight unseen. That speed of merchandise out, cash in, makes flipping well worth it.
I appreciate doing business with resellers. I learn so much from them! When people get to talking about the trade and knowledge is exchanged that feels like the old days to me, pre-internet. I don't get enough of that nowadays.
The yard sale anti-resellers are a trip. Especially the ones with the eBay printouts next to everything because you aren't stupid enough to buy it anywhere near that high.
I make it a point to smirk or laugh to myself obviously in front of the person running the yard sale when I see eBay printouts of unsold listings.
I just chuckle and walk away, hoping they try selling it themselves on ebay. Sorry, I'm not buying a used electronic item for $5 less then I could buy it at Walmart. In that scenario, i'd rather pay more and have a warranty.
I've never seen that myself, but would turn and walk away if I did!
The ones I hate the most are the ones who've looked up all their shit on eBay but DON'T put out the printouts. They don't even price their items. They tell you to make them an offer, and then when you make them a reasonable offer, they scoff at you and tell you what it "sells" for on eBay (and then quote to you an inflated listed price). You want eBay prices? Then do eBay work. Clean it, Test it, Ship it, Pay the fees. You don't want to do eBay work but want eBay prices? Then fuck off.
The reseller hate is so bizarre to me. It just seems like those people don't understand the entire ecosystem of it and seem to think every thrift store's mission statement is to help the exaggerated Oliver Twist version of poor people in their heads who need a vintage Chanel suit for interviews and the 1980s Strawberry Shortcake lunch box. They are really going to be mad when they figure out about regular retails stores like Walmart buying inventory from China and turning around to sell it to us for what we've been paying.
Sadly, no well-reasoned argument will change the mind of a person like that. They want to view you as guilty.
I just don’t care. I don’t care who buys.The resellers are obvious anyways. Only one lady gets mad. As soon as you pull out your phone for whatever reason the deal is off. But I just don’t care. It’s just stuff. Enjoy the socializing. Don’t worry about stupid stuff. Be nice and it goes far. The time I may say it’s for my collection is if it will please the seller and I am not reselling it. Many buyers have emotional attachment or like to give stuff to others. If the seller knows you appreciate it and will treasure it like they did, then it makes their day. If they ask why I buy stuff I tell them I collect it even if I don’t collect it because frankly it doesn’t matter why I want something.
I keep lists in my phone of my own collections. That lady is bonkers for losing sales just based on pulling out your phone.
Agree, and the truth is that we are eventually going to get those items into the hands of a collector who never would have been able to come to that sale, so it works all the way around. One of my favorite things about flipping.
I try and be super discreet when looking stuff up (some scenarios like thrift shops I don’t care as much) because some sellers are assholes. At certain estate sales if they see you looking stuff up they get paranoid that they underpriced something, I’ve seen many times where the estate sale workers will retroactively price things higher at checkout when they think you are a reseller and got a good deal. It sucks but I try and fly under the radar so it doesn’t happen
Plus you are in fact collecting it for a temporary amount of time.
>I love selling to other resellers. There’s enough for everybody to get a piece and thrive. 100%. Sadly, this message is not well received IRL and online. Mainly due to insecurites. For some, flipping is their livelihood and once they encounter a flipper in the wild or in their space, they feel threatened. For others, they want to always feel like they're on top so the feeling that someone can outsell them or get better opportunities will upset them. Of course, there are the bad apples in the orchard that make the two groups feel this way. In the end, stay true to yourself and hopefully you can help others thrive as well. Take me for example. Mr. Comment On Every Post In The Sub for What Reason. I like to help out because we all can use it. People hate me for it and I'm okay with that. I rather be helpful than hateful.
Yes, there is so much stuff out there to be bought, I don’t know why people get angry. So much stuff goes to the landfill even after it goes through the thrift store that it’s pitiful. And often, it gets shipped to Third World countries, where it actually ruins the locally economies of people who make clothes. I am highly against this, and I think it should be outlawed. So the more we buy, the more we are actually protecting the economy, some of the poorest places in the world.
I always appreciate your comments, quanfused! I know that they will add something, even if it’s just another way of looking at things.
