posted on March 28, 2002 10:35:46 PM new
Wow rariffle,
That's amazing! Glad you were able to get some of it back at least.
Around here they all seem to ask that any personal papers/photos be returned to the storage office, so they can go back to the family they belong to. The last unit I won had a pile of papers (in the unit with the baby stuff). While going through them a little bit I found papers that showed the state took their baby away. It looked like both parents had drug problems and they couldn't get back on track. I was glad the storage people would give them back to them-- they didn't seem like people I wanted to meet.
I have enjoyed this thread. It's great to hear from all of you. Thanks again!
posted on March 29, 2002 02:07:45 PM new
Went to a Lion's Club rummage sale recently and picked up about 30 old Elvis picture-sleeve 45's at 3 for a quarter. Listed only one so far and it sold for $47.00!!! Also picked up a stack of 7 matching pieces of old Narumi Occupied Japan porcelain for a dollar and sold the stack for $70.00!!! Also some other Misc. ceramic & porcelain priced at 50 cents to a dollar and sold them for $5.00 to $30.00 each!!! I don't do many rummage/garage/estate sales as I buy at markets in China, Thailand and India but its great to find bargains close to home!
posted on March 29, 2002 03:16:39 PM new
Wow! I wish I lived somewhere else! Vegas has the storage shed sales but the last two I went to were bid up so high I finally left. None of the units went for less than $500 and that was for one with only a couple of small boxes along the back wall. The ones that looked interesting went for over $1,000.
It's the same with the local auctions here. Most people moved to Vegas from somewhere else and left everything they own there so garage sales are pretty useless and way overpriced too. I went back to Texas a while back and my sister-in-law had attended an auction there where she bought great things for only $3 an item. Here you are lucky to get anything at all for $30. I have had to give up on that too. I think half of Vegas must be Ebayers!!!
posted on March 29, 2002 04:33:12 PM new
In our state, storage locker auctions must be advertised in the newspaper two weeks prior, and most of them put up signs when an auction is coming up. By law, lockers are not opened until the day of the sale, and most companies auction each piece individually until they get through the good stuff, and then auction whatever's left. Unfortunately, I am close to the Western North Carolina tourist traps, so most of our sale are overrun with wannabe antique dealers or wannabe eBayers.
My great find of the day - an antique tin kitchen canister with a glass knob filled to the brim with old buttons for 99c at the local Goodwill.
posted on March 29, 2002 04:59:48 PM new
Well, I live in a small town and I seriously think half of the townsfolks are ebayers. You can't find anything cheap at ANY kind of sales or stores you go too. You go to yard sales and you always see the same people there. The same people you run into at the post office with tons of packages. It gets depressing
posted on March 29, 2002 06:25:25 PM new
If there is something you like to deal in, such as old magazines or costume jewelry, always chat for a few minutes and ask the person running the sale if they by any chance have any they didn't put in the sale.
I have made some of my best buys this way. People holding the sale often think no one would be interested in certain items and don't bother putting them out. I have also had people call me later to come buy costume jewelry (which I collect).
I went to a sale one day and there was a small sewing box full of items, I happened to mention the neat old buttons in the box as I was paying for it. The lady asked me to wait a minute, went in the house and came back with 2 large tins full of old buttons. She had them already in the trash can. I paid her $2.00 for all of them and made about $70.00 after sorting through them.
posted on March 29, 2002 09:48:59 PM new
Hello All,
My daughter and I hit our first storage locker sale a few weeks ago. The first locker had about 10 large plastic bags with inches of dust and dirt on them. It was obvious from all the broken locks on the floor that this locker had been up for sale before and never sold. Upon opening the locker, the manager immediately said, "just put down a zero if you don't want to bid." She immediately started to close the door when I gave her a bid for $20.00. We were the only women at this auction and all the men (obviuosly regulars) began laughing at us. Well, I think we got the last laugh. The filthy bags were filled with clean gift boxes and gorgious handmade, vintage baby clothes, quilts etc. They were beautiful. Our $20.00 investment has just netted us $1,000.00 in sales. We also won the 2nd locker with a $40.00 bid. Again, we were laughed at. It was full of junk, but also $150.00 in coins, numerous mint computer parts, monitors, vintage magazines, antique books and other colectibles. We are just begining to inventory this stuff. When we missed the 3rd locker sale by only $1.00 to one of the men the other men all clapped and cheered for the guy. The manager told us the men, who are regulars, don't take likely to "inexperienced buyers,especially women!" Hope I run into them again, "He Who Laughs etc." We are definitely hooked on this type of sale although they really are a gamble. Good luck all.
posted on March 29, 2002 11:44:44 PM new
The locker sale I attended was the same. All men, with me being the only woman. I thought it was just a coincidence, as well as the fact the men seemed to resent me being there. The "regulars" all knew each other by name and ignored any newcomers who might have wandered in. Guess it was intentional, and guess they think the locker business is a purely "man" thing. Well, do we have news for them.
