Vintage Needlework Kits Sell Well on eBay

Yard Sales Are Good Sources For eBay Items

I started selling on eBay in the latter part of 2013. Once I had sold everything lying around my house I realized that I needed a new source of items to sell on eBay. The consensus from my online research was that yard sales and estate sales were great sources to find things to resell. Many people don't know what a goldmine they actually have in their homes and sell stuff inexpensively. I particularly like going to yard sales given by groups of people such as the Boy Scouts or at churches because lots of people bring their items there, and you can find a lot more variety than at just one yard sale put on by one family.

My Boy Scout Sale Find

One of the items I found out sells well are needlepoint kits, especially vintage ones by the Janlynn and the Bucilla Company that have not been opened. Shortly after reading this online, I went to a Boy Scout yard sale. There were lots of great items there and I was quite excited to find 9 items I liked. The way most of the Boy Scout sales I have been to work is that you find what you want, bring it to a checkout table and ask how much. They give you a reasonable price. The lady quoted me $10 and I happily paid. Because it was more like a donation to a charity than a purchase, I didn't haggle a price with her like some people do at yard sales. At $10.00 for 9 items that made the cost of each item I bought come out to $1.11. One of the items I bought was a Janlynn Needlepoint kit (above). I was excited to get it home and see how much it was going for on eBay. I didn't have a SmartPhone so couldn't check the prices there. I listed it for $24.95 for a 7 day auction, and was disappointed when it didn't sell in the first two weeks. The third week I dropped the price to $19.95 and it sold immediately. That was a profit of $18.84 minus about 15% for eBay and Paypal fees, brought me a profit of about $15.84. I didn't do much work for it, and it was easy to ship in a padded envelope. If I had waited it out and just let it sit in my eBay store, I am sure I could have gotten more for it.

Checking Out Antiques Stores in The South

The next amazing deal I got on a needlepoint kit was in an antiques store. Usually one might think that an antiques store has high prices. I have found that the price of antiques in the South is less than what one would pay in an antiques store in New England. Shortly after moving to Georgia from Connecticut, I found an antiques store in October with about 12 different rooms of goodies. I saw a needlepoint kit for a Christmas stocking by Bucilla and although the price was $12.50 I thought that with Christmas coming, it might go for a higher amount. I was thrilled when the clerk told me that everything in that seller's stall was 25% off that week. That made the purchase price $9.37, and you can bet I was excited.

I took it home and saw that there was a varying range of prices for these stockings so I listed it again at $19.95, with a "buy it now" price of $39.95. It sold within two days of the listing for $39.95! Then I got a message from the buyer saying she wanted to complete this stocking for her grandson by Christmas so she would appreciate it if I could ship I out as soon as possible. You can bet I sure did! Christmas items go very well on eBay especially in the Fall. The amount of profit I made on the stocking, minus purchase price and eBay and Paypal fees was $24.58. People would have to work 2.5 to 3 hours in most minimum wage jobs in order to earn that money. With a keen eye and a knack for doing research and finding the right items, it is possible to have a blast and make good money on eBay.

If you are interested in following along to see the items I buy at thrift stores and yard sales to resell, please feel free to do so, or leave comments about your deals on eBay as well.