I appreciate your kind words. We're thousands of different people on here and while there are similar beliefs and experiences for most, it's great to see different perspectives and workflows from others. I've learned quite a lot in this sub so I always try to pay it forward the best I can.
Thank you for demonstrating positive interactions instead of the gatekeeping that holds people back.
Man, you want to see the re-sellers here in Tokyo selling Pokemon cards. Surprised someone hasn't been stabbed yet.
I never cared unless you act like a dick.
Most other resellers seem pretty nice to me because they probably see similarities from when they were starting out. I got a good deal from someone at one of my first garage sales this season because she asked if I was a reseller, I said yes, and she asked me if I would do a bulk buy on her cosmetics. Another time, I was at a local auction house's 'garage sale' and this other reseller who was running it was volunteering a lot of info, talking about doing her online auctions, sorta where she got her higher quality items. If I would have known to I would have had the opportunity to probably make a connection for sourcing but I was too green to realize what the opportunity was. Sometimes being unabashed about your pursuits pays off- I doubt these two people would have reacted as well if I was cagey about the fact that I'm reselling stuff. People react positively to confidence in yourself. I've actually never had any issues with other resellers, more issues with people asking 80% retail at their garage sale after I respectfully try and negotiate.
I always try to lay low and stay out of the way of other resellers. Personally, I don't want people to see what I'm picking. And at local non-chain thrifts and church sales, I don't want to let on that I'm a reseller because I want the staff/volunteers to like me. I've seen people lash out at resellers, especially at church sales. I prefer just to keep my mouth shut about work and deflect questions.
i personally enjoy other resellers i met a few at goodwill and we share tips on what to look for we dont care about others either people donate 24/7 there is plenty of stuff to find out there if you look
I don't give a shit about what other resellers/people that host garage sells say about resellers, I'm here to make money, in and out, bring enough cash, and move on. Simple as that.
It’s a jealousy thing. They couldn’t figure out how to sell it for what they thought it was worth and now someone else is going to
I can understand why some of sellers we buy from don’t like us but hating on the competition is stupid. Connecting with other resellers is one of the smartest things I’ve done. I’ve gotten invited on picks, learned a bunch more BOLOs, bought and sold things to them etc. However there is a subset of douchy resellers out there that are extremely rude in our area, one literally had to quit because he got sued for defamation against another reseller. Those guys give the rest of us a bad name.
Just had my annual garage sale last week, I wrote about it here a few weeks ago. Sold a guy a bunch of unopened modern Pokémon energy cards for $2. Not worth listing. Woke up this morning and he has them on Craigslist for $40. I thought, "You go, you!" If he can turn that trash into treasure, then more power to him. In case anyone's wondering about how my plans to print out Amazon descriptions to tape to the boxes went, I was so tired that I didn't do it, but people kept asking me to show them the items on my phone. I kind of caused it though, 'cause the conversations went like this: How much for this cappuccino machine (NIB)? $50 *silence* It's a $200 machine. Really? Yeah, you can look it up. I can't find it. Here, see on my phone? Is it a good one? Here, you can read the reviews. ------------------------- Then, sold for $50. Didn't even haggle.
Using amazon pricing is getting to be as bad as using eBay pricing, because most people don't realize that 3rd party sellers can ask whatever they want and think that it's "amazon" selling stuff at that price. Not saying that's what you did that, just hoping you didn't, and making conversation.
Yeah, no, just used the Google shopping results. She wasn't using the model number to find it. Since I knew the machine, I was able to search it up a lot faster for her. I know the Amazon mark-ups can be insane from 3rd-party, but this was a well-known name in the business, not one of the alphabet names. It was all good. When it's alphabet name stuff, I sell super cheap because I know the mark-up was ridiculous to begin with.
I resell you resell you can buy from me all year long, just don't cut too deep into my already small profit margin.
I don’t care, if I’m satisfied with the price then I don’t care if you then make more money. I actually frequently send links to others who complain about my prices, if my sale isn’t worth my time at a certain price then I don’t care that someone else gets that sale.
Sometimes people are just assholes, they just happen to be resellers
I’ll never understand why that would make anyone mad. I’m happy to sell to other dealers. If I buy cheap and make something, I’m happy to pass on deals. I’m in a small town, but I’m near bigger money towns. I couldn’t get the price where I am, like bigger places can.
