I was raised by a Hippy/Gypsy single mom who made her living at the flea market, antique and crafting shows. I spent my summers in the back of a rented U haul or crammed in the front seat of her Ford LTD station wagon. Always hoping for that next day would be the nirvana she was looking for. Now I am looking to bring back the nostalgia of those carefree days and reconnect with a mother long since passed. In the 2000’s she was drawn to eBay, and was a reseller, so when I started looking for a new hobby, I figured I would go back to my roots, So come with me on this adventure….
Great video, cjbenzfinds. Looking forward to your next upload! I smashed the thumbs up button on your content. Keep up the fantastic work. Your insights on pricing strategies were spot on! How do you recommend balancing competitive pricing with maintaining profit margins in a fluctuating market?
Came here for that handsome bearded guy! Thanks babe, I totally know that you’re just waiting until the last minute to make me do your tax prep. That’s why I think I can steal all your good fantasy books you were planning on selling. It’s only fair!
Good episode today guys. Great to see Alex on the podcast. I am enjoying the guest format because each guest brings his or her individual experience to light. Since I have been following Alex, book reselling hasn't been so foreign to me. I used to think it wasn't a lucrative niche, but he has certainly proven me wrong on that point. Good job, Alex. Mike from NY
I love Bob Newhart. Funny, dry humor. Kinda like you, Benz. For those of you who remember, his classic stand up bit was him talking on the telephone, one sided. You never heard what the other person was saying, but it was hilarious. He kinda incorporated that bit on the first sitcom, named "The Bob Newhart Show", to be distinguished from the second, titled just "Newhart". But what does this all have to do with reselling? Nothing much, unless you happen to have a copy of his first album titled "The Button Down Mind of Bob Newhart", which as Jefferson correctly stated reached #! on the Billboard charts in 1960 the year it was released. Incidentally, it was the 20th best all time seller on Billboard. You go, Bob! Now here's where I tie it in to reselling. If you happen to have a copy of the LP, on eBay, it could fetch upwards of ---wait for it----a whopping 9 bucks!! Oh well, although Bob doesnt do well in the second hand market, he is a fond memory to me and one of the original genius talents in the comedy genre. Good pick or pass episode guys, also. Looking forward to seeing Alex the Beard King Picker in the next show. He's a great guest, talk about dry humor. Very funny. Mike from NY
Yes, Joel. I have been after him every day. Getting nap counts, pool dip counts, and listing counts. I'm doing my part, now the rest is up to him. You go, Benz! In the meantime. I have been very busy being a RU-vid "celebrity" lol. Since I was on your show, I have appeared on 'Flipping Aint Easy'. and the Reseller Locker Room. See what you started? All kidding aside, its been pretty cool. Thanks for the jumpstart. Much appreciated Also, Last weekend I was pre-occupied with my own garage sale, where I netted 600 bucks. Not bad. Also. I am organizing the meet-up in Las Vegas in October. The bad news is that I have only listed a dozen or so items in the last week and a half. No bueno. But sales havent been too bad, but Im now waiting for the shoe to drop. The good news is that I was back on the yard sale trail this weekend, and have a bunch of new inventory to list. This week. I kill it with the listing. not as many as Jeffersons 100 (humpff) . You guys are doing real good. Teal star for Joel WOO-HOO! Way to go, brother. And your sales sound good too. Jefferson, sorry to tell you, but its not proper to send car parts vis eBay standard envelope. It was originally for cards, postcards, etc. And they recently added patches . But that's it. But you know that. You just said it. another good episode guys. see you next week. Mike from NY
@@mikemetco1966 well 503 for the week so 100 per day is possible but a bit to much to maintain I think. Thanks for the words of encouragement and helping keep me on track this week.
It is because ebay is making the money you are trying to make. This started years ago when they created a sales department and kept analyzing their data for higher and higher gouging values. So they watch what you buy and value and then increase the price in the background and based on your determined IP location (cost of living). Hence the price is tailored to get the most from you for ebay, not so much the seller I think. Maybe they benefit but not when they get no sales. So pretending to live in the poorest country usually show the best prices in all eCommerce stores online. The technique has migrated. So it is now making online shopping more expensive than in store.
