Local Mego Sighting (a sob story)

[megojim]

I would consider it a challenge, show up even earlier until you beat him there, buy everything in sight and smile as you walk out . . . .

[Danzvader78]

Or to make it even more better... Bring a basket of piping hot banana muffins to the estate owner a day before the sale..Who knows you might come across to gems and strike a good deal... hehe

[RG]

Here Here it's not like you buy something on clearance for like $7-9 then try and jam someone for $20 or more that's what ticks people off...Too many people do that I'm sorry but how much are you actually making when someone does that?? That's crap...

I give you props RussG you actually do it the right way sorry I have done this plenty of times as well and people just don't get it when you call them out because they don't care...Making money is always first to them sorry but I don't think that way and I have to keep things to myself because it would come out the wrong way but when you come right down too it how much money do you actually make on this a couple of bucks????

Sorry but I they should put secondary prices on retail items because you know that will keep all of the losers away and put them into the hands of people that actually want them...

well with modern items it's a whole different apple cart. items found on sale one place but have a retail price somewhere else. the new mattel figures, the set price is $20 some got lucky, and they got them for less, but that's not normal, not yet anyway

The fact people are most times only asking $25ish and not $40+ for them you should view as a blessing, since besides Toys R Us and now I guess TJ Max ... you can only get them online.

Toy scalpers are different breed from the estate sale hoarder, have you ever collect hot wheels??? just be glad that kind of toy scalper hasn't hit the mattel figures ... trust me ... you wouldn't be paying $25 for the new mattel batman it'd be more like $50 ... the higher price point keeps the scalpers at bay, so far, since they can't buy all the figures like they can with hotwheels ... the minute they figure out they can nab up rare Retro figures ... they'll do it and the price won't be $20-$30 but $50 to $100.

[Den82]

Last night I was flipped through the channels and stumbled upon a new show on TruTV. It's called "Big Brian the Fortune Seller". It documents a company (owned by Big Brain of course) that organizes Estate Sales.

I almost spit my drink out. THEY were the ones running the sale!

Rumor has it. They save numbers 1-30 for their buddies or regulars to their sales. Odd, since we were #30!! But I do not believe this to be true, as I believe some people ahead of us walked away due to the cold and were *****ing too much to be pampered pals of the organizers. I'm sure shady stuff goes on with the tickets though.

[Mego Superboy Prime]

Sorry about that.

[Den82]

I'm the hoarder. The guy who beat me out is a reseller, like 95% of the hawks at Estate Sales. I resell too though.

The guy who beat me out on Mego Dracula, you can tell has no interest in toys other than the profit factor. I wanted that for my own collection. Anyway, he listed it on eBay and it didn't sell, so there.

[megocrazy]

Yeah it's tough. There are a bunch in this area that buy and sell stuff regularly. Doesn't bother me. They have the same ability to get stuff I have. Last week was the first break in the weather around here and one guy hit an RC Batman at his first stop. It happens. Though I usually get John Boy or Ponch. Never a Thor or Isis. That kinda sucks butt. I did have one nice score last year that netted me three pieces for my collection and a 3 digit profit so I can't complain.

[megocrazy]

What you should have done was traded names with him. I have an email I set up just for handing to people in the "flipping" business. Networks are great things. I now buy things I would not have given a second look in the past.

I have familiarized myself with things others specialize in and will pop them off to them for a minimal profit. $5 - $10 or so, or point them in the direction of it if it's a piece I'm not familiar with. In turn they will many times drop me a line or text while I'm out hunting directing me to something they saw. One nice hit last year netted me a shopping bag full of vintage 80's accessories for $10. It turned out over $300 when I was done with it on ebay. It's not unusual for me to send 10-12 texts or calls out in one day of yard sales.

I truly believe that at any decent sized yard sale there is at least $5-$20 to be made if you're educated enough on what's valuable. I'm not talking the guy with a card table by the side of the road but a 8-12 table sale. There is something that they're selling that someone wants to buy. The job is getting it from point A to point B, and making some spending money on it.

Instead of thinking of them as the enemy think of them as an ally that may get you what you want. That guy that got the Dracula may think he reamed himself after it not selling and been willing to let it go to you for a couple of bucks more than he paid rather than risk getting "stuck" with it. You probably would be happy to get it for what he may be willing to sell it for, if he knew you. That same guy may never know the difference between a Large S and small s superman, a RM Robin, or a vinyl cape Thor. So he dumps them to you for $20 or $30 bucks rather than deal with ebay, and you giggle with delight as they sit on the seat in the car beside you as you drive home.

It's just like business, create a network and everyone benefits in the long run. Just because they're buying stuff you want, it doesn't mean they know the stuff you want. In poker we call an unknowing player a fish. There's a saying "If you're sitting at the table and you can't find the fish, it's probably you. Go find another table." Just make sure you're the fisherman and not the fish. It never works out good for the fish.

I'm the hoarder. The guy who beat me out is a reseller, like 95% of the hawks at Estate Sales. I resell too though.

The guy who beat me out on Mego Dracula, you can tell has no interest in toys other than the profit factor. I wanted that for my own collection. Anyway, he listed it on eBay and it didn't sell, so there.

[Den82]

I'm done with exchanging numbers and cards with local people. I did do it with the guy that beat me out and I of course never heard from him. People are always taking my number, email, etc. and all it is, if a bunch of bull.

Out in the wild, it's so different from the online world. Everyone is full of it out near me and it's every man for himself.

My dream is to eventually open a high-end, yet reasonable priced vintage toy shop out here and just bury and destroy all these shady auction house creeps, shady estate sale creeps, bitter junk shop curmudgeons and cut-throat vulture pickers. Just put them out of business and make them starve to death.