What Products to Sell?

First Step: Determine What Products to Sell

You may be wondering how to know what to buy. It takes a long time to develop this skill.

Start by seeking items that seem cool to you and also have a brand that you can search. An example would be a 1955 Betty Crocker Cookbook.

You can do an on-line search for similar products before you buy it. Start your inventory by seeking designer brands and items that you feel are a sure thing.

If you have Google Lens on your phone you can easily search by taking a photo with the app.

During this phase, consider the amount of storage space you have. Sometimes it takes a while for an item to sell, so it may sit in inventory for months, waiting for the right buyer.

If you already have knowledge about a specific category of vintage items, this would be a good place to start. If not, consider a few of the following categories of items I have had good success with, such as:

Magnalite roasting pans
Toasters
Waffle irons
Kitchen utensils
Cast iron cookware
Hot rollers for hair
Nightgowns
Robes
Slips
Pantyhose (unused)
Tablecloths
Travel bars
Cookbooks such as Betty Crocker, Better Homes and Gardens, Italian, regional
Tiki bar items
Candlestick holders
Silk scarves
Ski bibs
Frames
Cocktail shakers
Crystal
Blown glass, especially Murano
Train cases
Vases

Condition

Unused condition of vintage items can fetch a lot of money. If it is used, it has to be in excellent to very good condition (with a few exceptions, like the cookbook previously mentioned).

The primary reason for this is people don’t want junk. If something is chipped, cracked, stained, etc., your customer will be disappointed, regardless of your full disclosure in the description.

If you want to be a “Star Seller” it is essential. And, besides, there are plenty of vintage items in great condition, so don’t waste your time.

Speaking of time, take time to closely inspect before you buy. I have bought beautiful crystal vases, only to discover later there was a chip of fine line crack. You can’t sell it like that.

Ease of shipping

The cost and ease of shipping is an important factor. If the shipping is costly, it discourages people from buying. Unless it is very valuable/collectible, you need to veer away from items that are really large or fragile.

For example, a ceramic vase that costs $25 to buy and $20 to ship, people will not spend the money, so it is important to consider the item total with shipping cost.

On the other hand, if it is a crystal bourbon decanter worth $140, one may gladly spend $30 to ship with your extra care and double boxing.

Value/profit margin

Profit margin is key. Remember that there is always a risk the item will never sell.

If you know it is a sure winner, go ahead a pay a bit more.

An example of this is a travel bars. They always sell.

I have a search alert on my Offer Up ap for these. I will drive to buy one because, if it is priced right it is like going to pick up a $50 bill.

I won’t go super far, but maybe there is an estate sale close by and I can combine a trip.

Over time you will build a sense of what consumers want, but before you have honed this sense, don’t spend a lot on things you aren’t sure about.

The thrift store outlet in the desert I described previously sells books for 25 cents. Not a big risk.

That being said, you may be limited in storage space and/or you don’t want to get bogged down with a lot of worthless inventory. Remember, it costs money to list an item and if it doesn’t sell that is money out of pocket.

As I mentioned before, Google Lens is a great, simple tool to see if items are worth buying.

From my phone I go to camera, choose the “lens” option, take a photo, and it automatically gives search results.

Let’s say it is a cookbook. If there are multiple listings for under $10, don’t waste your time. You have a lot of competition and a low chance of selling it because if it was really desirable it would be more expensive and there would be fewer available because people bought them up already.

An example of this is the Ada Boni Italian Cookbook. Forget about why it is so collectable, but I love to cook and bought it for that reason thinking I would just keep it if it never sold. I sold it almost immediately for $40.

The next one I found sold for $48. The last one was in the worst condition and I thought “I actually want to keep this”, so I listed it for $75, and it sold! I paid 25 cents for that cookbook. A sure winner and a great profit margin.