Adventures in Ebay Reselling #1 - Just Because the App Says They Have It, They Don't

I have been reselling on Ebay since before it was a "thing". My first resells were from Electronics Boutique and Software Etc in two competing malls (that were a stones throw apart). I would buy closeout games for a buck up to $10 and list them on Ebay as auctions (started at $0.99 plus shipping) that ran for about a week or so. Almost every time I made money. The game I resold that made me realize this is a good option for extra money was a Microprose collection from the mid to late 1990's. EB was closing it out at a buck a copy and I was listing them on Ebay averaging $35+ per copy sold (market decided that after bids finalized). Over the years I have fallen out and back into Ebay reselling - never really taking it seriously, even though I recognized the power of reselling. One thing has become quite clear to me over those years of reselling.

Smackdown Live's Women's Champion, Naomi. Just because.

Know the inventory of local stores

I like to hit Walmart a lot, partly because of the low prices (they are the "low price leader" after all) but also because there are nearly 10 of them within 25 miles of me right now. I also have two Targets, four Goodwill stores and one Goodwill outlet, four Kroger stores and countless pawn shops and yard sales (nearly year round). This convenient location I enjoy has allowed me to grab some great pieces for reselling.

You may be thinking, why do I care about a food store like Kroger. Well, they are expanding and selling more than just food and flowers. One location near me offers clothing, a wide array of toys, books, movies, outdoor furniture, etc. They are following Walmart's lead, just in reverse (starting with selling food then expanding, opposite what Walmart did). The thing is, Kroger, just like any other store, has closeouts and clearance aisles to check out.

That bigger Kroger has Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends minis and Batman Unlimited Minis at discount prices if you are a Kroger member (free). The price is below half what Walmart charges on clearance for these items and even more if you visit a Walmart that does not have those items on clearance (only three Walmarts near me have Batman Unlimited Minis on clearance right now, the rest are still full price).

You may be thinking, but the store inventory changes all the time. Yes it does. That means you have to visit more often if you want to be in on the newly discounted stuff. The Walmart app does not list items that have entered the discount aisle, but it does list items that are "clearance" in each category and on the shelves still. This means, I cannot find out, prior to traveling to many of the Walmart stores here, what the price is for Batman Unlimited Minis but I can find out if they carry Animal Jam Adopt a Pet series 1 or 2 (and the price) because Animal Jam is still in the toy aisle, not in the clearance aisle.

No way out of travel so get used to being in traffic

The only way to avoid getting stuck in traffic A LOT is to pay attention to the time of day (I have a day job so I don't have to worry about morning rush hour but boy, evening can be BRUTAL). Also, learn the back ways around, get used to them as you may discover a yard sale or two without even trying.

Traffic sucks and it seems these large box stores create a ton of it where ever they go. Sadly, the roads in and out of those areas are hardly ever updated to accommodate the additional traffic.

If you can find a deal though, the traffic and the headache can be worth it.

Don't always trust the app, sometimes you have to call ahead

As already mentioned, sometimes the app will lie to you. Either on purpose or by accident, you are simply not going to get a 100% confirmed list of what is in the store and where it is located. Customers pick stuff up in one location and put it down elsewhere. Sometimes resellers will hide stuff till they can get the money to buy it (or sell it then come and get it). I hope no one reading this does this as it is underhanded and can hurt everyone involved. Your short term goal may be met but at what cost?

The adventure we went on earlier this week

I bought a few sets of these Fast and the Furious Hot Wheels cars. There are eight cars in the collection. I sold a few and have a few Skylines set aside for sale later (never blow through your whole stock early). I sold two sets to one customer earlier this week, thought this was awesome, and realized horror when I went to get the sets. I was short cars #3, #5, and #6 in BOTH sets. This was not like me, to buy partial sets like this - I often buy full sets or one or two items that are easy resells (not five out of eight though).

This led me and my wife on an adventure to find the missing cars. I needed two of each for a grand total of six cars. We went to Bryant Walmart, scoured the toy aisle, found the Hot Wheels toys on the opposite side of the bicycles, closer to the hunting and fishing section (completely weird layout for toys). No luck. We did find a pink igloo (series one) in the Animal Jam Adopt a Pet series (I need a purple igloo to have a complete case of 24 as they shipped). Off to the Baseline Walmart, I have been shopping this location since 1996 and know it quite well (they have only updated, not moved anything, over the years). This location yielded a Batman Unlimited Mini and a Ghost Busters Ecto Mini but no Fast and the Furious Hot Wheels.

The upper right one, it taunts me in my dreams.

Off to the "ritzier" part of town and the Shackleford Walmart. Got absolutely nothing at this location other than disheartened that our adventure was going to yield nothing in regards to the Hot Wheels cars we were after. Maybe they were to old and sold out already (or were returned to manufacturer).

We had one more Walmart in our sites that night, Bowman (this was at one time the highest earning location in the nation - not anymore). This location is another I shopped for years (since 1992 when it was at the bottom of Bowman hill prior to their move). We found not only the missing Fast and the Furious Hot Wheels we were looking for but also another set (minus #1) and partial sets for the new Camaro line (missing #8 I think). I bought the missing cars and one more set (minus the missing #1 car). I left the location knowing there were about 100 Fast and the Furious cars (multiple sets minus #1) and about 75 of that Camaro line (I did not buy any of those).

You may be asking yourself - what kind of idiot is this guy? Multiple sets minus one car and he leaves them? Yes, I did. Why? Because I have one rule in this. Don't be greedy. Not only may another reseller discover this location (they may be reading this right now) but also there are genuine fans and children that collect these cars. If you are greedy and take EVERYTHING then you are a butt head and hurt the overall market just so you can make a few extra bucks without hustling as hard. Guess what. I would rather hustle a little harder and leave something for others - resellers and fans alike. I have been blessed with what I needed, no need to keep dunking in the well when I have my thirst quenched already.

We are now on the hunt for a purple igloo Animal Jam Adopt a Pet. My wife and me are closer than ever before, we are joking with each other, we are flirting again, we are acting like teenagers, joking with each other and having fun in these searches. For me, that is more valuable than the money we make. No matter what your are in reselling for, keep your eyes, and heart, open for the true gift in this may be something you didn't expect.

I will be back soon with another episode of reselling. Maybe we will have found that elusive purple igloo, maybe we will be off chasing something else in the interim.

Other entries:
Adventures in Ebay Reselling #2- The Adventure is Often Worth More than What You Resell
Adventures in eBay Reselling #3 – Where to Find Stock When Your Favorite Store is Sold Out
Ebay Reselling and How to Get Inventory
How to Make Money on Ebay, Not as Simple as it Sounds