Hello from upstate New York.

It used to be the margin for general sales was paying 20-25% of what the item would retail for. For merchandise I produce I've usually kept it at 10-15%. That's really a figure to help account for secondary costs though...like if you sell wholesale to a retailer, or you have your own business costs like employees, shop rental, storage space, etc.

For what I sell online I go by a minimum net profit and I take into account how annoying something is to list and ship. If it's very annoying (big, fragile, clothing), the amount needs to be a lot higher for me to bother lol. If it's super easy, small to store and/or a fast seller then I might lower the net amount.

 

Welcome Deb!

Great advice!!
When my own mother passed, my sister kept trying to get me to take a lot of her stuff because she knew mom and I had similar collecting tastes and Sis liked the idea of Mom's stuff staying in the family. Sis said, "Why don't you want it, mom had some nice junk?!" I replied, "I like my own junk better and I've got a small home and can't house two people's collections."

 

Amen. Sometimes sentimental value is higher than resale value, often by a lot.

OTOH estate sale companies have to watch prices and stop tossing anything they don't understand. I have people asking me for vintage paper napkins, preferably sealed packages. Estate companies here often toss out such things and clean out drawers without looking at what it is. A few companies have left junk in drawers, and the 'junk' included envelopes and boxes of leftovers from jewelry-making classes. Sterling.

More like the plethora of quarter items priced at $100. A constant run of that will make anyone a little testy. Other times, you stand in line for an hour, only to get inside and find out that the estate company removed anything you would have bought before the sale ever started. "Somebody might have stolen it." YYYARRGGH.

For on-line that's totally accurate. Those who have a booth can go to 25%, and if they own the building or have low overhead can go a bit higher. Resellers have expenses and if they pay half of retail or even half wholesale they can be going backwards immediately. Unless they want it for their own use, it's a dead loss. It's one reason "people are so cheap". No choice.

I passed up a pretty glass plate today selling at $20. I'd bet on a $40 retail, but if I resold it I'd get $10 on a good day, so hard pass. It was in a store resellers visit often and they made the same calculation since it's been sitting there for days. It would have to sell for under $5 to move, so it'll be there for a while.

 

A few years ago, I had a "Cherry Blossom" pattern Depression glass bowl at the moving sale for $20. A woman looked at it and remarked that it was a nice looking bowl, but she would be afraid to use it after paying that. I replied that it wasn't a bowl to use, it was a collector's item. Then she remarked that paying $20 for something that was just going to sit on a shelf was crazy. I told her to go to the dollar store and get a bowl she wouldn't be afraid to bang around.

 

Unfortunately, that's the way it is now with Depression Glass. People only want stuff they can throw in the dishwasher.

 

You gotta to find a new way to market Mom's stuff, it's cursed-it only attracts ass*****.

 

A woman after my own heart !

 

I decided to take all the stuff from my childhood/teen years with me when i moved out. I didn't want it anymore, so I sold it all. I was a BIG collector so it took many years. I made a lot (for me) of money but when I got to the bits leftover I realized I was exhausted.

The stuff had become a ball and chain I dragged for years. It made me realize the physical, mental and storage cost of getting all the money out of these items. It really is okay to choose yourself over the need to get a few dollars out. I donated the rest that wasn't worth the effort

 

We never throw out anything unless it is true crap - soiled linens (donate to our local animal shelters), scrap paper with notes, old mail, etc. People buy anything. We sell 1/2 bottles of cleaning supplies, open stain/paint, old keys and laundry detergent. During a sale, I put down a spray bottle of lysol for a second after cleaning a kitchen counter (someone spilled their coffee) and someone picked up my lysol and checked out with it! Our clients are always amazed that people pay for things they would have tossed!

 

When I reflect back on my past ownership wise-most of my cherished items (true archetype pieces) can be had on Ebay cheap. One Baseball Card that was destroyed is worth about 130K today-but everyone's got that kind of tale...least guys my age.

 

I saved some photos of the old homestead interior.

 

Lovely pocket doors.My memories are from a late 50's California Ranch,but still magic.

 

Cleaning supplies, TP etc are hot sellers. Anything that's expensive in the store will sell. I bought a box of facial tissues once, and an unused bathroom toilet rug. Old keys are a godsend if you need a random key for something. Some dealers get the Stupids and toss everything. I scored my sister a new bottle of perfume from the Junk pile literally in a dumpster. It even had the cap. Other things at different times: a Blenko glass bowl. Russian-language wall maps. Clipboards. The one that took the cake was a pair of sterling salt and peppers in the trash. (if you're tossing money, toss it at me!)

 

@Deb D. growing up somewhat downstate, (Westchester) I go home a few times a year. If you were to have a yard sale in that neck of the woods you would do rather well. My sister lives about an hour south of Albany & we have noticed pricing is much better than in her area (Duchess) every time I go home we actually make it a point to go shopping in that area for this reason.

 

I'm in Saratoga County.

 

nice area , that !!

 

It's still sort of rural, but in driving distance to Saratoga Springs and Clifton Park.