Welcome to the electronic age!

The eternal thrifting question: Is this worth something?

In my last post I discussed the importance of research and knowing what has value and what doesn't. In order to make money, you need to know what's worth money. Ebay is a treasure trove of information. It's amazing how many times I thought to myself, this knick knack is so weird and obscure that I wouldn't be able to find anything aout it, then find out that therere are loads of these listed, and yes, they are worthless. In the event that eBay falls short, a simple google search will turn up any fan websites or collector's homage.

We truly live in a golden age of information. It's a blessing and a curse. For, while it is easy for me to figure the value of something, it's just as easy for someone else. It's harder and harder to find these treasures for a good price. You need to be one step ahead of the competition. Knowledge is key, of course. The more you know, the better equipped you are to make quick decisions, for if you need to check your facts and return later, most likely your treasure will be snatched up by someone else.

That's why smart phones are the perfect thrifter's multi-tool. Information is literally at your fingertips. Whether your weapon is an iPhone or a Blackberry, you have a leg up. You can saunter through the store, tossing stuff into your cart, until you get to the furniture. With your stuff securely claimed, you can leasurely relax on an old sofa, thumbing through your Ebay app, one item at a time. Then toss the junk and keep the good. There are apps that will scan barcodes for you, so you don't even have to look them up. They magically reveal the latest Amazon price. 

Unfortunately, you lose a little of the thrill and suspense of finding your gold mine. But after awhile, you'll still be kicking it old school. In time, you won't need to look it up, for you will already know.

Research, research and more research.

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.

'Tis the Season to be Selling

The hottest toys for this Christmas season! Can you predict the future and make money? Good luck! There's a ton of websites that claim to have inside knowledge of what "the" items for Christmas are. The governator reminds us nauseatingly in "Jingle All the Way", that there's money to be made in scarcity caused by Christmas shoppers.


Personally, I don't have the stomach to risk my hard-earned cash on some unproven future endeavour. Stick with the known. The beauty of thrifting is that you don't have to worry about the lastest and greatest thing. You're concerned with the old and proven.

Christmas is a hot season for a lot of things. Virtually anything can be given as a gift, but things to look for are kitsch and nostalgia. Think of what people will give as a gift, if it was used. Something they remember from their childhood. Or a gag gift for a friend. Or a collector's item.

Two things that do significantly better around Christmas are games and toys. Games that are popular at parties are great sellers, since what's the holiday season without gettogethers with family and friends. There are quite a few games out there that are no longer available in stores, but are still extremely popular. Your basic Trivial Pursuit is widely available and will not sell at a profit. But that "Moods" game that went out of print is a hot item. Or from a nostalgia point of view, there are games from the 70's that sell extremely well, like "Masterpiece" and "Hotels". Keep an eye out for the electronic "Simon". I sold one of these for $80 plus shipping a month before Christmas last year.

Scan the game shelves at your neighbourhood thrift and keep an eye out for these nostalgic gems. If in doubt, look at completed listings ebay.


One last thing. Keep in mind that hundred's of other people are looking for nostagic gifts for their significant other during the holiday season. There will be stiff competition, so to guarantee success, you need to be picking up your finds in the summer. Summer shopping, fall selling. The formula for thrifting success!