Great Thrift Store Finds -- Boynton Coffee Mugs

Next up on our great thrift store finds is the ever popular Boynton Coffee Mugs. Designed by artist Sandra Boyton, these little guys are always good for a quick flip.

Who is Sandra Boynton?

Sandra Boynton is often known for her greeting cards creations. She started out in the 1970s when she was part of the alternative humorist movement, creating her signature drawings and droll humor style. 

This quickly led to a following of her works.

While her mugs are what make her such a great thrift store find, it's her personality that really makes her stuff collectible.

What's Makes Boynton Coffee Mugs Great Thrift Store Finds?

Designed by children's author and humorist Sandra Boynton, her coffee mugs are known for their quirky sensibilities.

A famous mug by her is the one featuring Penguins in an Orgy. I've never been lucky enough to stumble across this mug in my own treasure hunting, but the word is it's up there on the holy grail of finds.

But have no despair!

Despite the popularity, her mugs are still in demand on eBay and other selling platforms, as can be seen by my own solds searches on the site.

Part of the draw is the very collectible nature of the mugs. Just walking down an aisle at a thrift store, chances are one of them will catch your eye. 

They usually are designed with her distinctive drawing style and feature animals.

How To Spot A Boynton Coffee Mug

The easiest way to tell whether or not you've found a Boynton Coffee Mug is by looking for her signature.

Other than this, every mug is designed by Recycling Paper Products. The company is located in Japan and is known for their own creations.

Besides these two tell-tale signs, the way to know if you've found one is the actual artwork. 

Boynton's drawings have a child-like innocence to them that is very reminiscent of children's author Shel Silverstein. You can see traces of his work all over hers, and vice-versa.

She usually features animals in her work as well, often in subversive situations. While most are kid-friendly, she has been known to incorporate adult elements into her work as well.

The biggest tell-tale sign though is just listing the coffee mug and watching the sale fly.

What Are Boynton Coffee Mugs Worth

As of 2017, Boynton Coffee Mugs go from anywhere between $10-$30 on eBay.

While auctions are always a way to test the market, this an item that has a pretty extensive solds record day-in and day-out, which is why I prefer to just list her mugs for $30 with an automatic best offer acceptance of $15.

As with everything, though, use your own discretion.

The good news, however, is that Boynton mugs will sell and generally go quickly because of their popularity. This alone makes them worth the very minimal 50 cents investment.

As always, God bless and may your treasure hunting be glorious!

Newbie

Vintage Simon Game -- Great Thrift Store Finds

Hey folks.

Part of the fun of reselling on platforms such as eBay and Amazon if the thrill of the hunt. Besides trying to find the next home run, I want to start a series of videos and posts that describe some great Thrift Store finds. First up is this vintage Simon game from 1978.

History Behind Simon the Game

Invented by Ralph H. Baer and Howard J. Morrison, Simon is a game of memory skill. 

It was released by Milton Bradley (MB) in 1978, and was a popular electronic game that mimicked the children's game "Simon Says".

Part of the draw is that its buttons light up and play a tune when you press them. While this makes the game fun, it also is quite challenging the further along you get.

What Makes This a Great Thrift Store Find?

As you can see from the video above, vintage Simon games from 1978 have some pretty solid sold listings on eBay. While markets are forever changing, it's easy to see that this game is a collector's item.

Part of the draw is nostalgia. As many games get thrown out in the garbage can once kids grow up, these suckers become rarer and rarer.

While that means most baby boomers have outgrown their need for electronic games, there's definitely still a demand for these hard to get items.

That's what makes Simon so valuable. 

A Pop Culture Icon

As stated, the big draw of the electronic game was its use of lights and tones to create a stirring little game. Boosted by the post-psychedelic mindset of the 1960s, the game became a pop-culture phenomena during the 1970s and 80s.

I remember seeing this guy advertised during my own childhood during the 1990s. While I like to think of myself as a relatively young millennial in my 30s, this might seem like an outdated game for many youngsters.

But that won't deter collectors from getting their hands on the game. Which is why I consider this a great thrift store find.

Some Random Tidbits 

Part of the fun of the game is it's beeping noises. While most people don't have a knowledge of music theory, the sounds are actually built off an A-chord. This essentially means that whatever order they're played in, they create a harmonic melody.

Simon has been consistently updated and re-released since its first debut in 1978, making this game a staple of Milton Bradley's electronic game lineups.

Chances are you are your kid have either played or owned one of these little guys.

Conclusion

As you can see, vintage Simon games can prove rather valuable depending on how you choose to sell them. While markets are always going to be fickle, the bottom line is that the longer you hold on to these suckers, the more valuable they will become.

The best way to figure out how much you can sell the game for on eBay is looking at the sold listings and, as always, test the market out for yourself.

I personally like to use auctions for an item like this, especially around the Christmas season. While says can prove frustrating, there's always the prospect of a bidding war.

Better yet, an auction pretty much guarantees a quick flip rather than the "list it and forget it" model many eBayers have begun to adopt. If you're looking to move inventory quickly, this might be the best route to go.

As always, God bless and may your treasure hunting be glorious!

--Newbie

Achieving Dreams -- Review of One Red Paper Clip

Title: One Red Paperclip: How To Trade a Paperclip For a House
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: River Grove Books; 2 edition (July 24, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1632990512
ISBN-13: 978-1632990518
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.5 inches

What's that you say? Achieving Dreams? Yeah, that's right, you can too...

