Indiana-Joe's Epic Adventure Journal as I continue my successful journey through the Cash Lands of eBay & Craigslist Treasures!

Keep the great tips, insight and input coming. I feel this is going to be an opportunity that can benefit so many DG Members! Do hear that rustle in the distance.....no, its not just paper, .....its the "cold hard" cash your going to be making from eBay and Craigslist! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Today more than ever we always hear about the importance of multi-tasking. It is true the more organized you are and the more you can multi-task, the more you can get accomplished. It just takes a little planning and organzation. As for real estate I keep fliers (Bandit signs) and business cards in my car. I usually post or leave these in places that get high traffic and visibility. Now I usually also carry my business cards and fliers (Bandit signs) for the eBay and Craigslist business too. I will post these in the same high traffic areas. It does not take me anymore time to do it either. My signs or cards, are rather simple and state "I want unwanted stuff". Call me today!" You sometimes get calls you don't want but other times you can get some really good items to resell.

In regards to multi tasking, I am always looking for that next real estate deal, however I am also looking for that next deal I can sell on eBay too. For example, many stores are having their holiday clearance sales for holiday merchandise. I went into a local store last week that had Christmas merchandise 75% off. I found several really cool Chicago Cubs holiday ornaments for a few dollars each. I bought them all! I know when baseball starts in April or when the holidays are near (Mid-November) people will pay a good dollar for these ornaments. Now mind you, I could sell them today and probably get at least 3 times what I paid, but in a few months I could sell them during a "Hotter time period" and probably get 8 to 10 times what I paid. It is a great business because once I sell 1-2 of these the rest are paid off (free and clear).

There were several great tips in my example above. I hope you recognized all the tips and strategies. Because this business is just that easy. You live your everyday life doing what you always do but devote a few hours a week to make a few hundred dollars! It fun and profitable to multi-task. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

"When I started eBay, it was a hobby, an experiment to see if people could use the Internet to be empowered through access to an efficient market. I actually wasn't thinking about it in terms of a social impact. It was really about helping people connect around a sphere of interest so they could do business." - Pierre Omidyar (founder of eBay)

YES EBAY AND CRAIGSLIST IS AWESOME!! as you say it is a great way to CREATE income for our realestate investments!! thanks for the great post joe!! my wife and i also have sold many things on ebay.we bought alot of "stuff" at garage sales and took pics of each and sold them. It is exciting to watch the bids get higher and higher than what u pd for the item!! one day i got the hairbrain idea to go outside and get a birdsnest to sell and my wife said r u nuts ??? that will NEVER sell. well to both our surprise the bids went up to $50. we shipped the item to a man in florida .we said no way. sooooowhat else was i to do but WANT to get 10 more as fast as i could because WOW what a profit margin???/huh??.about 1 or 2 days later i got a nice notice from ebay that i could no longer sell birds nest on ebay.they explained to me that there were laws against it!!!..oh well a lesson!!! we laughed about it for days !!
another time we bought book ends at a garage sale for $2 and put it on ebay and they sold for $25 . my wife was VERY excited until she looked at what the buyer resold them for at a later date.$500 wow we said they must have been collectables. so you never know what you can get and make on ebay!!it is also great fun while making money like real estate!! a great side income to use for that first deal !!!!!!!!! awesome post joe!!
jay

Thanks for the additional insight and stories. I can't begin to tell you how many items you can sell and the profit margins are unreal as you have found. I believe you can really find a lot of treaures at garage sales because it is so true that "one person's junk is another person's treasure"! We actually got a system down after a while and my wife Stacey, later called them "our tricks of the trade". We did it for so long we created so many other systems and ways to find stuff, list stuff and sell stuff for maximum profits.

We have so much fun and really enjoyed selling the items. We made some friends across the USA that became repeat buyers. I really believe that people can make a really nice side income to pay off bills or build that nest egg for a down payment for some real estate! I hope DG Members will be inspired to Buy Local on Craigslist and Sell Global on eBay! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Hey Joe, thanks for all the effort you put into your posts, they sure do help people. You are 100% correct that e-bay is a money maker. I have 2 friends that started out messing around and now are very comfortable finacially from it. One of them is really rich. But it defiantely a great source to make some money so you can invest in RE so you can make much more.
good luck in 2010
Richie.

Thanks for stopping by my new journal and informing us about your friends and eBay. That is amazing, isn't it? My one friend was making more money part time selling Star Wars action figures than going to work full time everyday. The sky is the limit and the great thing about Craigslist and eBay is you can make money selling things you like or enjoy that might be part of your hobby. The extra money will help will bills or a future real estate project. Good luck to you in 2010 and I look forward to reading about your deals. Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay). Believe and Achieve! - Joe

The day started off with so much snow that it kept us in the holiday mood. There were many stores in the area still having sales on holiday merchandise from 50% to 75% off the original prices. The great thing about finding really great holiday ornaments is they do not take up a lot of room if you decide to store them for a few months until the holidays get close at the end of the year. After finding the Cubs holiday ornaments it gave me an idea to stop at a few other stores we were passing to take a look at what they had available.

