How Pop-Culture Collectibles Can Increase Your Online Auction Profits

How Pop Culture collectibles can increase your Online Auction profits

With the increasingly competitive environment for products to sell in the online auction arena, sellers are getting more creative as to the items they purchase for re-sale.

While some of the Dutch Auction items that are frequently sold on eBay will always maintain their commodity status and always sell well, Pop Culture collectibles will usually generate a higher profit-per-item simply because of a combination of two forces.

Scarcity and Desirability.

Pop Culture collectibles can run the gamut from a special early edition pair of Levis to a rare Coca Cola collectible.

However, when I discuss Pop Culture items in this article, I will limit the definition to only the types of collectibles that I've managed to have any experience with and that would be T.V., Movie and Toy collectibles.

Obviously, the category of Pop Culture collectibles is much bigger than this limited definition, but in the interests of keeping this a knowledgeable article, I will focus on the limited definition here.

One of my first experiences with Pop Culture collectibles was with a box of unused "The Fonz" posters that I found at an antiques swap meet a few years ago.

I came across this box at a seller's stand. It had one poster taped to the outside of the box and the price tag on the box said $5 each.

I asked the seller "How much are the posters?", not ever assuming that the price on the box was the current price.

The seller replied with "Three bucks each."

Being new to eBay and wanting to experiment, I counted the posters, which were still in shrink wrap material. There were 25 posters in the box. The box looked like it had been loaded and unloaded too many times, but the posters were in perfect condition.

So I asked the seller, "How much for the whole box?"

He asked, "How many are there?"

I told him, "25".

He said, "How about $40 for the box?"

I said, "O.K.", and handed him $40.

I posted an auction for one of the Fonz posters that week. It was a large photo of "The Fonz for Prez", sort of a campaign poster with Fonzie in his traditional Leather jacket, thumbs up and a "Sit on it" button on his jacket.

The auction was set to close on a Sunday, and when I checked it on Friday, it was up to $22 !

I was shocked and happy at the same time.

On Sunday, I took my family out to dinner and got home to see that the auction had closed at an astonishing $42.50 !

That experience was the one that cemented me in the area of Pop Culture collectibles!

I continued to sell the Fonz posters, one at a time (so as not to "flood the market") at prices from the $42.50 high to a low of $12.50.

My estimate for gross sales is somewhere around $450 for that box of posters.

This type of profit exists in the area of Pop Culture collectibles, but it does take some guts to seek out and "gamble" on these types of deals.

I had no idea what the posters were worth when I purchased them, but I had a good hunch, which proved to be correct.

Other Pop Culture deals I've made, most found at antique swap meets:

M.A.S.H. action figures - purchased a box of 28 of them for $50, sold them individually for between $9.00 and $15.50

Star Wars Figures - purchased a box of special limited edition figures for $120 at a regular swap meet, sold the box to a Star Wars dealer for $2,100.

Evel Knievel figure, mint in box, purchased for $10, sold for $115.

Alien 3 movie theater poster (massive, about 4' tall by 12' wide), found at a yard sale for $10, sold on eBay for $50.

Bionic Woman action figure, mint in box, purchased for $30, sold for $85.

In each of these cases, I had no idea what the value was, I just went with my gut. But the fact that they were Pop Culture collectibles made it much easier to take that chance and buy the items.

Another solution many sellers use is to have their spouse at home, ready at the computer to do price research on unknown items!

Armed with a cell phone and a significant other at home doing research, your results will be less of a risk and more fun, too!

About The Author

David Espino is the author of "Beyond eBay - How to build a Home Based Internet business and make more money, working from home"

To receive a FREE sample from this breakthrough book, click here: www.HomeBasedBusinessowner.com

Email: dave@HomeBasedBusinessowner.com

---

What to Sell on eBay - 7 REAL Tips for Finding Successful Products

This question has become one for the ages. There are many answers to it, few of which will actually help you. Today we will give you 7 tips you must keep in mind... Read More

Drop Shipping Is Your Perfect Home Based Business Solution

Drop Shipping Is Your Perfect Home Based Business SolutionDrop shipping is one of the greatest businesses to operate from home. With drop shipping you sell another company's products, use their warehouse and shipping... Read More

The Secret To Real eBay Success

Q. I hear so much about people who started selling on eBay and eventually turned it into their full time business. Is it really possible to build a profitable business just selling junk... Read More

eBay The Mega Marketplace For Everyone

eBay is one of the world's largest market places with over 35 million visitors per day. That first sentence is worth repeating because I want you to realize that eBay gives you the... Read More

Your Auction Headline Or Title - The Most Important Part Of Your Auction

The words you select to describe your item will have a tremendous impact on the final price it receives or if it receives any bids at all. This is because no matter how... Read More

How To Write a Traffic Pulling eBay Auction Title

Selling an item on eBay should be simple but it is surprising how many people make some very silly mistakes.As a buyer this is fantastic, you can pick up some absolute bargains by... Read More

Before You Sell On Ebay, Take The Most Important Step

If you want to earn a full-time income selling on Ebay, you must take the first and most important step in all successful business ventures: you must accept that it is possible.This probably... Read More

Selling on eBay - Have You Found the Magic Formula Yet?