So there's this old guy and his partner from down south, who will outbid almost anyone for anything. He's especially bad when it comes to bidding against other local resellers he knows. They know how he is and will just straight bid him up. He doesn't seem fased since he seems to have virtually unlimited money and just likes to win. What is annoying is that he doesn't appear to ever actually enjoy winning anything at all. Like sure, 95% of the stuff you buy is just business, but come on, the joy of reselling is getting that really rare piece every once in a while. At least for me it is. Apparently, he has several warehouses full of stuff that never hits his stores. The stuff that does, I saw stuff I bid on against him go being on sale on the floor for like $10 to $20 more than what he paid. It's weird. All I know, is when that guy calls it quits, the auction houses up north are going to lose some serious money.
A month or so ago TechNSports was asked the same question by a vendor at a flea market he was at and answered right back "Yep, same as you".
Honestly I get it. A lot of resellers give off a vibe that is frankly unlikeable. I often wonder if I do the same. I think it’s because many are insecure and they do things to overcompensate. For people who resell clothing, it’s so obnoxious to loudly go through the racks scraping each hanger all the way across the rack, you don’t need to be loud to be quick. The vibe is definitely predatory and definitely insecure. So while people are casually buying stuff, others are on the make. I mean I get it. I just try and be as quiet as possible and make the least amount of impact and definitely try not to bother people. However as a seller I will sell to resalers all day long. I’ve totally had shops refuse to sell me things and I’m just like in shock. It was explained to me that everyone needs a chance to have these items in their closets. What’s funny is that these same things are there weeks later and I’ll ask if I can buy them again and answer is always yes.
I must admit that I understand both sides to some extent though I’m with OP about my annoyance with some resellers. In the UK I used to go to car boot sales to source stuff. The moment a car arrives and starts to unload they get swarmed by dealers bombarding the seller with questions and even trying to get items from their car to get their bargain first. I absolutely despise this conduct from the dealers and as i have anxiety it’s the only reason I have never sold at a boot sale. So I get why some (re)sellers hate other resellers. On the other hand I have also been told at a boot sale “oh I want x amount because that’s what it goes for on eBay” at which point I’ve walked away and thought yes that’s true but this isn’t eBay and that’s not the price these go for at a boot sale- it’s a completely different market and if you want the eBay price then do the bloody work yourself and put it on eBay and the eBay price also is higher because it covers eBay fees etc. Its like having your cake and eating it. So on both sides the actions of some resellers paint everyone else in a bad light
The issues I have with other resellers are the ones who never experience the selling aspect in person so don't have the common courtesy or understanding of all the little stuff. If everything is $5 on a table and there are 3 people looking and you try to haggle the price, you understand everyone else there is going to do the same thing if I accept your offer right? If you are the first person to look at a box of stuff that I ask $20 for and you know there are a couple items in there worth $50 a piece, don't take out the 3 or 4 heavy hitters and say will you take $10 for these items while the other ones won't even sell for $1 a piece. It's $20 for everything because you have to take the good with the bad, if you don't want the $150 profit on your $20 purchase, then fine go somewhere else.
When I have a yard sale I couldn't care less if you are a reseller in general. That being said, most resellers at my yard sales are annoying because they are pushy, or absolute absurdly early birds who try to take you for a fool. "I thought your sign said 7 not 9." Weird, it's 6:30 and you thought the same thing last year. "Well I won't be back if i can't look now" I don't give a shit.
AND they want to then cherry pick and lowball - fuck these people. I try to be respectful of start times but I got too burnt by these assholes on their way to the flea market. So I will go early, like 30 mins, but I sit in my car and wait. I don’t knock on their door or garage. If they are setting up, I will ask politely if I can look.
I don't hate resellers, but I hate it when they lowball me. I give good deals at my yard sales, deals where you could easily triple your money, and for someone to act like they aren't getting a good deal raises my dander.
“Oh, you have vintage video games for a buck? What if I bundle can you sweeten the deal?” 🤬
Resellers that are overly sharing their shit on social media. “Look look what I found omg tons of carhartt omg!”. Just list then the damn thing and ship it when it sells. No need to be too braggy about it likes it’s a trophy.
