Never underestimate the power of research. When you go to a thrift store you are inundated with tons and tons of junk. How are you going to find out what is valuable for reselling and what is worthless? Research. There are two schools of thought here. Focus on one type of item and know it inside out. Or know a little about everything in order to identify higher valued items. I typically fall into the latter category. Knowing a little about everything helps you when you are not sure what you are going to find at that garage sale or flea market.
My strategy has been to first and foremost look for items that might have some value. I may not know, but I take mental note of what I've seen. Then when I get home I do some research. Check ebay completed listings. What are people buying and how much have they paid. More often than not, I find out the item is worthless. But once in awhile I will find out something new. Ah, this item is junk, but if it had such and such of a wing bang, it would be worth $100.
Example: I found some ancient Viewmasters in a bag at Value Village, along with 20 or so Disney reels. It was a little pricey at $10, but two things made me buy it. The lever for advancing the slides was metal and the word "Disney." Anything old and Disney is a recipe for success. I had hopes for a big windfall and when I got home I looked it up. Not as much as I thought, but I ended up selling the lot for $25. A reasonable profit, but no windfall. Now I know what it's worth for next time. At the same time I researched Viewmasters and I found out what is hot and what is not. (Tip: Old Viewmaster reels of state tours are worth something).
Now I am by no means a Viewmaster expert, but I do know what to look for when I see those reels next time.
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