Selling on eBay can be very profitable and a great way to make some cash while clearing your house of unwanted items at the same time. It's quite simple, just describe and photograph... Read More

12 Tips To Make Your eBay Business More Profitable

Sometimes it's the simple things that can make your eBay business more profitable and run smoother. Here are twelve things you can do that will lead to more sales and increased profits on... Read More

The Powerful eBay Bidding Strategy That Claims A 99% Success Rate

Don't you just love it?You've found that special item on eBay that you've just got to have!No If's Ands or Buts, you've got to win that item.You've checked and double checked the "End... Read More

How To Make Money Online : Sell On eBay

Selling on eBay can be very profitable, and is a great way to make some extra cash, or even turn it into a full-time business.If you're retired, or a stay at home Mom... Read More

Taking Paypal on eBay

Accepting Paypal as a payment method might increase your selling prices and your profits. This depends on what you are selling. I sell collectibles to collectors. My clients are like junkies. They will... Read More

How to Generate Extra Cash in an Instant

With so many out of work, laid off or staying in dead end jobs to make the ends meet, we need creative ways of generating extra income. Here are a few simple, innovative... Read More

eBay: What Should I Sell?

There is an art to picking profitable products. It's not just what you want to sell but rather what will sell. Unless you pick a product in demand in the marketplace, you will... Read More

eBay: Dont Believe All the Hype

Three billion dollars (that's billion with a "B") in revenues, 135 million users, millionaires all over the place at eBay! Yeah, eBaby!!!, to steal a line form another great author. (See "EBay: No... Read More

The Drop Shipping Business

You have suddenly found the perfect business and you are all geared up to make lots of money. You have see the ads about Drop shipping and it sounds great.Well of course it... Read More

Low Cost, High Profit Dream Products To Sell on eBay and Amazon

Finding quality products to sell is the key to continuing success. Keeping a pipeline of low cost, fast moving items to sell is also a must. Sometimes it takes weeks of searching to... Read More

eBay Bargain Hunting - Spell Your Way To Success!

Have you ever wondered how identical items can fetch such widely differing prices on eBay? Or why some items fail to receive any bids at all?Sometimes it is a matter of luck, or... Read More

Online Auctions: The New Way of Shopping for Mauritians

Since their introduction several years ago, online auctions, such as eBay, have been one of the hottest destinations on the World Wide Web. Auction sellers are attracted by the prospect of a broad... Read More

Garage Sales, Flea Markets, and Special Events... Oh My!

The activity chart is an ingenious way to find, in order, events happening in your community throughout the day. Plug in 'www.noonernight.com' on your computer or cell phone and retrieve lunch specials, happy... Read More

Killer Tips To Succeed With eBay Auction

For just a moment, try to comprehend the power of the Internet. Every day, there are millions of people from around the globe "surfing the web."People run their business from the Internet, search... Read More

From Ebay Zero to Power-Selling Hero: Using Feedback Effectively

When I talk about feedback to new Ebay sellers, I usually compare it to having one note posted on the door of a brick-and-mortar business for every transaction. At almost any business--no matter... Read More

What Ebay Can Teach Us About Success

I flew back to New York from Atlanta a few weeks ago and picked up 'Business 2.0' magazine for the flight.It was an excellent issue, but something so grabbed my attention that I... Read More

E Bay.com HTML Auction Templates: Which is Best for Ebay Selling?

There are a plenty of free e bay.com free auction template services out there and I would like to help you find the service that will best suit your needs by comparing what... Read More

The Webs Best Online Auction Sites

The best online auction links for buyers and sellers are - not surprisingly - eBay, eBay and eBay. eBay began the entire wacky world of online auctions back on the Labor Day weekend... Read More

How To Sell On Ebay & Keep Your Shirt

Have you ever been delighted after a huge sale on Ebay. . .only to find out that your massive profit margin was whittled away by fee after fee after fee after fee?Ebay charged... Read More

Instructions on How to Put Picture on Ebay

Like many folks, you have heard of online auctions. Heck, even non-computer users have heard of Ebay. Everyone starts out as a bidder. The brave move on to be sellers. Little, by little,... Read More

eBay Listing Service : Make Managing Your Auctions Easy

Do you want to have a lot of auctions going but don't have time to keep track of them all? Trust me, you're not alone. With more and more people making significant portions... Read More

How Do You Find A Reliable Dropshipping Source?

A Dropshipper is someone who will anonymously send the goods you order to your customer! There are no markings on the box and no invoices enclosed! Finding a reliable dropshipper can prove to... Read More