Watch my video review and find out!

Review of One Red Paperclip

As you can tell by the video, I'm a pretty big fan of Kyle MacDonald, and more importantly, what he was able to accomplish.

By utilizing a positive attitude and can-do mantra, he successfully battered his way up from a red paperclip that he found on the ground to a 2-story house, all by willpower and kindness.

And yeah, while you might still wonder why I would review a book like this on a reselling blog, I think there is something simply inspiring about hearing a guy achieving dreams.

So before I get into the sales pitch, let me just say, I think this book can help anyone who wants to do something more than just simply make a profit.

I think this book will make you a better person.

Why You Should Consider Purchasing The Book

More than just a fun little tale about a guy down on his luck making things happen, Kyle offers some pretty zen wisdom for someone who seems like a pretty young dude.

For example, he talks about seeing someone else's trash is another man's treasure, and that to me is a pretty valuable tidbit for anyone thinking about selling used stuff on the internet.

If you think about it, there's something even more inspiring about a guy who was willing to waste an entire year on a dream that many thought would be impossible. 

And while he faced many obstacles and stumbling blocks on the road to improving his life situation, he achieved it not by simple willpower, but rather through graciousness and kindheartedness. Something I feel more resellers must have if we ever want to be looked as mere vultures in used stuff.

But again, I don't want to preach on what Kyle has to say.

I think you should purchase One Red Paperclip and find that out for yourself.

Yeah, But Will This Make Me A Profit?

Absolutely and no. Life is what you make of it, and if lemons are what you're getting, you probably won't find any use out of Kyle's book.

On the other hand, if you're willing to see beyond poor results and living in your parent's spare bedroom, waiting for that glorious sale to come and help you purchase your first home, you'll never get anywhere.

Because success is more than just selling a product or making a profit. It's about seeing a dream come to fruition, not by mere willpower or hard work, but through relationships and faith.

And yeah, while Kyle was able to achieve his dream within a year and find happiness, whatever that means, he also discovered friendships along the way that will go beyond merely trading partners.

Because at the end of the day, Kyle is a true hero. One who doesn't get bogged down by life's failures.

So yes, purchase the book, open your mind, and discover a world beyond mere profits. Find a passion, and more importantly, discover why you even resell in the first place.

Because believe me, there are customers on the other end of that sale, and they do matter.

Click the link to purchase Kyle's book and discover how you can achieve dreams just like he did!

How to Make Your First Sale -- Have You Considered Using Auctions for eBay

Photo by Lucas Pimenta 

When trying to learn to how to make your first sale on eBay, one thing newbies such as myself often overlook is something unique and special.

Auctions were originally the backbone of the selling giant that is eBay, so much so that they launched the company to one of the most prominent and well-known e-commerce websites. Founded in 1995, auctions were actually the only choice of selling.

What we collectively have come to know as the buy it now auction, which is essentially just a fixed price for an item, didn't begin until the early 2000s.

And while buy-it-now has become the mainstream choice for many sellers, the truth is it can often take months, or even years (YEARS!) to sell an item using this method, especially if you're not advertising.

Getting My First Sale Since Returning to eBay

Photo by Ariel Lustre on Unsplash

Having relaunched my business in August of 2017 after a year-long hiatus, one thing I've found is that the sales don't come quick, especially when selling items such as I am. As of now, my store is comprised of around 50 items, staying under my allowed limit, and consists of vintage ties and coffee mugs, not to mention select few of novelty baseball caps.

And while I'm cognizant that these items aren't going to bring me millions of dollars or the highest ROI, I have sold them in the past enough times to know they are valuable enough to make a profit on.

But as with everything, they take time.

Which is why I needed something to kickstart my business.

Selling Stuff Around the House

One thing I like to promote if you're starting out on eBay is to sell stuff you have laying around, especially if you're not sure what your niche is going to be.

Not one to not take my own advice, I decided I would sell this Canon FD 50mm Camera Lens, and better yet, use an auction to get things going.

I experimented a little bit, using the 1-day feature that costs an extra dollar in fees. And while the auction ended up generating some profits, I'll be the first to admit this camera undersold by a lot.

You can see my results here.

Not That This Matters

Add caption

Yes, a hundred dollar camera lens sold for a mere 45 bucks!

But trust me, that frustration of seeing dollars go out the window was short lived. Because if there's one thing I love, it's the feeling of hearing that cha-ching sound go off when a sale is complete.

And after 2 months(!!!) of selling, one thing I've learned is, profits will always be there. 

So while I am disappointed in my experiment, I'm pretty happy knowing I'm getting sales now by utilizing the auction feature. And while I'm not one to sell everything through the format, I plan to continually update you, dear reader, as I continue on this adventure of getting back into the swing of things.

Get Some Sales Going!

And while we're at it, stop thinking so much in terms of profit and more on just generating some steam and interest.

I waited two months, sitting on items that might not sell for another 2 years! And while I'm big on the list it and forget method that is common among many high-profile sellers, in reality, I don't have time to wait for my sale.

Which is why auctions can be so fun.

For more on this, check out my YouTube video I made addressing this issue:

As always,

God bless and may your treasure hunting be glorious!

Newbie