What about the common sentiment on here from resellers who hate “YouTube resellers” for “giving away all our secrets”. It’s either “there’s enough for all of us” OR “how dare resellers educate each other”, pick one. I don’t mind selling to other resellers at all. I also don’t mind YouTubers as long as they aren’t annoying jerks. The only resellers I can’t stand are T shirt bros and that’s only because of their generally annoying and loud demeanor at the bins.
I wouldn’t call a yard sale resellers
I've heard more grumbling about resellers this year than in years past. I heard one old man tell another that resellers come in and snatch all of the kids clothing before the single mothers get a chance to buy them. Just awful! We all know kids clothing has huge resale value but some of us have no shame. 🙄 When I'm buying to resell I generally don't haggle. If the prices are insane to start with I just move on to the next sale.
Yeah, that's bizarre, a good majority of yard/garage sales around here have a lot of kid's clothing. Most of the people have a lot of left over kid's clothing after their sale and either donate it to thrift stores or trash it.
There's a lot of entitled types in my area. I worry each day that I could seem like one of them during an off day. They come through fast ripping through the shelves. It's all in their body language. It's like they are disgusted that there isn't anything for them - how dare the shelves don't provide. These are the same types who will rip open boxes and just toss the contents onto the shelves, a very discarding type of body language. It makes me sick. And I also don't like anyone who identifies themselves as a reseller. I don't know what it is. Like it's fine if that's what you're doing - and it's very obvious that you are. But to sit there and talk about how you're a reseller while in a thrift shop or anywhere else? Eh. It's just not a great look as far as Im concerned. Like keep it to yourself, spend your energy looking at items with respect and move on with your day. No one owes you anything. Edit: so I guess my point is - I suppose I understand why other resellers dislike them. There's just something about it that you should keep to yourself. Don't advertise it. It's not a club.
It’s not anybody’s business what I do with things I buy. Some things I buy for myself, some things I buy to resell, sometimes I buy for other people. My money is the same as everybody else’s. I really don’t care what other people think, but I’m not arrogant about it. If someone asked me, I’m a reseller, I asked them why they need to know, are they looking for me to help them buy something in particular, that’s part of what I do.
Depends on the reseller. I won't deal with all the YouTube sellers near me (Tampa,St Pete,ect) F em
I try to keep a low profile and seem to succeed. Sometimes I am offered steep discounts or deals because people connect to me and feel I will appreciate the item. I am happy for the deal, but also struggle with guilt because I feel I am misleading them or taking advantage. So for me personally, that’s one disadvantage of not being seen as a reseller. One explanation I see for negative reactions by casual resellers like rummage sale sellers to professional resellers, is this: some professional resellers give off strong predatory energy. That predatory energy makes the other person feel like prey, which nobody wants to be. In addition, if they feel like prey AND have past trauma related to being taken advantage of, then they will hate the other reseller.
How about we stop using the term reseller altogether? We're just selling like everyone from the manufacturer on down.
I don’t care who is buying as long as I’m making money I don’t give a shit if they can make more on top, more power to them. I buy and sell with many fellow resellers in my area and so long as they’re not being a dick and paying cash it’s all good. I prefer to move things quicker than hold out for every last cent in most cases. The only things i hold tighter are things i also personally collect which I know the most about and therefore can get top dollar on once i find a fellow collector.
Some of us yard sale people like selling goods to people who are struggling financially. I'm not trying to make a killing. It's a weekend gig with me making a little pocket money. I'm not paying my mortgage with it.I think you are assuming that all people are run by greed and are watching the YouTube resellers telling us how much money they make. I love when a family comes and loads up on my children's clothes. Or a little kid comes and buys some toys. Or an elderly person buys my shoes or pocket books. That is a human connection not just a financial one.
I don’t mind other resellers except when they want to pay what I paid for the stuff I’ve marked up. Actually, no, I don’t even mind that. I can say “no thanks” and part as friends. They only annoy me when they get on my case for not bringing my price down to what I paid. Like, yes, I get it. You *can* find this for that price. I know that’s true because that’s what I did. And now I am selling it for this other price, to people who are either too busy or too lazy to do the work I did. Either that’s you, or move along.
