How to Find Inventory to Start Selling Online!

I love to go thrifting and hunting for treasures! I've actually developed quite a knack for it, and can seamlessly and strategically maneuver through garage sales and Goodwill faster than you can say "hmmmmn, what to buy, what to buy"? :-)

So, today I am going to talk about finding inventory to start selling online! The portals I sell on are mainly Poshmark, eBay, Etsy, Letgo, and Facebook Marketplace. There are so many others like 5 miles, mercari, tradesy, blah blah blah. But, I try not to overwhelm myself! It can get out of hand if you let it. So, stay focused on a few sites that work well for you and that you are adept at listing on and get to it!! Also, stay focused on the type of things that you like to sell as each site is unique to certain items (Etsy for handmade and vintage, Poshmark for clothing and fashion items, etc).

The first place to find items is in your own closet, garage, kids rooms, etc!! Why buy more items to sell, if you have a jackpot sitting in your own house? I continually go through my closets and weed out items that I'm no longer "feeling the love" for :-)! And, my son who grows taller by the minute, outgrows his clothing at a ridiculous rate! Goldmine! I only re-sell higher quality items in brand new or very good condition. I list dresses, tops, skirts, pants, shoes, handbags, jewelry, sporting equipment and attire, small electronics, and similar. Kids clothing sells well, but it needs to be priced fairly low.

Next, I scour garage sales almost every Saturday morning. There are many apps you can download that show current sales in your area by zipcode. Plan your course the night before and map it all out! Then, you can truly be "the early bird who catches the worm"! I make sure not to be totally rude and arrive hours before they open, but, I do make sure to get there at least 1/2 hour before start time. They are usually almost setup by then, and I get first dibs on all the goodies! If you can find neighborhood sales, definitely go for those first!! I make sure to look over items carefully for stains, rips, loose threads, and smells that can't be washed out! Cigarette smoke is a tough one and though I have had luck getting rid of the smell after days of baking soda or vinegar , it's still hard to get rid of it all so I typically will pass if it smells too strong. Humidity spots in white items is another tough one as even bleach doesn't always get those stains out! Have your phone handy so you can look up current selling prices on eBay for items you think about buying. Why spend even a few dollars on a designer item that no one wants, or that sells for nothing online!

Ahhhh, the next great place are consignment stores! I head straight for the 75% off rack! Locally, I have found great fur lined boots that might not sell well in my area, but, they sure sold well on eBay!! So, don't pass on something because it is a slow seller in your area! I prefer consignment stores to Goodwill (though that will be next), because typically the items are in impeccable condition and don't typically have the "Eau de Goodwill" fragrance on them!

Goodwill has definitely improved over the years...and of course their prices have gone up too. They now employ people who are trained to recognize designer items and price them accordingly. No more Coach bags for $4.99! But, there is still a goldmine in there for respectable prices. Note that the Goodwills located in nicer neighborhoods, seem to carry much higher quality items! Makes sense since those folks are not going to drive far to donate their fabulous upscale items! Again, take time to look each item over carefully for damage! Brands that sell well for me are: Nike, Under Armour, Banana Republic, Ann Taylor, PINK, Coach, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Vera Bradley, DKNY, and similar.

Craigslist has been a great resource for me to find items! Of course you need to use caution as with any online sales site, so it is a good idea to meet in a public place. I have found all kinds of goodies on there and the best was a bag of about 20 Coach, Vera Bradley, Michael Kors, and Fossil bags that I paid $120 for!! Score!! I made my money on all of them times 10!! Most sellers are expecting to negotiate on price so don't be afraid to ask for a discount. If you don't ask...you don't get!!!

Friends closets are a fabulous place to find things. Plus, it helps them make a little cash and get organized as well. Offer to help them go through their things and see what you can sell for them. Then, either give them some fair cash up front, or, give them a percentage of what the item sells for after it is listed. I used to do this when I had my own retail store, but with customers that would walk in wanting to consign items with me. Many of them didn't want to wait 3 months to get their percentage, so I would make a cash offer up front and they would usually take it!

Platos Closet and Uptown Cheapskate are fabulous for finding goodies!! They price things low, but they get even lower as the weeks go by. They also have several baskets of $1 items, whoo hoo! Since these stores are designed around catering to teens, I always have great luck finding women's designer items by Banana Republic, LaCoste, Ann Taylor and similar designers that most teens couldn't care less about! The management took these items in hoping that they would sell, but, they didn't (at least for not what they wanted initially) and I get them for $5 or less!!

This last one may be surprising but I actually do well finding things on Poshmark and eBay to re-sell for more!! I look for brand new sellers and closets, as often times they don't know how to price their items well, or maybe they don't mind making just a few bucks on something that could have sold for much more? Anyway, you can filter your searches on each of these sites to find only the newest items. Do it!!

