Learn to buy and sell antiques and collectibles

How To Find Antiques And Collectibles To Sell On Ebay.

Many people who decide to make a living selling collectibles on eBay soon fail. I meet them in the line at the post office. They tell me they just quit their job in order to sell full time on eBay. I ask everyone of them, "What are you doing in order to find more items to sell on eBay?"

Only the people who can answer this question last more than a few weeks. The others soon run out of things to sell and give up.

I got started buying trains and toys when I was in grade school. My dad and I collect toy trains, and this was how we built our collection. We didn't have lots of money so we ran ads, put signs up, handed out cards, networked and tried all kinds of methods to get people to sell us their trains. Then we kept what we wanted, and sold the rest in order to keep the cash moving. Over the past 23 years, we have refined the system so it constantly generates calls.

These 27 strategies will get you thinking about ways to get sellers to call you. Remember, you are always better off making someone call you, than competing with everyone else. When you go to yard sales, auctions and antique malls, you are in a race against all the other collectors and dealers. When people call you, it is because you have made them think about converting their unwanted items into cash by selling them to you.

Free eBay Seller's Guide

Sure, you can go to yard sales and rely on luck. But if you are serious about selling on eBay you need to have a steady stream of collectibles coming in. You can't rely on blind luck or getting there before the other dealers. You need a system to get a constant stream of new items to list.

This is what I do. I focus on making my phone ring with anxious sellers. In my books, I share these secret techniques with others.

Here's twenty-seven quick ways of getting people to sell you their antiques and collectibles. These will get you thinking about ways to make your phone ring.

Develop a marketing plan outlining exactly how you are going to make your phone ring.

Consider how you are going act in order to make the seller take your offer. Read some books on salesmanship, and negotiating.

Ask the person in line behind you at the post office, bank, and supermarket if they have any antiques for sale.

Change the message on your answering machine so it tells everyone who calls you pay cash for antiques.

Invite some people over to see your antiques.

Put some of your antiques into a display case at your local library or anywhere with a secure display case. Don't forget to include a sign with your name and telephone number.

Put a display ad in your local paper, "Top Dollar Paid For Antiques."

Run an ad in the classified section of your local newspaper saying you pay cash for antiques.

Ask the person in line in front of you at the post office, bank, and supermarket if they know anyone with antiques.

Put signs up in the local businesses you frequent saying you pay cash for antiques.

Have business cards made saying top cash paid for antiques, and hand one to everyone you meet.

Run a free ad in the weekly shopper papers like the Pennysaver and Thrifty Nickel saying "No one pays more for antiques."

Buy a sign on the outfield fence at a Little League or Pop Warner field.

Run an ad in your company's newsletter saying you collect antiques.

Put 3 by 5 cards saying "Collector Pays Cash For Antiques" on bulletin boards in grocery stores and Laundromats.

Tell other antiques dealers you will buy any antiques they don't want.

Drop off your business card at local pawn shops.

Send a letter to estate sale companies telling them you pay cash for widgets.

Call everyone who offered you antiques and then didn't sell, then ask them if they have changed their mind about selling.

Join the local antiques club and try to buy the other antiques collectors duplicates.

Look at every ad you see and think about how you could modify it to get antiques.

Run an ad in Val-pak or Money Mailers saying you pay "Cash For Antiques."

Hang signs on telephone poles saying "Collector Pays Cash For Antiques Call 777-7777."

Tell the person in front of you, you will pay them if they get their friends to sell you Antiques.

Send Thank You letters to everyone you bought antiques from in the past, and remind them you pay when they get their friends and neighbors to sell you antiques.

Tell your barber or hair stylist you like antiques and tell them you will pay them for sending you antiques sellers.

Put a sign on your car that says "I Pay Cash For Antiques."

That should be enough to get you started. Some of these antiques buying strategies will not work in your area, but most will. For example, some cities prohibit signs on telephone poles, or maybe there aren't any weekly papers in your area to run ads in.

All these methods are explained more fully in my antiques and collectible buying system. You'll learn "How To Get An Endless Stream Of People To Sell You Their Antiques And Collectibles. 67 Strategies To Make Your Phone Ring With Anxious Sellers."

You can learn more about my Antiques and Collectibles Buying System here.

Terry

PS. If you found yourself thinking of reasons why these strategies won't work for you, you have the mindset of failure. You will not be successful as long as you think this way. Consult a therapist or get some other professional advice.

However, if you read through the list above and thought of ways to improve or implement these strategies you will do well. You might need to improve your skills a bit, but you have the right mindset.

At least once a week, a new article about Antiques, Collectibles, or eBay is placed in this section of the site. You can see previous articles in the column on the left. This is not a replacement for my regular monthly emailed newsletter. The newsletter is usually two to three times as long and focuses on making money on eBay and/or achieving success in the antiques and collectibles business. Make sure you sign up.

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Terry Gibbs has taught over 7,000 people how to make a good living on eBay. Terry's most recent eBay instruction manual is The Auction Revolution . The Auction Revolution is your guide to eBay and beyond. Here on Iwantcollectibles.com, you will learn about buying and selling antiques and collectibles, and about eBay.