5 yard sale items to resell on eBay

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June 27, 2012

Old tin and copper items offered at yard sales can often be resold on eBay for a good markup. Don't just look for shiny things though, weathered and beat up metal items have a lot of character that bidders enjoy.

At Yard Sale Secrets, we definitely go shopping for ourselves first and foremost. And by “ourselves” we mean to benefit our family and friends with good stuff and great prices.
But we also keep an eye out for investment opportunities. We’re always looking for something that we can buy cheap and then immediately turn around and resell on eBay and other auction sites.
With that in mind, we offer you some ideas on what you can get big bucks for when you resell online.

  • NAME-BRAND CLOTHES – Even if the clothes don’t fit anyone in our family, we will sometimes buy up still-tagged or new looking clothing at yard sales and put them online for sale. More than once we’ve invested $1 in some clothes item and got $20-plus in an online auction.
  • CROCKS – In the “they don’t know what they’re selling” category, we often see old dairy crocks for sale at yard sales. These are highly sought after by collectors, particularly if they aren’t cracked and have the dairy’s stamp on them. You do have to be aware of replica crocks though!
  • TOYS – Finding just the right toy to resell on eBay is hard. We’ve had successes and failures in this department. That being said we most commonly are able to resell toys made in 1970s and earlier. Condition is key, of course. You also need to be able to describe what the toy is too. If you don’t know the name, you can’t offer it online. The best way to figure out the age of a toy is to look for its copyright date on its bottom side.
  • SIGNS – If you’ve ever watched an episode of American Pickers, you’ll see those guys go after old signs, particularly tin ones. Those sell great on eBay, but in truth, any sign that’s not made of cardboard and not a replica can do well for you on eBay. We’ve sold molded plastic ones, light-ups and even “advertising statues” for a decent markup.
  • OTHER METAL ITEMS – Not many things are made out of tin, copper and other metals these days, and because of that, these items make great decorations. From kitchenware of the 1960s to tools used in an old garage, these little knick-knacks can be hidden gems in a yard sale. The most important thing here is that you know what it is you’re trying to sell, because sometimes it’s not apparent with those old items.

 

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