Friday, September 28, 2012

Reseller Adventures: Free Box Hunting and Book Seller Friends

Last week I replenished my free box supply. (Read: 10 Ways to Get Shipping Supplies for Free.) My box dealer, Joe, is a book reseller and worked part time in shipping and receiving at our local organic grocery store. He has a huge stockpile of boxes and supplies and begs me to help take it off his hands.


I love to visit his pedantically organized book collection. I met Joe bike riding on a mild fall day last year. He was hosting a yard sale and the ample, eclectic piles of books completely filling his rental vintage home's stone stoop caught my eye.


 He was clearly a reseller so we exchanged cards and I went on my way with three books in my bike's basket. We discovered we had friends in common when I ran into him at a nearby bar months later and we've been reselling and thrifting buddies ever since.


I always have to come home with one book. This time I bought a little something that should help me better be a better foster mama to The Yuko cat.


I love reaching out to local vintage lovers and urge others resellers and artists to do the same. The opportunities you gain this way are endless. Thrifting, reselling, writing, and making art with like-minded people is good for the soul.

Have you made resellers friends online/offline? Try it!
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19 comments:

  1. I've met a few people who resell while getting stuff at Goodwill.It's neat to see what other people buy to resell.One guy only buys books and computer programs.Another woman is only interested in baby/toddler clothes.And another guy only buys shoes.
    I like buying toys,vintage items(especially holiday stuff and linens),arts and craft supplies(like yarn and cross stitch/needlepoint kits), and art(with Memphis College of Art nearby I've gotten some great pieces).
    I also seem to be collecting all sorts of finished handmade cross stitch,needlepoint, and embroidery.I just see all that work and love that someone put into those pieces and have to save them.I've just about run out of wall space so I usually repurpose it into something else. Sorry, a little off topic.

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    1. The vendors at local flea markets know the crazy young woman with eclectic taste and a canon SLR camera equipped now. ;) It's funny because I'll run into them at the Goodwill pound store and other thrifts at times. Some of them are even vendors in stores I rent space from. It's a small, incestuous reseller's market in this big city...

      I don't mind your off-topic handmade cross stitch/needlepoint/embroidery rant. I LOVE that stuff, but have trouble selling it so I don't bring it home.

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    2. I can't sell it either.I usually just remake it into something I can use or give as a gift.I've made pillows,baby blankets,zippered bags,totes,pincushions,bulletin boards,bookmarks,giftbags,etc.It's a sickness I tell you,lol.

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    3. I love those ideas! I've tried lots of those but not bulletin boards. Genius!

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  2. Definately. They are the most integral part of what I do. I have been auctioning for approx 15 years now and have met countless oldtimers who have taught me well. I also have auctioneers and pickers who I buy from. Dont believe what you see on the storage unit shows. Yes there is a competative force there and I confess there are people who I dont care for but all in all we have a respectfull relationship based on common interest.

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    1. I'm glad I'm not the only one frustrated by the storage unit shows-that may be reality tv, but it is not a slice of real life.

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    2. I love to learn from the oldtimers in the business, as well as meet up with them and buy the retro merchandise they don't like to sell so they can focus on antiques. It's not as cutthroat as it seems, it's all very symbiotic.

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  3. I recently found out that one of my good playgroup friend sells on ebay on the side - and I had no idea! In our little circle it seems a little "fringe" to dabble in reselling (I live in a pretty uppity town). After my friend and I found out we had this in common, we've had hours of fun talking about our "secret" hobbies. Also, when I have accidentally run into somebody from my neighborhood at Goodwill, they often get quite flustered and have to overexplain why they happen to be there. And then they're like - but why are YOU here??? Often I can't resist giving them a shocker such as "I buy everything here, even groceries", lol.

    Sometimes I miss my friends from college who were much more into the "eclectic" way of life ;-)

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    1. I don't run into neighborhood chums or former school mates while I'm out thrifting, but I do run into fellow resellers I've met before. There's no shame in my game either. I'd get a kick out of shamelessly telling people I'm a regular at the thrifts.

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  4. Yes like minded buddies are essential I think. It's so beneficial to be surrounded on or offline with like minded friends. I have several online and a few offline. I haveonefriend in particular who has a very successful resale business who took a risk last weekend working with me on a vintage styling event. She is also holding my hand a little guing me support and advice with my refocus on what I know in my resale plans and goals.

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    1. P.S - Van your comment box is playing up it gets sticky and tricky and I can't go back and delete or fix up errors, it just freezes.

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    2. Thanks for letting me know on the comment box. I may install something different. I'm collaborating with a friend I met from our downtown's Art Walk on opening and shop, the reseller friend in this post on hosting a super yard sale, etc. Networking is important for business knowledge, growth, and then last but not least, the soul ;) haa

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  5. It's awesome that you have the hookup on boxes! Very strange thing to say, but sometimes it is hard to find the right box. I don't really have any friends that part-take in reselling. I have found a few ladies at my new location that I like to ask questions and talk to. None of my friends are much interested in the vintage stuff either. That's ok, I just have to work hard at converting them. : )

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    1. All of my long-time friends don't read my blog or understand what I do. Luckily, my BF made sure to get a good understanding when getting to know me and I have a business partner/have made friends in the field. I don't have to work at converting friends or family since we relate over so many other things. Networking, it helps!

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