Post office auctions

**cicy33** · 11-30-2010, 06:38 AM

I have looked into this option several times. Not just with the post office but all options of pallets. The problem with buying a pallet is that you have to have some serious money. Dependent on what you are buying these pallets can go upwards 10 - 15,000. sure there are some for under a 1000 but not usually the "good" stuff. also the problem comes in that you have to live in an area where you can access the pallet for either pick up or cheap shipping. Having a pallet shipped is not cheap and of course that adds to the cost of your investment. so, yes, pallets are a way to make money, and no it is not an easy thing to do. As far as the post office auctions go, I don't know how to find out about those. Ebay is becoming a joke. of course there are still areas that are good (as DisneySteve will attest to) but it is getting harder and harder to make any money on that site. the fees alone eat you alive. craigslist is dependent on where you live. where I live, useless. When I lived in Durham, NC it was a great thing. I have found the larger the area you live in the better the site is for buying and selling. I have branched out a little in my searches but my nearest big town is an hour away. and it isn't that big. the next one after that is two to three hours away.

so, the answer is both, bad and good, yes and no. it is very dependent on where you live, how much you have to invest, and what your niche is.

**disneysteve** · 11-30-2010, 08:13 AM

I've never looked into post office auctions but I did used to be on a mailing list for a surplus company. I bought small lots of items a couple of times and sold things on ebay but I never got involved in their pallet lots.

Selling the stuff on ebay would be very, very difficult. Craigslist not really any better. I think those deals are best suited for people that have a store of some sort or maybe a regular booth at an active flea market.

**D-m0n3y** · 11-30-2010, 08:59 AM

Thanks for the input!

I thank you both for taking the time to answer effectively and honestly. I had just recently heard of these auctions and thought it might be worth it, for me it seems not.

**disneysteve** · 11-30-2010, 09:08 AM

It really depends on what you buy and how cheaply you can get it. If making a profit would require you to sell the whole pallet lot, I'd stay away. If you can get something so cheap that you only need to sell 30 or 40% of the lot to make your profit, it might be worth it.

The problem with ebay is that sale prices are very inconsistent. You might sell an item one day and get $50 for it and sell the identical item a week later and only get $25 for it. And, as cicy33 said, the fees for ebay and paypal, along with shipping charges, keep going up and up.

Craigslist is okay when you have individual items to sell but I don't know how effective it would be if you had 50 identical items to sell. Remember, those buyers need to come to you to get the item so it would require being home all the time to meet up with buyers, many of whom never show up.

**cicy33** · 11-30-2010, 11:52 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

It really depends on what you buy and how cheaply you can get it. If making a profit would require you to sell the whole pallet lot, I'd stay away. If you can get something so cheap that you only need to sell 30 or 40% of the lot to make your profit, it might be worth it.

The problem with ebay is that sale prices are very inconsistent. You might sell an item one day and get $50 for it and sell the identical item a week later and only get $25 for it. And, as cicy33 said, the fees for ebay and paypal, along with shipping charges, keep going up and up.

Craigslist is okay when you have individual items to sell but I don't know how effective it would be if you had 50 identical items to sell. Remember, those buyers need to come to you to get the item so it would require being home all the time to meet up with buyers, many of whom never show up.

This is the truth! I have had more than one say I will call or be there at a specific time and not shown up or called. Just the beast of the business.

**D-m0n3y** · 11-30-2010, 02:35 PM

Thank you all for giving your honest opinion, this is why I like posting in forums. Everyone gets to tell you how your plan could backfire, and some can even give a bit of personal experience. Thank you all once again!

Post office auctions