I had to get some "Heet" which is an additive you put in your gas so the gas line does not freeze. With a below zero weekend, and wind chill forecasted around 30 below zero, it is always best to plan ahead. Thus, when I stopped at the local Menards to get Heet, I had to go down the 75% off Christmas isle. The other cool thing was Menards was having an extra 15% off anything you could fit in the "green bag" so we saved even more (or as Menard's always claims..."Save Big Money"). Stacey found some Precious Moment type of ornaments at great prices. These will probably be stored for a few months and then put on eBay as we get closer to the holidays later in the year.

As I have stated before, just make the eBay and the Real Estate part of your everyday adventure and you will find things. You don't find things when your not looking for them but when you start looking that is when you find it! Remember to Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay)! Believe and Achieve! - Joe

“Although I never figured that part of Craigslist might be owned by a public company, Meg Whitman and Pierre Omidyar (eBay) showed that they were interested in us for all the right reasons." - Craig Newmark (founder of Craigslist)

Hey Joe!

What's the cost to set up your account on Ebay? Thanks!

Vincent

Another question, Joe: How do you know you're getting a good deal on something or that it's something you know you can sell for a profit? It's not like you have comps the way you would with real estate. Thanks!

Vincent

The great thing is it is free to setup an eBay account. You do not pay any fees to eBay when you buy something. There is a fee structure when you sell items. It has different price levels for listing and special features for your ad. Ebay also charges you a final value fee based on the final total price of the item. However, you have a display window to to the world! You have so much exposure to a world wide marketplace, the fees are very reasonable. Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay). Believe and Achieve! - Joe

The best way to know value is to look at current listings and past sales that have been completed on eBay. You will then almost have like "comps" to base something off of. Often you may see certain items that sell well like certain collectibles. Often you start a list of items you know that will sell based on a little research on-line. My list and general knowledge has expanded over the years. I know several people that have hobbies and they are almost an expert in their hobby area. They do very well on eBay. I also know, for example, anytime I see Disney items or Star Wars at a garage sale they sell well. Often you are buying things for pennies on the dollar and then selling for a nice profit. I hope this helps. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay). Believe and Achieve! - Joe

How do you have the time to come up with these ideas and find the time to post all the information? I'm really glad that you do!

My son has been after me to clean out the "clutter" that I have collected through the years, but I have never gotten into Craigslist or Ebay. How do you make a profit with the shipping costs these days? Does the buyer pay for it?

Thanks for another great motivational post,

Carolyn

Thanks for stopping by my newest journal. Time is always something more than money that we can often use a lot more of. I guess I just have learned to perfect multi tasking and time management.

Thanks for asking about shipping because I bet others were wondeing the exact same thing. This is a great question. The buyer usually always pays for the shipping unless you run a special for the item your selling. When you price the item you would take this into account. You want to always try to find the best option for shipping based on the item and if the buyer wants the item they do not usually mind paying for the shipping. The US post office and UPS had several different types of shipping options.

The great thing is, once you "clear the clutter" you may be so amazed at what you may you are then looking for more items. It is fun and profitable just working a few hours a week. Turn your home computer into a cash generating machine! Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay) Believe and Achieve! - Joe

The weekend is approaching and is a great time for us to switch gears and focus on our real estate or other business activities. I always believe we have to have a balance of work and fun, but how we might utlize our free time will better determine how we reach our goals. A few hours each week can really make a difference in our lives and in our future.

When we do something we enjoy it does not even seem like work. Time also tends to go by very quickly when we are doing things we enjoy. With the new year, make a plan to make a difference. Try to do new things and see where it leads you. When you have found a way to make some extra cash it can really help with the monthly bills and pressure. Do you have a few extra hours a week? Now could be the time! Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay). Believe and Achieve! - Joe

"What would happen within a marketplace if everyone had equal access to information and tools?. Would a level playing field enable individuals to compete alongside big businesses? What if members managed their own transactions and accountability?" - Pierre Omidyar (founder of eBay)

Joe,
Thanks for the Great Tips! Always nice to find additional sources of cash flow. Ed

Thanks for stopping by. It is such an easy and great way to make some extra cash. I know you will have success with it. Good luck and have a great weekend. Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay). Believe and Achieve! - Joe

The weekend is here. Time to clear the clutter. What have you found in your home, basement, attic or garage that you no longer use that might be a good item to sell on eBay? Have you taken a look at your local area on Craigslist for any additional items? The time is now to make some extra cash! Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay). Believe and Achieve! - Joe

"To truly prepare for the unexpected, you’ve got to position yourself to keep a couple of options open so when the door of opportunity opens, you’re close enough to squeeze through." - Pierre Omidyar (founder of eBay)

The weekend was just flying by and I wanted to go out to lunch and do a little shopping. You would never know the economy was a little down when we pulled into the Olive Garden's parking lot. It was 10:50 AM and they opened for the day at 11:00 AM. There were more than 15 cars in the lot. We decided to get out of the car to walk towards the door and then it happened. There was like a mad dash to get in line. Can you believe it? At 10:55 AM there were probably more than 25 people waiting in line to get in to eat with temperatures in the single digits and a wind chill of about zero! How great is that if yo uwere the owner of that Olive Garden? Well, Craigslist and eBay have even more anxious (Hungry) buyers with cash in hand! So, are you finding you items to sell yet?