So how's our favorite full-time reseller doing? Hitting that listing goal? 100 a day is pretty lofty, so close is quite an accomplishment, which I happen to know you did do. Way to go. Benz. Important statistical question: So what is the current nap to to list ratio? lol. Joel, so when are we gonna see the mess behind the curtain? Can't be any worse that my mess, and I don't have a curtain. Good episode guys. Thank you. Mike from NY
Dips in the pool,,,coffee by the patio,,,,and how many naps did you say you had? Boy, I want a full-time reseller job like you, Jefferson. Where do I sign up? LOL I think that 34 listings on your first day is commendable. Now you know what you are capable of, and it can only grow from there. Once you get your routine down (between swimming and coffee breaks, of course), you will probably be able to do 50 or more consistently. A couple of suggestions. from one full-timer to another: First. set a dollar amount goal for each day in addition to a number of listings to assure a good ASP for your store. Secondly. and this one is important. particularly for me. is to set up a schedule for WHEN you will list. I would do it after you ship. and before you do anything else. Any other tasks and any rabbit hunting comes later on. I used to do all my crap first during the day. and next thing I noticed was that it was 10 pm, and all I listed at that point was 3-4 DVDs. You get the idea. Establishing processes and schedules. and sticking to them is key to keeping focused now that you have all the time in the world to conduct your business. Cause. if you don't, somehow there will never be enough time to get anything done. Spoken from experience, believe me. BTW, Ben invited me to come on the Reseller Locker Room this week, so check it out. I owe it all to you guys, since I established my confidence when I was on your show, Thanks again. Finally. wish me luck. I am having my annual "Blow-Out-All-My Unlistable-Merchandise" yard sale tomorrow and Sunday. Gotta do it. My entire shed is filled with yard sale stuff with no room for inventory. Nitches into bitches! Yeah, go baby. Mike from NY
I will just like to correct at least too things. 1. Skylanders did not came out in the 90s I don’t know what made you think about that, but that should’ve been obvious 2. Early wave figures are actually more cheep. Late wave figures will usually have much more value. Next time please do research and don’t use Ai
Wow, I'm sorry your new job got put on hold. I remember you were talking to Jessica and me about job stuff! I think the hardest thing is to stay focused on your listing goal, and if you can do that, you can achieve it, but at the very least, you will realize that maybe your goal needs adjusted. Best of luck, I will be excited to hear how it goes!
Hey guys, another great episode. i learned a few things regarding packing, which is my favorite aspect of selling. So always happy to find another tip or two. My take on eBay adding the tax on the final value fee is that it sucks, but a way to make it more palatable is that I wouldn't want to have to calculate the tax myself. That would involve having to have tax rate tables for each of the 51 states. This would be a real pain to deal with. So to have them do it for me, I consider it a service charge for the convenience. Thats not to say that they couldn't do it for free for us. But this IS eBay we are talking about. On the news front, I wonder if eBay will follow suit on Etsy's new policy to factor shipping costs in the search ranking. They probably will eventually. My shipping cost model would benefit from this change. Personally, I do not use eBays new feature to pass on the sellers shipping cost to the buyers, but what I do is that when I plug in the shipping details on an item, I reduce the weight by a couple pounds, and sometimes reduce the dimensions. This way, the shipping costs are less to the buyer, and I never have to pay more for shipping than the buyer pays. So if eBay factors in shipping costs in the search ranking, I think I would be ahead of the pack. The reason I do not click on "buyer gets sellers discounted rates" button is because this would be a loss since it doesnt take into account the fees they take out for shipping. One could add a handling cost on the sale, but I don't think this is a good look for the buyer to see. Keep up the good work, and thanks for the content. Ramble on. Mike from NY
Bro the 40 year old vaping on a call talking about hustling? Just get your life together. Get a job, get a skill, learn a trade, do a coding boot camp, literally anything.
