posted on September 17, 2000 04:48:35 PM
My husband is considering a job transfer to Las Vegas........me being a full-time Ebay seller (100-200 items per week), I'm wondering how the pickin's are out there? I am currently in Midwest and sell some retail, and some antiques and collectibles. Being in the midwest I have concentrated on mainly Country and Primitive type antiques and get my merchandise mainly from auctions, estate sales and lots of rummage sales....The advantage to being in NV, I think would be that I would be able to search for things year round,as of course here the winter is devoid of sales and such.....Thinking that I would probably have to change my "line" of things I sell, and just wondering if there are lots of sales and auctions and things around the Vegas area, any good flea markets (how are the prices?)
Anyone care to share????????
Thanks as always for any info in advance!
posted on September 17, 2000 05:39:53 PM
Hi Amy: I live in Oklahoma but travel to Las Vegas 4 times a year. They have some excellent antique flea markets and antique malls there. The main difference I notice between there and the midwest is that altho the overall quality and selection is much higher, the prices are also about double.
I am talking about pottery, glass, furniture, and anything that is truly an antique. If you could find a way to import the stuff from the midwest - I think you could do very well.
posted on September 18, 2000 07:13:34 AM
Hi=We have lived in LV for over 30 years. 1.4 million people now live in the valley. If you want antiques/collectables at a decent price better bring them with you! 4000 to 6000 people move here each month and about half that number move out. Yard sales here are year round but for the most part disappointing if you are looking for antiques or decent collectables. Flea Mkts sell mostly new, imports. Welcome and bring your own stuff.
LVNV7777
posted on September 18, 2000 01:23:21 PM
I have a friend that lives there and eBays for a living. She says it's pretty frustrating finding product to sell. According to her there are very few garage sales and most are over-priced for resell purposes. The antique and gift shops are over-priced as well. She finds some items through local auctions but hasn't found any great buys that way in months. It's been a real struggle for her to stay in the business. I don't want to sound discouraging - but it doesn't look good, at least from her POV.
My brother lives there also - but doesn't eBay. He says that the weather is fabulous and that Vegas is a world unto itself - very unique place to live even without the casinos.
I have lived here for 17 years, I have been doing ebay part time for about a year.
The good thing about vegas is there are garage sales year round, but its so hot in the summer who would want to go around in and out of the heat, also everything here is new relative to the midwest and east coast, which means there are not alot of old houses filled with treasures in their attic, and those that moved here, might have had a garage sale before they moved here.
Also I find the prices on most things to be overpriced at garage sales. There are plenty of clothes/baby items/household appliances/kitchen stuff etc.
I have been to auctions but there are so many bidders, I have seen mostly furniture go for good prices at auctions.
But Vegas is beautiful and the cost of living is low compared to a majority of other city's. Except for the summer, the weather is fantastic.
posted on September 19, 2000 04:47:27 AM
Spent a little time in LV and it was so hot in the summer I would let the car run with the AC on (locked) when I was out running errands. That helped. It is like any area where there is little consumer manufacturing. Everything is shipped in and it costs more.
If you are the outdoor type there are all sorts of attractions scattered around and the posibilities for neat weekend trips abound. If I lived there now I would try a little recreational gold panning.
You might consider trying to find a niche in casino collectables as there should be things there you would not find elsewhere. I wonder - someone has to repair all those roulette wheels and one armed bandits - what do they do with them when they are out of date? I would look and see if there are equipment companies in the YP. You can also buy old cars in the SW that are worn out but the body has no rust at all. They can be sold to people in the mid west who want an old car to rebuild but all the local ones are rusted out from the road salt.
posted on September 19, 2000 08:30:52 AM
I live in Nevada and do Ebay part-time but on a full-time basis. I usually have around 50 items up for sale all times.
It is extremely difficult to find anything at a decent price here so you better get a huge u-haul and bring it with you. Even the thrift stores have tripled their prices in the last year thanks to Ebay!
I attend the 3 auctions we have here. Two are every other week and one is weekly. The weekly one deals in mostly furniture and new items. One is mostly estate stuff but not in very good condition. The last is an Antique and Collectible auction in Boulder City but for the past few months things have really been bid up as Ebay sellers scramble for items to sell. I am now paying $70 to $100 for a box of postcards where I was able to pick the same thing up for $25 just a few months ago.
Garage sales - I found most people throw everything out before they move here and you are dealing with only modern items and they are way overpriced as a rule. Of course there are those who watch Oprah and other shows which brag about "garage sale finds" and they will have old scratched up records and chipped glass for $10 each!
I was afraid this was going to happen so I bought a storage building full of stuff 2 years ago and am set for a while. Of course, with all the new Ebayers most of the things I bought can now be picked up for 50 cents on Ebay so I am still having a problem making a decent amount of money. Especially with all the fees everyone charges now - Ebay, Paypal, etc.
As far as casino collectibles. I tried that one and it is slow sales as well. Good luck! and it is a beautiful city but I really wish I lived back in Texas with all the 70 year old houses just waiting to be emptied!
Edits to correct spelling. I must still be asleep this morning!
[ edited by lindajean on Sep 19, 2000 08:32 AM ]
[ edited by lindajean on Sep 19, 2000 10:44 AM ]