I went into the dollar store and found some sports books for can you believe only $1.00 each! I bought several of each of these books because these are usually great types of items that sell on eBay! You always have to keep an eye out for items because you never know when you may find a great item. My sports books that I bought for $1.00 each will probably sell for around $10 each! Thus, giving a nice return on my investment.

I hope everyone is thinking about how you can make some extra cash on Craigslist and eBay. Yes, you can do it! So let's clear the clutter, and make some cash today! Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay). Believe and Achieve! - Joe

"There's no genius behind it. It's persistence and listening to people." - Craig Newmark (founder of Craigslist)

That's a great point, Joe! Thank you for answering my questions from before. I'm curious: what do you mean by "sports books"?

Vincent

Your welcome. Sports books are any books relating to team sports or athletes in professional sports. In the past, I have found great deals on books such as Super Bowl Programs, or even books on athletes like Michael Jordan, Brett Favre, Wayne Gretzky or Mickey Mantle. If a book has to do with a team or poplular athlete their is usually a market for that book. The bigger the star, the bigger the market. Good luck with eBay and Craigslist. Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay). Believe and Achieve! - Joe

"Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen." - Michael Jordan

The week was off to a fast start as I decided to dig through some items that I had stored in my basement. I am getting my items organized to get photos and then get them listed. There are so many items I believe will sell and I am excited to see what some items will sell for. Has anyone found any items there getting ready to list? Has anyone created their new eBay account? Good luck with eBay and Craigslist. Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay). Believe and Achieve! - Joe

"A lot of people don’t just go ahead and try things. They’ll have an idea and they’ll say – they’ll convince themselves or other people will convince them that it can’t be done… the first is even more dangerous and serious. It’s convincing yourself that it can’t be done." - Pierre Omidyar (founder of eBay)

I had a buddy move from Malasia to the US last year and he and his wife love Good Will and places like that. They are like kids in a candy store and can't believe us Americans get rid of stuff in sometimes, great or new shape. He said to me the other day that we could make a killing buying from them and selling on Craigslist. It could easily be applied to selling on EBAY like your saying. The money you pay Good Will and those places goes to a good cause, plus you get to make some money, sounds like a WIN-WIN. What do you think about that idea?

Hey Joe,

I've got two boxes, one big and one medium, with hockey, basketball, and football cards, including some sets, up in the attic that my neighbors gave me a couple years ago and that I got from a yard sale, respectively. I kept all the baseball cards in them, but I've always planned on trying to sell the others.

Vincent

Yes, this is a great idea, plus as you clear the clutter in your home, you can also make donations of things you may not sell that you no longer need to these types of organizations, so it is an all around win-win. Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay). Thanks for sharing the idea. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

This sounds like it could be an ice opportuntiy. Try to determine what they are worth and you may be able to sell a few of the Super Star Cards, sets or the entire bulk lot. There are many sports cards on eBay so the pricing may give you a general idea of where they are at in regards to value. Good luck and keep us posted. Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay). Believe and Achieve! - Joe

The week has fkown by. I had the pleasure of going out of town a few days and had a nice time. I am getting back on track with my emails. This weekend I will be listing some items on eBay. Did anyone find any items or try eBay yet? Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay). Believe and Achieve! - Joe

"You should pursue your passion. If you’re passionate about something and you work hard, then I think you will be successful." - Pierre Omidyar (founder of eBay)

Joe,

Got some ideas from looking at a couple things in my room and the basement. I'm going to go on Ebay and see if I can track some "comps" on whether they are selling or not. By the way, if you can take a look at my thread that I'm putting up: "Did I make my flyer right? Need some help from my DG family", I would appreciate it! Glad you were able to get away for a few days!

Vincent

Glad to hear you are clearing out the clutter. Let us know how it goes on eBay. In regards to your flyer, I left some feedback on your posting. Good luck and keep us posted on the marketing progress. Believe and Achieve! - Joe

Today I went into a store and they had Christmas ornaments that were originally $14.95 for only $1.50 each. These screamed eBay to me. There are still many bargains to be found. Have you found a great bargain for eBay or Craigslist? Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay). Believe and Achieve! - Joe

"People are smart, good and surprise me with the way they use our site.” - Craig Newmark (founder of Craigslist)

Have any plans to go to the mall this weekend? There may be some great items you can find for your eBay business. Have you looked at Craiglist lately? Are there any items that would be good as well? The opportunities and the cash is waiting. Buy Local (Craigslist) and Sell Global (eBay). Believe and Achieve! - Joe

"So the only thing you can do is have a certain set of values that you encourage people to adopt and the only way your customers are going to adopt those values is if they see that you’re living those values as well." - Pierre Omidyar (founder of eBay)