Tidying Up With Marie Kondo is what everyone is talking about these days. My goodness, the Marie Kondo book has just exploded, right?! All because of that Netflix series and before you ask, yes, I watched it.
The chatter is not all positive though. I have plenty of friends who are critics of the organizational guru, but most will agree that this woman has given the world something to talk about – commercialism.
Hey, I fall victim to it all because I am not special. I buy more than I need. I hold onto things “just in case”. You know, just in case I lose 5 pounds. Just in case I go back to a Caribbean island. Just in case we ever get back to that amusement.
The perfect bag for that specific situation. How could I ever let it go? Because when I do, I will need it? Right? Well, the Marie Kondo book says that is the wrong attitude to have and a lot of people are starting to listen.
The Marie Kondo method is simple. She wants the masses to know that if something doesn’t truly bring you joy, you must part with it.
Hold onto only those items that ignite a happy emotion inside of you. And if it doesn’t spark when you pick something up and hold it in your hands, you must get rid of that item.
With this Marie Kondo method, you will be able to edit down your life in no time! This post is not about whether or not this mentality is right or wrong.
This post is about what to do with all the amazing goodies that we can now find in the thrift shops, garage sales, Goodwills, and more – because PEOPLE, it is PILING UP HIGH OUT THERE! Thank you, Marie Kondo!
How To Make Money Thanks To The Marie Kondo Book
I run and operate several eBay stores with my family members and before you ask, no – I will not share their names. The first rule of eBay fight club is you don’t talk about store names.
I am selling old presents, new presents, gifts my husband gave me, my mother-in-law gave me, my children gave me… you catch my drift. You don’t want to see it because then you will get insulted. So, just trust me when I tell you it is happening.
I am a pro seller. I make a healthy living doing it. If I really wanted to, I probably could go full-time but I don’t have an absolute passion for it the way that I do for Lady and the Blog. Maybe when I am older, I will transfer over to becoming a full-time reseller.
For now, I do it as a side hustle and you can too – especially during this “Marie Kondo spark joy” upswing. Great stuff is pouring into all my hot spots and I want to give you a few tips about how to take advantage of each.
If you are a woman trying to make a few extra dollars every week, I hope this post will help you do just that. Marie Kondo book or not – this is my top priority.
How To Buy Goods From A Thrift Shop To Resell
Bring your phone. That’s number one. You think you know prices but you don’t know a thing. I do a lot of reselling of men’s shirts even though I am a female.
I know most blogs will tell you to sell what you know but I HATE selling female clothing. It literally PAINS me to get emails asking me to measure a shirt from armpit to armpit or from elbow to shoulder.
Like what? I don’t have time for that and those are the questions that women ask. Men don’t ask those things. Men want a 16 1/2 neck and that’s that. So, you will find me THERE – with the simple sells.
Even now, I still need to do a quick search to verify what I think I know. I just stand there and search “Robert Graham floral used” just to get an idea of where to start. Whatever your price is, you must think about shipping and fees.
Another great reason why I love mens’ shirts is that I know I can send it via first class mail which equals a fixed fee. I can buffer that into my price and charge free shipping. Buyers LOVE free shipping.
You can choose to go and look at all the trinkets and try to find some gems and score some major WINS. But personally, used clothing rocks! I only sell electronics if they are my own. That’s my personal bet. Everyone can make up their own rules, of course. But I’m trying to tell you what works for me. 🙂
As far as thrift shops are concerned here are some great tips to consider:
- Some thrift shops have loyalty cards – get one!
- Most thrift shops have discount days or days where if you arrive before a certain hour, the entire store is on sale for an additional % off. Try to go on that day only.
- Senior Citizen discount day – I always go with my mom
- Coupons – search the paper or online
- App downloads – include coupons and special membership deals
- Some shops give you a discount if you bring a bag of used items to donate before you head in. Grab ANYTHING, stuff it in a bag and donate before you shop.
There are more and more resellers in thrift stores. So, try to figure out when your store restocks and get there when they do. My store is filled with all young kids – younger than me – doing their thing. I am sure they are all killing it!
If you DO want to check out their trinket aisles, then know what you are getting into. If you suddenly come across Cabbage Patch dolls and you think you hit the JACKPOT, do a quick search before you buy anything.
And don’t search for items that are currently selling – because I can put anything up for a million bucks! You want to search for item prices that have recently SOLD. That’s what I care about.
What are the recent prices for Cabbage Patch Dolls? How much have these gone for in the last month? How many have sold? That’s what I care most about.
(or grab your library card and pick it up there)
How To Buy Goods From Goodwill Warehouse To Resell
I have to be honest with you. I don’t love shopping at a Goodwill Warehouse. The closest one to me is in Queens, right by my childhood home. I’ve only gone once and left just a few minutes after I walked in.
People were literally DIVING in the bins looking for clothes. It wasn’t clear if people were there to resell or if they were there for their own personal use. I felt uneasy about the whole thing because I couldn’t make that distinction.
I felt bad about being in there because I couldn’t make that distinction and so, I left because I didn’t want to take from people who actually needed it. I walked out with just a small handful of clothes and called it a day.
I don’t know if all the Goodwill Warehouses are like this, but reselling is a privilege and I felt in my moments at the Goodwill Warehouse that other people had a right to be there before me and so I stepped out and didn’t give it my time. Haven’t been back since.
I still want to tell you about what I learned though. Just because it is a privilege to me doesn’t mean that it won’t be a necessity to you. They weigh goods. It’s not based on what you take.
It’s based on how much you take. It doesn’t matter if it’s a thousand shirts. If it all weighs under a certain weight, then you owe them a certain amount of money.