Hi, gentlemen. Another good episode. I just love pick or pass. I think a live stream is a great idea. It's a 2 for 1 deal. After the live you get another one you can publish as a pre-recorded episode. And, yes, I would love to be on one. I always buy anything on a blister pack. They are super-fast listers, and equally easy to ship. I also use the 'look up to furthest zone for free shipping' method, but I usually reduce the cost by a few bucks, so as to not alienate the buyers furthest away. and it always averages out. And 2 added bonuses. Ebay's algorithm loves it, and so do the buyers. Would definitely love to see a listing video, 100 items is ambitious, but I am sure you can do it. And i will learn how to do the same (or maybe 50-60, which would be a definite improvement for me). I don't think it would slow down your listing speed, if you just turn on the camera and let it rip. The only thing that would change is that you will be talking thru it. One question though, Benz, can you walk and chew gum at the same time? lol. Just checking. I'm curious, how long do you think the video would be? Maybe for marketing purposes, you could break it down into a few episodes. Damn!! I used to love camping. Thanks, Jefferson. Let's all get better together. Good quote, Joel Mike from NY
Happy birthday, Joel and happy anniversary also. One year down, and the rest of your life to go. Very lofty goals. Jefferson. Good luck.!! As Joel said, if you reach it, or come reasonably close, I will come back on the show and bow at the feet of the new "guru". Pro tip for going incognito. Use a VPN to change your IP address, and Goodwill will never find you again. That dollar offer guy was the funniest thing I ever heard, and Jeffersons solution was purely inspirational! Quick update on my new found career as "RU-vid guest". I have been invited to come on the Reseller Locker Room podcast. Probably next week. I owe it all to you guys. Thanks. And a compliment to Joel. For someone who just has 1 year experience on eBay, you have quite a handle on the platform. Your insights and suggestions on how to navigate thru all the aspects of the site is quite impressive. Jefferson, you are kinda savvy also. Keep up! Lol (just kidding, bro. Love ya both). Mike from NY
Thank you both for the chance to come on your show. It was a blast. And, thank you, Joel for building me up, although I don't think I deserve the title "guru"- but I am working on getting there. Also, my typical sales are not quite what you reported. I wish I did that well. Just want to be transparent. But I do wish to convey to your viewers that with some consistent effort, you can make some good money. My average 90 day total is between 15-18K (Once I got up to 20K, but I happened to sell some high priced items during that period). My net profit is generally about 60%, so that works out to about $120 per day, 7 days a week. Not bad for a side hustle, doing it part time. AND ANYONE CAN DO IT. Glad you received a lot of comments on that show, but it wasn't because of my magnetic personality. lol, I did a little to help that along. I was so excited to be on that I asked all my friends to watch the show. One of those comments was my own, and I did respond to some of the other commenters, so this is why it was what it was. Moral of the story: promotion always helps whether it be reselling or social media. Thanks again for a fun time. I did come across a bunch of Hummels once, and they didn't sell for great money {between $15-20 each), and I did have to sit on them for a long time. But they all eventually sold. Collectables aren't what they once were, and you have to wait for the right buyer to come along. I did find one such buyer, and he bought a bunch of them. Another in this category is Norman Rockwell figurines. Be careful with these collectables, such as Franklin Mint and Danbury Mint items. Buy low and be prepared to have them on the shelf for a while. Mike from NY
Hello, I saw your RU-vid channel, a very nice video on your channel, I really enjoyed it. Your beautiful videos should reach more people. You must have put a lot of effort into making the videos. You are giving so many videos but the views are not getting. Due to not seo properly, your channel videos are not reaching the right audience organically. You need to optimize your channel and do video SEO to reach your target audience. If you do the SEO of your videos properly then the views of your videos will increase. Videos will rank organically. Your channel will also grow and subscribers will increase.
Loved this episode gentlemen!! And Mike, brother, hearing your story was so awesome!! I wish we would have had more time to talk during the 127. Looking forward to hanging out with all of you in the future!! Jefferson, it was interesting hearing about the AI content creation. I had watched a couple of yours and was wondering what you were using. Take care fellas!!
Thanks for viewing the show, Josh. It was a lot of fun. Yes , I do agree with you that we didn't have enough face time together at the 127 - even though we did talk for a couple of hours. Could have talked for days and days. I think we speak each oyhers language. But we will, for sure. That's why God invented the future. Would love to see you and Caleb over at the little meet-up I'm organizing in October. We sure could use a good cook for the event! lol
Hey, Alex. Glad you liked it. Yes. I have a sneaking suspicion that all 3 of us will be there next year. I know Benz and I are coming back, and after telling Joel about all the great times we had, he might show up as well. I think you, Ben, Shane and Chris have created a monster in Crossville. After the ball we all had there this year, I think we will have twice as many next year.
Thanks, Jason. Awesome meeting you at the 127 as well. You really blew me away with all your knowledge about reselling. I wish I could have picked with you all week, but the 2 days that I did, I learned SO much. Thank you, brother.
WOODY! My brother from another mother! Very cool for you to drop in to see me on Joel and Jeffersons show. You really touched me, dude, when we met at the highway sale. Your sincerity and warmth, (mixed in with your natural hillbilly humor) was a pleasure to behold. Gonna holler at ya real soon, bro.