Makes me want to go back to the next one I see advertised just to irritate them all now that I know that's the way they are about it.
posted on March 30, 2002 04:18:50 PM new
I got a "Yipee" today! Found a first edition in mint condition copy of "The Hero Behind the Masks" (a bio of Robert DeNiro) by Keith McKay for a buck. I checked Amazon and a used copy (it's OOP) goes for $88! Looking forward to see what it'll bring on eBay.
posted on March 30, 2002 06:22:45 PM new
rarriffle: could use some information on a large costume jewelry collection - it was my grandmothers. The one piece I researched ebay sales on, an Eisenberg pin, didn't seem to be worth the time to list. Not sure what my folks will do with the things, but would be nice to know if any of it is worthwhile.
Once in a while I find something with a rediculous profit margin, but it's getting harder... an example, a prticular album it took me 3 years to find my own copy of. I saw a couple of copies sell on eBay for about $75. I came across one that was actually a German pressing, and barely got $50 out of it. I also won an auction for the same LP later - for under 5 bucks. I still do good, once in a while... I have some leftovers from an estate sale here and sold one for $20. I also have3 similar pieces that are not in the guidebook for these items - a rare variety perhaps.
I wish I knew what to do with these Elvis albums, they aren't worth near what everyone thinks they are.
posted on March 30, 2002 07:22:53 PM new
ess98-Eisenberg made jewelry for many years, so it all depends on how old the piece is that you have. Condition, color of stones and how the piece is signed is also a consideration for price.
Various trademarks have been used. the earliest pieces were not signed. From 1930 to the mid Forties "Eisenberg Original" was used; in the early Forties a script capital E was used alone or in conjunction with "Eisenberg Original", "Eisenberg Ice" was used from the late forties on, with most pieces rodium plated also during that time they use "Eisenberg Ice" in script; "Eisenberg" in block letters was used in the Seventies. That is when Eisenberg made their enamel pieces and they are marked with a block E.
I would recommend you go to the library and check their jewelry books to see what you have. You can't tell from previous auctions as to what you will get for your Eisenberg piece because sometimes it depends on the description that you write. That plays a big part. At least for me it does. Also how good your pictures are. Ebay is so up and down it is hard to tell.
I hope this helps you. Now with your elvis records if you could get the Japanese buyers they pay a good price for elvis records. I got $45.00 a piece for 5 of them I had. I didn't think that was to shabby. I didn't sell them on eBay though I had them in my mall space. Good Luck....
posted on March 31, 2002 03:31:47 AM new
costume jewelry is a whole thread of its own. many sellers try to sell each piece individually and make very little on most of it with most not selling at all. the best bet in my opinion is to sell in lots, either designer signed or unmarked lots.
I used to collect all costume jewelry, without regard to age or maker. This soon left me with no space in my small apartment! I now try to stick to Christmas jewelry and brooches.
Libra is right about research. You want to sort the jewelry by age, signed or unsigned, rhinestone or no stones, and then start searching on ebay and see what you find.
posted on March 31, 2002 04:49:47 AM new
this one only carries "Eisenberg" in script and a circle with an X in it on the back, the name in the center and the X on one of the branches towards the outside. No "original", no "ice" and not in block letters. But it is in it's original box. There are tons of other things packed away as well -
posted on March 31, 2002 01:52:55 PM new
Yard/rummage sales for me are a waist of time. Time invested -vs- what you get out of the stuff isn't worth it.
[ edited by outoftheblue on Mar 31, 2002 01:54 PM ]
posted on April 1, 2002 03:19:47 AM new
I live in Delaware and the yard sales are just starting to appear. I have noticed that the selection of Ebayable stuff has decreased but the main reason I go is because my mom, who is 71, really looks forward to them. She loves yard sales and Saturday mornings gives us some mother daughter bonding time.
posted on April 1, 2002 08:31:33 AM new
We got some craft books last year at a yard sale and I never even looked at them to see if they were worth anything until my wife dragged them out of the closet last week. We paid 10 cents each and just sold one for $39.50 and another ends tonight and is at $26 and some change. Just about all the rest sold for $4 and up. I would say that was a pretty good investment.
posted on April 1, 2002 08:54:32 PM new
It was actually last year, but my wife found a never used Zippo lighter with some insurance agency's name painted on it. It was still in its original box. She paid $0.10 (ten cents) for it and we sold it to a fellow in Japan for $65ish dollars.