When I brought the goods home, I found that most of the clothes I brought home had blood on them. This might not be a typical experience and I can’t say that it is for that location because, like I said, it was my one and only time visiting. But I paid a few dollars for what I took home.
One more note –> The Goodwill Warehouse also only allows a certain amount of people on the floor at a time. I don’t know how many people that is. So, there was a line. We all waited together.
After enough people left the floor, a guard would let more people in and then their shopping would begin. Again, I’m not sure if all Goodwill Warehouses have guards and lines like this – but this was my experience.
How To Buy Goods From Goodwill To Resell
Goodwill, in general, is just like any other thrift store that you will come across. It is a FOR profit store. They are not cheaper than your average thrift store. So, do not feel awkward about going in and buying stuff for your home or to resell. When I first walked into a regular Goodwill store, I was ready for the ultimate bargains and was hit in the head with overpriced markups. I was heavily disappointed.
Mind you, I live in a pretty affluent part of NY. So, I think my Goodwills are marked up for sure. When I watch other people talk about their scores on YouTube (yes I do this), they talk about $.50 finds and mine are more like $12.50. So, I think it really depends on where you live.
How To Buy Goods From A Yardsale
This is your best bet by FAR and I have a feeling that thanks to the Marie Kondo book yard sales are going to be on FIRE this year! I make MONEY at yard sales and it’s actually why I would never ever have one. Yard sales are for hagglers.
Oh my word, bring your quarters because it is the Wild Wild WEST out there. People don’t give a F*&^ when their stuff is on their lawn. They just want it gone. Lilly Pulitzer dress for $4? YUP! Mine. Suits for $8? OK! Ralph Lauren swim trunks for $.50 – I’ll freaking take ALLL OF THEM OMGGGGG.
You want to see me manic? Come with me to a garage sale. I am not even kidding. I get crazy with garage sales and I will travel outside of my neighborhood for them and I go alone because I don’t want my children to see who I become.
And the BOOKS OMG – Sometimes they are like… any book a quarter. A QUARTER! TEXTBOOKS FOR A QUARTER!!! OMGGGGG STAP! If you need a side hustle and you aren’t hitting up yard sales, you aren’t doing it right.
Just a side note about books. I sell books on Amazon. That’s a whole different business and I don’t have the ability to tell you about that right now. But you can sell books on Amazon and make some nice money as a side business, too.
I’m sure plenty of people are giving away their entire book collections thanks to The Marie Kondo Tidying Up Effect. I don’t sell books on eBay. I find it’s much easier on Amazon. I mean – I buy all my books on Amazon. Doesn’t that make sense? I bought the original Marie Kondo book on Amazon when I first read it, after all.
PS, while you are at these yard sales, try to find a copy of the Marie Kondo book!!! LOL
How To Buy Goods From Wholesale To Resell
I’ve done this a few times and blogged about it. I have to be honest with you, I don’t think you should start out doing this right away. In fact, I only added this in to show you that it is an option.
If we are truly talking about The Marie Kondo book, then we don’t have to worry about wholesale because technically, that’s not something that you would get from a secondhand store. Just keep this one in your back pocket.
How To Sell Your Goods On eBay
Here are my top five tips for selling your goods on eBay:
(1) Always be conscious of the shipping weight. If you can’t keep it under a pound, really think about whether or not you can add a least $7 to the cost of the item without the buyer complaining. That’s my rule of thumb.
Priority shipping for 2-3 pounds is about that (roughly). So,I think to myself… can I add $7 to this trinket and still make a profit?
Is all this work really worth $1.25 in profit at the end of the day? NO – then skip it. Under a pound goods are GOLDEN in my book.
(2) Your shipping material matters. If you are truly serious about getting into eBay, you should consider buying your envelopes in bulk.
When I first started, I got everything from the Dollar Store which was COOL, but it really does start to add up. When I got hot and heavy with it all, I started to grab everything online and my bottom line thanked me.
(3) Speaking of your bottom line, track everything. When you first start to sell, you will look at your total on your eBay app and tell all your friends that you made $1000 in your first 60 days but fail to mention that you spent $650 to get there.
Get a spreadsheet system in place and be honest with yourself from the very beginning. Track PayPay expenses, eBay fees, packing fees, shipping fees, and cost of goods.
(4) Be honest with your wording – If it’s used, then say it’s used. I am SO FREAKING HONEST IT ISN’T FUNNY and I think that is why I have so many repeat customers.
I tell them when I tried something on and wore it out once or when I’ve worn something to death but it washes well. Use every descriptive section you have. The more you give the better.
(5) I never auction anything. This is a personal preference. I just set everything to 30 days, pick a price I am happy with, and let it ride. You don’t have to use the auction feature.
Thank You Marie Kondo!
I hope this gives you what you need to get started reselling today. I am happy that the Marie Kondo book is taking over the nation. But what doesn’t work for some people can be an opportunity for others. I am always looking for that opportunity.
If you are a woman looking for ways to support your family while at home, the Marie Kondo book can help you do just that. While everyone else is throwing away their lives, consider swooping it up to help create a new one for you.
A side hustle never hurt anyone – but be sure to do it on your own terms. Do not bite off more than you can chew. You don’t have to buy everything to start an eBay account. Even if you pop up 3 or 4 items, it’s a start.
And not for nothing, you can literally start by selling your own stuff if you don’t have any money to put out into the universe right now. Remember, we all have to move on our own terms. I know this Marie Kondo book started the movement, but we get to decide how we want to dance.
What do you think about the Marie Kondo book? Does it make you want to run out and throw everything away? Or does it make you want to run out and buy everything to resell it? Either way, the Marie Kondo book is making people move.