Sooooo, that is it for now. I am sure there are plenty of other places to find inventory, but these are the ones I use and they work well for me. You will find your own goldmines and learn how to scour them quickly in time. Feel free to leave a comment or question and I will do my best to answer.

Happy Hunting!!!

Score on Home Decor!

People always ask me if I took classes on interior decorating. It's a great compliment. Well, I have never taken classes, but I have certainly studied my fair share of magazines, HGTV episodes, Pinterest, Houzz, and other similar sources. However, so much of what I have in my home is re-used and re-purposed! It's great fun to find treasures at garage sales, thrift stores, and in the many re-sale groups I belong to on Facebook.

I absolutely LOVE Pottery Barn! So, I have tried to create similar looks throughout my house. And, for a fraction of the cost!

The lovely rug in this picture (my Greatroom) is from a site called varagesale.com. They have them in many cities and it's a fabulous way to find items and sell them too! I paid $90 for this giant 9x12 rug in excellent condition. The couch and matching chair/ottoman were $400 on a group called From my House to Yours on Facebook. It was started by a friend of mine, and has really taken off! Anyone can start one in their town. I have even started one for just my neighborhood. The wicker table tray was a garage sale find, and so was the magnolia wreath inside, and the candle holder set. All for $10! The great brushed nickel tall floor lamp was from Lowes at $69, and I used a 10% off coupon from Home Depot which they matched. I also used my Lowes Charge to get an additional 5% off.

The leaf above the fireplace was $2 from a moving sale on Craigslist! The box under the TV was from the same sale for $15! I made the picture canvas on the fireplace mantle myself for about $13. The tall candle holder was $8 on the clearance aisle of Homegoods.

This was $15 and I purchased 2 of them for my hallways. They were also on "From My house to Yours". I love wrought iron art, verses paintings. I also try to keep Eucalyptus in baskets throughout the house. It smells and looks great! The best place to buy it is at Michaels when they have the 40% off coupon (which you can almost always find on your smartphone as there is an actual app for Michaels coupons)!

This is one of my favorite finds! It is an $800 World Market Farm Table that I purchased on Craigslist for $300. The 4 wood chairs were garage sale items (also made by World Market) that I scored for $30 total, yippee! The 2 cute padded chairs on the ends are from Tuesday Morning and were $89 each. I then added the place settings:

The brown dishes were from Big Lots (believe it or not) and cost $25 for a 4 piece place setting. I purchased 2 sets. The risk you take purchasing from there is that they are often discontinued items. I found that out the hard way when I wanted a third set and they were gone! The tropical set by Gibson Elite, was from Bed, Bath and Beyond for $69, but I used my 20% off coupon for an even better deal! The silver napkin rings and the ultra-cool leather place mats are from Pier 1. The silver chargers were from there also. The rings cost $2.50 each and the placemats were $6 each. The chargers were $5 each. I also had a coupon (of course :-))! The cute wicker star basket in the middle was from a thrift store for $4.

This is another great wrought iron piece that I got in my facebook groups for $8. I thought I would hang it on the wall, but just didn't find the right spot. So, I lean it in a corner of the kitchen, with some cute silver Pier 1 frames I got for $1 each at a garage sale. The potted silk plant was $5 from Varagesale.

This is a great touch to any kitchen. I saw it at a friend's house and really liked it. It is from Bed, Bath & Beyond and cost $10.

Kitchen Canisters add so much to a home. I loved these and always wanted them, but wasn't going to shell out $140 for the set! I kept searching Craigslist till I found them. I paid $30 for all 3!! You can also find great deals on eBay for them.

Wreaths are another warm touch to any household. I have made them, but also purchased them. This one came from a local consignment store for $12. I added the burlap bow to it later. It hangs on the pantry door in my kitchen.

This is one that I made for my front door. I had seen a similar one on Etsy for $100! I purchased a completely ugly wreath at a garage sale for $1. I took the ugly flowers off of it and kept the grapevine backing portion. I then went to Michaels and purchased the picks & stems to place in it. It cost me about $30 total and took about 1 1/2 hours.

This foyer look all came from different homes via Craigslist. The gorgeous mirror was $50, the lamp was $15, and the best deal of all was the Pottery Barn Console Table for $85!!

This is my absolute favorite room of the house! Most of it is second hand too.

The great Pier 1 couch was bought on Craigslist for $175.

The 2 chairs were from a furniture consignment store and I repainted them to dark brown. I made the cushions (but didn't do a good job...will try again later :-)).

The brown trunk was $10 from a garage sale. The great tiger rug is a Pottery Barn rug I bought at a garage sale for $5! The birdcage was from a thrift store for $20.

