In a rut; out of touch with modern collectibles

[strugglinlikeyou]

Hello all. I have been selling here for a while. It's more of a hobby than a job, but the money is important. Here is what sells for me: Pyrex milk glass bowls with a pattern, Jadite glassware, an occasional collectable fishing reel or Stanley carpenter plane. I once picked up a Masters of the Universe toy NIP in a free pile. Sold for $300. I had never heard of Masters of the Universe

I know nothing about new stuff. I travel many miles searching garage sales but surely I am overlooking gems because I have tunnel vision. 

I am 69 years young. I don't know anything about Pokeman or anything else young people are collecting. Same goes for video games. 

Hitting the road this week. Any tips you can give would be appreciated.

[slippinjimmy · Accepted solution]

Borrow a millennial and take them along?

[chapeau-noir]

A little research through Google will yield a wealth of information.

[electric_seal]

Collectibles are over saturated and the ones that sell almost impossible to find. Look for what people need. But to answer your question you want to find PlayStation 1 & 2 games. Nintendo games with the cardboard boxes. Non sports of course. The more japanese style the better. If you want toys stick with trains. (Cabooses and engines sell best) Old guys still have money to blow. 1980s hi joes. Black label Barbie clothes from the 60s. American girl (the clothes sell better than the dolls) If you’re desperate just google image search everything and swallow your pride if you’re out in public. Very awkward if you’re the only person shopping a sale I admit.

[fm2000]

Even better to target Gen Xers (those who are middle aged, 40s or so), they are in their peak earning years and there is a lot of nostalgia among Gen Xers (every Gen Xer will know what Masters Of The Universe is.)

Video games can be tough and you really need to know what you are doing and have some knowledge about what is valuable. Some technical knowledge about them is also very helpful (especially disc based games.) If you are selling games for a variety of systems, you should have those systems to test them on (I have a setup with a zillion different systems across all eras, it consumes a LOT of space and was also bit of an investment, not something most would want to do.)

(Most PS1 and PS2 games are worth so little they are not worth selling here... but a small number of titles are worth selling, and some rare ones can go for hundreds of dollars or more. Takes knowledge and experience to tell them apart, which can be a BIG investment in time.)

Pokemon cards are especially not for someone who is not well versed in them. Most of them are virtually worthless, some are worth a fortune, there are counterfeits floating around etc. You can lose a lot of money in them if you don't know what you are doing. For now, I'd leave those alone.

Don't be afraid to do comps on your phone while shopping at sales. If people think you are odd, let them think that. You are doing this for money, to be able to eat, it is a job, and there is no shame in work.

[chevymontecarlo88]

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@strugglinlikeyou wrote:

Hello all. I have been selling here for a while. It's more of a hobby than a job, but the money is important. Here is what sells for me: Pyrex milk glass bowls with a pattern, Jadite glassware, an occasional collectable fishing reel or Stanley carpenter plane. I once picked up a Masters of the Universe toy NIP in a free pile. Sold for $300. I had never heard of Masters of the Universe

I know nothing about new stuff. I travel many miles searching garage sales but surely I am overlooking gems because I have tunnel vision. 

I am 69 years young. I don't know anything about Pokeman or anything else young people are collecting. Same goes for video games. 

Hitting the road this week. Any tips you can give would be appreciated.

---

I think a lot of us feel that way and need a little help in adapting to the selling market. I found that utube can be a great resource of information/entertainment on selling on Ebay. Especially if you want to learn about certain categories or specific items that you want to know about. If you are unsure where to start, you could scroll through completed sales on Ebay for certain categories to get an idea of price and sell through rates. I would also concentrate on items that you see more often than not. Researching items is part of it but if you can't source them easily, you may want to find something that you can find near you. 

-Good Luck

[silverstatetreasureboxes]

@strugglinlikeyou 

You be careful on your trip!

     Atomic, 1960s barware is hot right now as well as advertising ashtrays.

     Jadeite found in the wild is hard but you've sold some great pieces so look for more.

     Hudson Bay type wool stripe blankets and mcm cabin decor.

     Boy scout stuff ( early) since they are changing the name.

     Still floors me you didn't know about Masters of the Universe!

    Happy trails..

[strugglinlikeyou]

"Borrow a millennial and take them along?" Now that would be an eye opener!

Thanks for all who offered advice. I do check eBay and Google when I am out and about. Also I take to heart the caution about video games and Pokeman. Tried studying up on them awhile back and found it overwhelming.

Sales were scarce over the weekend, which I have come to expect over a holiday weekend. I mostly stayed home.

Will be looking for more atomic items and ashtrays in the future and just keep plugging along.