Yep! You got a whole post dedicated to your question. I started to reply to your comment and maybe its because I'm long winded, or maybe because I just get so excited about all of this, but I ran out of space in the comment field.
Connie asked,
"Do you have a secret technique for picking out such wonderful items?
All the ones you listed were adorable."
When it comes to technique I am still a bit of a newbie at this game. I learn new things all the time. But I think the longer you do it, you get an "eye", you get the experience of what works and know what to avoid.
A couple of things to keep in mind while shopping and that I have learned a long the way:
1)
It's all in the Details - I love clothes! I love shopping! (However, this only goes for re-selling. I hate trying on clothes myself and almost never go shopping for myself. Haha. So I suppose I'm a bit of a window shopper
). I love beautiful clothing. I search out the items that have unique designs, prints, embellishments, and stitching and then I can't wait to get them into the hands of someone who will love to wear them. It's kind of like playing dolls. While not all the clothing I choose to purchase are my taste, they are someone's, I look for items that are feminine and trendy or classic. Silk & cotton both sell pretty well.
2)
Don't waste your time - I've been very lucky with our Goodwill stores here in NV, they have a lot of name brand clothing and I find lots of jewels. I've been building a mental list of what sells, and what doesn't and that helps. For the most part I try and stick with dept. store & high end name brands (so far my favs are anything from Anthropologie, Talbots, Chicos and Banana Republic). I also look for plus sizes from Avenue and Torrid because those can be hard to get in smaller towns. I usually don't buy brands that anyone can get at walmart or Target or even Kohls because they are lower quality and less expensive and so it doesn't usually pay back - to me, it's a waste of my valuable time. The Liberty of London top I listed (Best Day post) was from Target and took months to sell even though it was a very cute top. I learned my lesson on that one.
3)
Like New - If it were me, I would want any previously-owned item I purchased on eBay to be Like New - whether its clothing, toys, books, whatever. SO I don't buy anything with tears, stains, or wear of any kind. Occasionally I get something home and find some kind of flaw and that's disappointing. If I choose to list it anyway, I make sure that it is clearly mentioned in my posting details so no one gets an item with a surprise. Most of the time I re-donate those items though. That's just a personal choice.
4)
Don't Over Buy - This is the kind of advice you usually get and ignore. I did. What I mean in Over-buying is 2 things - Paying too much for an item so that you have to list it at a somewhat unreasonable price to make a profit; and buying too many items that you paid too much for. I have learned that the hard way. In the beginning I would go into Goodwill like a tornado, trying to get my hands on every possible money-maker. I found that certain items didn't resell well (part of the process) and I still have a lot of items from when I first started. Lots of Jeans, and items that I just plain paid too much for. I'm way more cautious now. Occasionally I do sell one of those original items that I overbought but I probably only make the money back I paid for them after fees & s&h. There are certain items that are worth paying a little more for, but you will learn which ones, the longer you do it. Take it easy, Tiger.
Hope these ideas help anyone who wants to give re-selling a chance.