The end tables were brand new in the box from Ikea, but I found them on Craigslist for $30 total. The fabulous lamps were purchased new at Marshalls for $29 each. The exquisite tall palm tree was a $300 item I got for $25 at a moving sale. However, it took weeks to get the smoke smell out of it, AGH!! Well worth it though, especially since I put cute dragonfly lights in it. The adorable bird clock was from Steinmart for $29. I used a coupon (of course). People forget to check out Steinmart for decor but they have great and unique stuff! You can almost always find coupons on your smartphone too!

This is my guestroom. It is mainly taupe and black (a bit minimalist :-)). The bed is a converted baby crib :-)!! I got it, and the mattress/boxspring all for $75 on Craigslist. The 3D artwork above it is from the clearance section of Bed, Bath & Beyond for $9. And, I used a 20% off coupon which made it even less! The side table was $45 on Craigslist. The lamp was $5 at a Salvation Army Thrift Store.

Another small touch of animal print with this great chair I purchased for $75 on Craigslist! The bedding is from Homegoods and Big Lots and cost $65 total. The throw pillow was from a garage sale at $2.

This is the top of my guestroom armoire. I filled it with garage sale and thrift store items that totaled about $30.

This is a great 3-piece shelf set I bought for $10 on "From My House to Yours". As seen in my previous post below, I am making picture canvases, and here is how I used one in my guest bath.

I built my home on a budget. Therefore, I didn't add the multitude of upgrades that the builder tried to sell me. I knew that I would add them later, and for much less money! These are the brushed nickel cabinet knobs they wanted to charge me hundreds of dollars for. I ended up buying them on eBay for $67! That included 27 knobs and 19 handle pulls! There are various vendors on there that sell them. Just make sure they have excellent feedback and lots of previous sales history.

My 2nd favorite room! This is the master bedroom and such a place of serenity for me. The furniture is by Cindy Crawford and purchased on clearance at Rooms to Go 9 years ago. It still looks great. The bedding is a "Bed in a Bag" set from Bed, Bath & Beyond and was $120 (with a 20% off coupon). The off-white coverlet was $5 from a moving sale, but it is by Better Homes & Gardens and I have seen it at Walmart for around $70. It adds a great touch to the bed! Everyone loves the round wrought iron wall art above the bed that I bought for $3 at a garage sale! The ruffle pillows were $10 each at Ross.

I LOVE this window treatment look and had seen it in magazines. However, the short rods were ridiculously expensive! So, I purchased an 8 ft wood rod at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $39.99 (but less when I used my 20% off coupon), and just cut them myself...well, actually a friend did it :-)! I purchased the finial sets for $9.99 each and the bracket sets for $14.99 each (added a coupon) in the clearance section. The 96" lovely sheer curtains were from Homegoods at $19.99 per set. They are made by "Rodeohome" and the color is Ecru. They flow so beautifully when the windows are opened. The taller placement of the brackets is to emulate the look of Victorian Days when they used it to frame the majestic doors in grand estates.

My fab find was this fantastic mirror! It is a giant leaner mirror that retails for over $300! I got it in Savannah at an estate sale for $75 (he wanted $100 but took my offer :-)). Fitting it in a car was a challenge, but we did it!!

I will post more pics soon and add to this. But, by now I am sure that you get the idea. Anyone can have a gorgeous home without spending crazy amounts of money! Just invest the time to navigate nearby sales and the sites I mentioned. Spend a little time reading catalogs and magazines of your favorite design houses, then just do it yourself...for much less! It's such a great feeling of accomplishment, and fun too!!

Craigslist, Garage Sales, eBay, and Thrifts....

Well, I have learned that if I wait long enough, the item I seek will appear on Craigslist. Yes, I know I am not shopping for fashion items (Boo Hoo), but, every now and then I do find something wonderful for my home! Today I found an almost new Chiminea for my back deck, and some great outdoor lawn Christmas ornaments (OK, I know it is only June, but that is the time to buy them cheaply folks)!! Everything was a steal of a price, and a fraction of retail price.

So, what I do on most Saturdays, is go garage sale and thrift shopping. I find treasures and re-sell them on Craigslist and eBay too. I have been selling on eBay for 10 years now. Listen folks, anyone can do it! I have even taught classes at the local college about it. It's not that difficult and we all could use some extra money right?! So, when I don't find something that is a keeper for me, I hunt for potential resale items. I find that baby and kid items always sell well. Also sporting goods. I mainly sell those on Craigslist. The fashion items I end up re-selling on eBay (as long as they are in excellent shape and designer names). Anyone can do this from their home! eBay has excellent beginner tutorials to learn this. Youtube has videos too. There are also tons of community forums on eBay that will help you get started. Check it out!