By popular demand at SteemFest, I'm happy to share more items I've obtained for free by freecycling/upcycling/recycling on the curbs of my neighborhood, and recently sold for income.
I was away for 8 days with my store virtually closed, so sales below were very slow. Consider this a warmup. I have thousands to show, but I'll get to those in upcoming weeks. Stay tuned.
My Goals:
- Help the environment.
- Help people identify items of value before throwing them out.
- Help people realize that a non-working item still has several valuable parts.
- Encourage people to repair items before giving up on them.
- Help people save money by buying valuable items at a discount.
- Earn rewarding income.
Because I've done this for years, I have a trained eye to be efficient on the curbs around my neighborhood. I often see the same things again and again, so it becomes second-natured. Don't kick yourself if you've tossed something you could've sold. Look forward to applying these principles in the future.
I'm also proud to say that the majority of my shipping boxes, mailers and packaging are recycled. Anything else is obtained for free from postal carriers or promotions.
For those new to my story, I quit my job at a global bank 3.5 years ago to thrift and recycle for a living. I haven't looked back since. The freedom and gratification from helping the environment and others is priceless.
See below and get inspired! Vacuum parts seemed to be so hot right now, Hansel.
Dollar amounts are revenue before fees and shipping.
The Finds:
Orthopedic Back Brace - $90
Motorized Vacuum Brushroll - $62
Electric Vacuum Hose - $53
Vacuum Brushroll - $46
6 Pieces Of Lego Duplo Replacement Parts - $39
Textbook - $35
Vacuum Power Wand - $35
Vacuum Hose - $30
Floor Scrubber Brush Block - $25
Vacuum Brushroll - $20
$435 Revenue / 10 Items = $43.50 average revenue per sale (not a bad clip for free stuff)
Going to throw that valuable stuff out?
Not in my house!
Keep in mind that I'm also selling thrift store finds at the same time. I haven't been posting on those for a while, but I'll also ramp those up with a fresh audience from SteemFest.
Recent Posts:
- 20 recycled items saved and sold for $930
- 10 recycled items saved and sold for $620
- 10 recycled items saved and sold for $1,068
- $185 dental machine repaired and sold to a school
- Limited edition electronic sewing machine found and repaired to sell
- Le Creuset pot restored and given to a friend for free - part 1
- Le Creuset pot given to friend who gave me a $2,850 luxury suitcase as a surprise in return - part 2
Thanks for reading and your support! Please share any thoughts or questions below, and follow for more.
Throwing away money is what people do. It's crazy. Love these posts man.
nice finds!
CC'ing @gank as I know that he was working with similar findings from flea markets...
Thanks a lot. These are just some recent filler items while I get myself back in order after SteemFest. I have some ridiculous finds to share, even from thrifting. I posted a bit on this about a year ago, but will rerepost the better ones since they got lost on the minnow sea floor.
So many vacuum accessories. What do people in your neighbourhood do to vacuums? :|
On second thoughts, I don't want to know!
Vacuums are a major source of income for me. These people toss out high end units that have several parts that constantly sell in the $50-$125 range. Miele and Electrolux are the most common top brands here, and Shark parts sell like water in the middle tier.
I have a bunch in the queue to list once I get back on my local schedule here. I could sell them as a complete vacuum set, but it's more profitable to sell them as parts. Most vacuums are perfectly fine, but just have a clog in them. Worst case, maybe a hole in the hose... plenty of reason to toss them right?
Duct tape! :D
Amazing what can be done for the environment with a little bit of elbow grease to bring things back to life.
I'm very impressed Matt. Do you sell them via your own website or via eBay? Can you share your link with me?
Thanks, this is one of the lighter posts I've made. Stay tuned for more. I usually just sell on eBay, but do also sell on Craigslist when it makes sense. Good to see you active again.
cool!
do they already work? or you fix the finds often?
I was able to test all of the items above, where applicable. I fix things whenever it's possible or practical. If I can't fix them, I take them apart and sell them in logical pieces. If something is not broken, but I can't test it, I sell it "as is" for "parts/repair" as at discount to be safe with expectations.
true true! can't risk money on something that might not even get sold!