Why it's so hard to convert purchased "stuff" back into cash

[Fern]

Have you ever noticed how difficult it is, once you've purchased stuff, to convert it back into cash?

That point was really driven home to me a few weeks ago when i had a tag sale in preparation for my move. (The less stuff to move the better.) I had some very nice things to sell and most of it was heavily discounted at maybe a tenth of its (new) value. Still, much of it sat unsold.

So anything i sold i felt great about, because most times you don't have an opportunity to recapture the cash from anything once you've bought it. Or at least, at anything but greatly reduced value. It's kind of like what they say about new cars...thjey depreciate by thousands of dollars as soon as you drive it off the lot.

So today i was happy to strike a deal with a man who showed up at my tag sale looking for old typewriters. He and his wife make recycled jewelry out of the letter and number keys. He's giving me $20 for something I myself purchased at a tag sale some 25 years ago in Vermont. Cant' remember what i paid for it, but it was working at the time and not so much of an antique. Maybe $5? I've always earned a living as a writer, and while I've used a computer for many years, the old-fashioned typewriter sort of symbolized my craft, and i liked having it around. In any event, I am thrilled to recapture money I spent a very long time ago.

I plan to call another man who showed up at the same tag sale looking for old coins to buy. I have some old silver dollars and other coins he said he's pay me 8x their face value. These were given to me as a child by a great uncle many years ago, but i've been lugging these around for so long, just like the typewriter, and never really have done anything with them. Another way i'll be able to lighten my load and regain the cash value and then some.

Aside from tag sales, can you think of ways you've been able to convert purchased items/possessions back into cash?

[Haku]

Well, there's always eBay....

However, I think you have a good point in that, unless you really plan to keep and use something, it's best not to buy it in the first place. At least, that's what it meant to me.

[markio26]

my friend is a liquidator.. i wrote about her in my blog...items are selling super cheap..
maybe under 5% of their original price.
i know what you mean about the bad return on your money.. we need to purchase cheaper at all times.. and add in the years that we enjoyed or used the item also.

[eisor]

Instead of actually selling the item, convert it into something else that would in turn make more money. Kind of like taking the typewriter and making jewelry out of it. They make much more money than if they just tried to sell the typewriter.

[jodi]

Well, like pp said, there's always E-bay, Craig's list, and the like...classifieds in the local newspaper. We just built the boys a sandbox and are trying to figure out the best way to recapture some value out of the plastic one we bought last year for over $100...probably will advertise it in the paper.
Anyway, this is one of the primary reasons I buy everything I can (clothes, toys, books, household items) used - the item has already been drastically discounted, so if I have to resell it, the loss has already been taken and I can usually get close to what I paid for it (or more). Or, if it's something small, I can freecycle it without feeling like I am losing a lot of cash.

[sweeps]

Did you all see that big partnership between Ebay and Yahoo? Looks like Google Auctions is our last hope for a viable alternative to Ebay.

[Cheetahwoman7]

Hi Fern,

Thought you might like to see what they do with your typewriter, or at least to its keys. While I was reading your post, I remembered seeing "Nancy Drew Charm Bracelets" on e-bay that were made out of typewriter keys. They were cute, but I thought a bit pricey at the time. Couldn't find any of those, but did find these auctions. (Hope it's ok to post the links.)

http://cgi.ebay.com/CUSTOM-ANTIQUE-T...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Typewrit...QQcmdZViewItem

Enjoy

[getforfree]

I think, E-bay is a good place to sell. I recently started selling all the new good stuff that we don't use ( doesn't fit, or got as gifts). I sold 1 item so far for maybe 5 times more than I expected to get for it. The others are still selling. But because I got those items for free, even a few cents profit is good enough.

[rob62521]

Do any of your watch Clean Sweep on HGTV or Clean House on Style? Their garage sales always bring big bucks. Mine never do...I thought it was just me. There are certain items that will sell at garage sales if you mark them down really cheap, but other stuff just sits. Finally, I decided it wasn't worth storing any more and was too junky to donate to a charity, so I took the boxes of junk to a local auction. Since it had been through a garage sale the auction house fee was 50% which I thought was pricey, but beat throwing the stuff away and putting it the landfill. I did realize about $30 over a vanload of junk.

[sweeps]

Clean Sweep's garage sales bring in a lot of money because people are intrigued by all the trucks and cameras on site. Also people get guilted into buying stuff because they're on TV.

[Fern]

It's partly in the way you 'package' stuff for the garage sale. I was amazaed at what DID sell at mine.

I had several pieces of plastic deer fencing to put around landscaping. I rolled them up into one big roll and asked $3 for it. It sold to the husband, wife protesting.

I also sold about 15 unused pencils i wrapped up in a rubber band for a $1. Granted, not big bucks, but sometimes stuff you wouldn't think had any value for someone actually does. I also sold a roll of very thin copper wire to someone for $2. And i actually sold a small hairbrush, again for $1.

I think if you price it that low, people will buy cus they figure no harm lost, but if you price things higher, they start weighing whether they really need something and often they decide they don't.

[shengmei]

It's much easier if you have the original packaging, warranty information, and manuel.

I never buy anything without a manuel. It is just too difficult for me to figure out how to use some electronics by myself.

[lrjohnson]

I put a big hard drive magnet on top of a TV. I knew magnets were bad for computers, but I honestly had no idea it would harm a TV, though everyone else in my life was aware. I DeGaussed the TV, and color was weirded out. I sold it at a garage sale for $1, with a large sign "Funky Color." It saved me the $12 disposal fee for monitors and TVs.

A little off topic, but I felt I came out $13 bucks ahead. Of course, if I hadn't been a goober to start with........it's a good thing we buy the lowest end cheapo TVs.

[rob62521]

Hey, I'm with you and packaging weird stuff. I've put a baggy of rubber bands with 10 cents on it and sold it. I normally give them back to the paper carrier, but at this time, the one we had wouldn't pick them up. I've also sold a baggy of recipes cut from magazines. Didn't get much, but it all adds up.

The freaky color T.V. probably was intriguing or they were reliving the psychodelic days! LOL