Dang! I got lazy today ...

[Thumper]

I went to bed last night with plans on jumping up and heading out to an estate sale that caught my eye yesterday. Problem is, it ain't persactly "local" and is over close to Disney. I got up as planned this morning and then thought about it ... it's a 50 minute drive each way. But what really bugs me is Lynn and I are headed out for a weekend at the beach (will return Monday night) and leaving at first light tomorrow morning. TOMORROW is 1/2 price day ... so if I come across something I really want, and am willing to gamble by waiting until tomorrow (my usual MO), I won't be able to go back after it. So, I'd have to buy it today at full price. Dang! That just goes against the grain with me and kinda defeats the whole purpose of the patience I've developed for this "business". I decided I just didn't want to torture myself and go through that turmoil, so here I sit with only youse bozos for entertainment.

[Big Muddy]

So, let me get this straight....you ain't gonna go today because you gotta pay full price, which with your luck, will prolly be $2.50 for an item you gonna sell for $350 bucks....but, you wanna get it for $1.25 on half-price day....yep, you better not go, today....that'll be eating into your profit margin, too much....and, you call US bozos???

[BarryBobPosthole]

I wasn't gonna say it out loud but I was sure as hell thinking it!

BKB

[Thumper]

Ha! Yeah, sounds dumb huh? But, what I post here is a VERY small percentage of what I do. I "specialize" in "smalls". Stuff I just make an easy $5-$20 profit on. Usually little stuff that I can wrap up, stick it in a manila envelope and drop in the mailbox. I base my profits mostly on volume. I have anywhere from 60-75 auctions running at all times. If I average $10 profit/sale, it's a good week. The "smalls" carry me through ... the biggies are a nice bonus but not as common. I closed many of my sales at the end of the month and won't re-list until next week because Lynn and I are going to be out of town for a few days and I won't be here to ship. That said, I still have 64 auctions running right now. As for buying, I normally stay local, but there's nothing going on in town today. They're all running Sat-Sun for some reason this week. Plus, this particular sale is a bit of a drive and I have to figure in fuel as well as paying full price. When you're working with skinny margins, a 50% cut in inventory expenses is a major cut. It sounds kinda silly until you see it on paper. I consider my time as "free", but I have fuel/depreciation costs, inventory expense, eBay listing fees, final value fees, PayPal fees, postage costs, as well as shipping materials, etc. I run this little "hobby" like a business so trust me when I say a 50% discount on inventory is money in the pocket! 'Bout the only thing I buy on Fridays is stuff I just can't live without and I "KNOW" it ain't gonna be there on Saturday. It takes patience and determination to walk away from some good deals ... but they are only "deals" if you're not planning on re-selling. I look at it as Friday is "retail" day and Saturday is "wholesale" day ... I buy wholesale!

[Big Muddy]

You need to be running the day'um white house....Obongo needs your advice on how to run a day'um bidness. !!!

[Thumper]

Ha ha! If I were GOOD at running a business, I'd have retired years ago and be living on a beach in Tahiti right now instead of playing Fred Sanford on the Internet.