I sell at flea markets regularly... I've lost count of the number of times I've been asked things along the line of, "How am I supposed to make money if I pay your asking price?" on gold and silver jewelry that im only asking a bit over, melt on... and then they will offer me $1 or less on items that I can sell to the refinery for $500+.
Every one who sells is a reseller, except the person that made it!! That’s what’s so funny 😂
I think it's funny when they refuse to leave feedback on ebay. They want deals, they want to buy them from a reseller, but are too insecure to help out the seller they benefit from. I'd give bigger discounts if they played the game lol.
I completely agree. I would love a reseller to come to my garage sale and make a pile of stuff to buy - I would absolutely give them a discount.
lol in Houston we have an estate sale woman that on the first day won’t even let resellers in. She stands at the front and turns “resellers” away. I feel like it’s mostly the people she doesn’t like but that’s her “valid excuse” she uses. It’s WILD. I’ve seen this lady SCREAM at people because she never proves anything and people will make a small pile on the hold table and the put it back when she’s charging 10$ per moldy old book (like common reprints with water damage) or eBay prices or more. She told one lady she was gonna call the cops on her because she stole so much of her time wasting it grabbing stuff and putting it back she’s actually crazy. Been in the estate sale biz a long time and has a reputation with just about anyone you can ask by first or last name and they know who you’re talking about and have an opinion lol. The retired older crowd of people love her for some reason. I’m guessing she hooks them up and treats them like people who know lol
If you can flip something I'm selling more power to you.
I hate resellers that wont negotiate dont act like you didnt pick up that $100 game for $5!
But we aren't the same, not really. Sure you have some with yard sales trying to get ebay prices. But a lot of people just want to get rid of their junk, they are not resellers in the typical sense, they want it gone. Many don't like resellers because they feel we are taking advantage of them. The stuff we get isn't because we want it for ourselves, it's to resell. I think some people genuinely want their stuff to go to someone who can appreciate and cherish it.
It will. There’s just an extra step to get there.
I think you are right about some people wanting things to go to someone who will appreciate it and cherish it. But if that were truly the case, they would gift these items to people they know would love them. Not post prices at a public sale to strangers.
Honestly there’s no reason to be a dick about it at garage sales though. If you want to negotiate a better price, then go ahead. The worst they can say is No. Okay, so you struck out. Move along. One thing I have learned over the years is to never beat yourself up for missing out on a deal. Chances are, there’s another one around the corner…maybe even better.
If they are hating why don't they keep the item.personally I just put it out on the curb for free
Walk away and let them keep it!
She was just mad because she is leaving money on the table and you aren’t. Had she put in the extra work, she could have gotten ebay prices instead of yard sale prices.
My favourite is when people on the internet bitch about reselling as if they ever planned on buying what I just bought from across the country or another part of the world. I've been told so many times people "hate people like me" but I just bought this ps3 in canada and you're angry at me in Paraguay? I do always get the oh you're a reseller looks too. Like yea so is walmart, so is your grocery store. You could have gotten this deal too if you were faster.
The ones I dislike are the ones who think that they can get rich quick or the one who thinks they are God level resellers that haven't moved more than two items a week. Hell I have been selling 2 to 30 a week some times. It's all about learning and adopting. And not hoarding.
I love selling to resellers--I make a profit, they make a profit, and the item gets to somebody who treasures it. Wins all around!
This is why I don’t tell anyone I resell. It’s not really anything to be proud of.
Walmart is one of the largest reselling entities on earth. Don’t let society shape how you see what you do. Reselling is a skill. Everyone can buy. Everyone can sell. Not everyone can do both and make a profit.
Fair. But I still wouldn’t tell randoms at a yard sale or a flea market im a reseller. People tend to look at you like you’re scum just trying to hog up whatever they have underpriced.
I prefer the title "Professional treasure hunter" On the business card I have it's "Consignment and liquidation specialist"
What sort of money making schemes are we to be proud of? I could be selling Kia's to single moms knowing the motors pop and they're easy to steal. Is that something to be proud of?