Clean Outs?

[Den82]

I've heard some cool stories of people finding amazing stuff doing clean out for a profession. For Real Estates, I guess. The moving sale I went to last weekend, the guy had a LOT of cool stuff and said most was accumulated that way.

Has anyone heard of finding stuff this way? Or know how to get into this business? To be PAID to take stuff is cool.

[livnxxxl]

I wanted to get my feet wet in that as well. So I hired a guy that needed the work to do my "light work". I was paying him a very generous $100.00 a day plus paying for his lunch.

While I would not say that I ended up with anything really truly amazing I did get some nice stuff here and there. The guy working for me and his family also got use out of some of the stuff as well.

However, There is A LOT of people doing it now these days and that is one of the down sides. Like everything these days it can be a cut throat business. Whenever someone sees a buck being made they are going to be jumping on the band wagon. Kind of like monkey see monkey do. Everyone is looking for that easy out today.

[Den82]

Where do you start and what do you need?

[livnxxxl]

Where do you start and what do you need?

In answer to your inquiry one would need at least a minimum of a pickup truck which they guy I hired did have. Manpower or physical laborer for moving lots of boxes and misc. items. A big enough place to store an accumulation of items. I had that already. A decent knowledge of what things are worth which you probably already have that as a collector of toys.

Place a listing in Craig's list simply stating that you do clean outs and or that you are looking for donated items. It is amazing the calls that will come in once you get established. Garage sale and warmer weather season is the best. Taking people's unsold items for FREE. It does not get to much better than that.

Than of course find an out let that you are comfortable with as a selling platform. I have sold stuff to people that are power sellers on eBay, and some sell on Amazon, some turn around and resell on Craig's list and even flea markets.

Now for everyone that uses my simple money making plan above I ask that you please donate $19.99 to my PayPal account immediately. J/K Definitely a small price to pay for the amount of money making potential you have just received for FREE.

[Big Jim of Georgia]

The town I live in has been growing so fast that people dont know each other anymore. In the 70s and 80s, everyone knew eachother and helped eachother. I have been given many things by the elder people in my community that knew me as a child and looked at me and my family as their family. I spent a week packing the belongings of an elderly couple for their move. Some of the things I was given are an 1800s Belgian flintlock pistol, WWII German helmet, WWII US medical kit with the morphine still in the pack. I assisted another elderly man by changing his tire. He gave me a new un opened Six Million Dollar man game. I would cut Mrs. Davis grass every summer and once a month she made me a home made cake. Now these are people that knew me and they were raised in a time when it was a persons honor to repay a kindness given to them and you as a recipient had to take the their offer or offend their jesture. I dont do what I do for my benefit, I believe you should help out people in their times of need. I honestly didnt want to take the Belgian flintlock pistol or the WWII items for the man that gave them to me fought in WWII and brought them home. (I have the items in my display cabinet). But he insisted that I take them for his kids didnt want them nor did any of them help pack their parents belongings.
My brother cleans out houses on the side not as a buisness but as a favor to people in our community. He is how I got my HOLY GRAIL Big Jim Tarzan figure. Un-like most people, once my brother cleans out a house or what ever, he donates over 90% to people who need the items.
I have a friend that started cleaning/clearing his buisness a few years ago. He actually paid the managers of rental complexes to let him clean out apartments and rental properties. Today he has two businesses, clearing out rental property, (he now gets paid to do it) and a carpet cleaning company that spun from the clearing out of real-estate. He started with one beat up Dodge truck and a worn out trailer.
Check with your local real estate companies and let them know that you ae willing to clean out properties. But you have to keep in mind that very few clean outs are gold-mines, most are the shafts. And define what your clean out includes.

[Figuremod73]

What part of Georgia? Im near Warner Robins.

[4NDR01D]

I think as far as those "we haul your junk away" companies go, probably more than 90% of the time you're actually hauling junk away. Probably some cool scores along the way, but I'd guess it's the exception rather than the rule.

[Big Jim of Georgia]

What part of Georgia? Im near Warner Robins.

Bogart, Oconee Co. Next to Athens

[Figuremod73]

Cool. Welcome aboard!

[Toyman_Chris]

I think as far as those "we haul your junk away" companies go, probably more than 90% of the time you're actually hauling junk away. Probably some cool scores along the way, but I'd guess it's the exception rather than the rule.

You are correct. The key is finding someone who will buy a little of everything you pick up. I have a guy who comes in and sells me board games. He sells the clothes by the pound to a thrift store, etc....

[4NDR01D]

You are correct. The key is finding someone who will buy a little of everything you pick up. I have a guy who comes in and sells me board games. He sells the clothes by the pound to a thrift store, etc....

Yep, scrap metal goes here, etc. I'm sure it can be profitable in that regard too, but I'm sure there's a lot of work involved too. I'm just saying for every box of old comics or toys (What I assume Den is looking to score) there's a dozen truck fulls of old broken cider blocks and scrap wood. I'm sure at least some times it'd be like those guys cleaning up after hoarders and stuff, not particularly exciting nor fun.

[4NDR01D]

It's funny though, I have about 4000 really ****ty LP's in my garage from a not so smart purchase about 8 years ago. I really really want them gone, and it would be worth it to me to pay somebody to haul them away, but every once in a while I'll spend a couple of hours sorting through them for specific album covers or something and come across something like this- popsike.com - Duke Jordan (Signal S-102) VERY VERY Rare LP! - auction details
unfortunately that wasn't my auction and I "only" got $100 for it, I'm sure there's a few more treasures in there.

[Den82]

I know it will be rare to find good stuff. But I'd still like to do this anyway. I know plenty of locals will sell stuff who might take large furniture and such.

I guess it's wise to get a license huh or can you do this on the fly?

[Toyman_Chris]

I know it will be rare to find good stuff. But I'd still like to do this anyway. I know plenty of locals will sell stuff who might take large furniture and such.

I guess it's wise to get a license huh or can you do this on the fly?

Totally can be done on the fly, however some places may want you to be insured.

[Den82]

Today PROVED to me there are still basements LOADED with toy collections. After waking up crack of dawn for a sale advertising vintage Star Wars (they had nothing good), I decided to stop off at a random sale. The kind where you don't even have to get out of the car. There was nothing. But my dad asked about old toys and the lady said she had some GI Joe helicopter in the basement and invited us down.

For $75 I walked away with a vintage Imperial Shuttle and a bunch of Joe stuff including a Terror Drome.

We got along so nicely and exchanged phone numbers and everything. Husband was friendly too.....

But unfortunately, out of the blue, her husband came down and said "I'm getting REALLY uncomfortable with this now, you guys done?" In a really ticked off tone.

So I am not sure if I will ever be down there again now. But I know there is a LOT more, TONS down there. It's just so packed, you can't get to most of it and everything is covered in saw dust and dirt. I'm still coughing stuff up.

The fact we were told in a round about way to GTFO is a real bummer.