Joel and Jefferson. Thank you both SO much for giving me the opportunity to come on your podcast and tell my story. It was very cool. For those of you who know me. I have always been hesitant to appear on camera. But being on your show, and recently being on the Reseller Locker room live from Crossville certainly has cured me of that. It is so much fun, and I didn't die as a result of it as I said during the show {Really didn't know what I was thinking}. Being at all these meet-ups and getting to know all the content providers, I have had a lot of opportunity to come on some of their shows, but always respectively declined. Well, the fear is now gone, and I surely will take the next opportunity to appear the next time I am asked. The reseller community ROCKS! Speaking of meet-ups. you Joel, suggested that the three of meet on your turf in NC. Great idea, lets plan on it. I'm always available. Thanks again for a truly rewarding experience. Mike from NY
Miiiikkkkkeeeee!!! I wondered what your trade was before you retired, I don't know why I didn't just ask you over the multiple days we were hanging out LOL What a cool story!! Hiiii Jefferson!!! It was so fun meeting and hanging with you both, maybe Joel can come next time!! The meetup was beyond fun, better than I expected! Still watching, and I need to go back and check out previous episodes too! Thanks for sharing!
Hi, Mary. So, my secret is out. Thanks for watching the episode. It was fun, and much less scary than I thought. Jefferson and Joel were great hosts. I am no longer skittish about being on RU-vid. Can't wait to see you and Joe next year in Crossville. BTW, I am organizing a meet-up in Las Vegas in October. It would be great if you could come. And, yes, we are all working on Joel to join us next year. Thank you for supporting the Pocket change podcast. It is one of my favorite shows. Mike
@@mikemetco1966 yes it is! 😀 I’m still watching, and you are doing great! I totally understand being skittish but am glad you’re getting past it!! My uncle has been wanting me to come to Pahrump, which is an hour from Vegas, so definitely keep me posted!! 🤗
Happy anniversary, guys, I should have baked a cake. Hard to believe that a year has passed. Great time on the last podcast, enjoyed it a lot. Thanks for the opportunity. I have always resisted buying plates and glassware- most not worth listing, and too fragile. But recently I learned a few brands and came across some in the wild. The thing is, they are usually dirt cheap. I picked up a bundle of Wedgewood plates- about 10 plates - for 2 bucks all in. They comped out between 9.99 to 24 bucks a piece. Who knew? Moral of the story, become familiar with a few of the better patterns, then comp them before you buy. And as far as the shipping? Not really a challenge, Just bubble wrap individually, then tape them all together, wrap the whole thing in cardboard (or double box), and they will arrive safely. Mike from NY
I think Benz' shift towards higher-priced items is a real good idea. In my opinion, and from my experience, those items that sell for $15 or under have been an anchor to my sales. At one point I had quite a few of those in my store and sales were sluggish. I started purging them and sales definitely picked up. Now I try not to list anything for under $15. The added benefit to this is when i process the sale I know i will be making at least $10 profit. Unless you are selling cards, for example, which slip into an envelope, the effort to box up an item and then make only a couple of bucks isn't worth the time.. Just my opinion. If a business model works for you, then keep on doing it. Mike from NY
Celebrity? Main guru? Top dude? Budda of Reselling? Thanks for all the accolades, Joel, but I don't think so. I'm none of those, to be sure, but nice of you to say so, anyway. So, I was just getting comfortable about coming on your show, but after all that buildup, I am having my reservations. How can I live up to that introduction?? {Just kidding. I am looking forward to being on with you guys next week). I am your biggest fan, and always look to support you however I can, so if I can get past my comfort zone and come on, maybe I can contribute in some small way. Jefferson can tell you that I am very shy in front of the camera and have always respectively declined any invites to appear on the RU-vid. But last week at the 127, the Reselling Locker Room guys invited me to come on their live podcast right from the meet-up. Being such a friendly and supportive environment, it was so hard to refuse them. So, I put om my big boy pants and finally agreed to come on. And guess what? I didn't die, and actually it was pretty cool. This helped build up my confidence. BTW, Benz also was on the podcast, and he was great! Good appearance. Now he is the real pro, not me. Anyway, that said, I am looking forward to coming on your show. Probably won't have any "guru-like" words of wisdom to impart, but it will be fun for sure. Thats the main thing, after all. Thanks for the opportunity. Mike from NY PS: I just realized that I spoiled the surprise guest thing, but maybe its for the better. Wouldn't want your viewers to think that Craigslist Hunter or Hairy Tornado or someone like that would be the guest. No pros, just me.
Nice pick on the Ray Bans, Jefferson. A bit better than the mugs, for sure. I agree about yard sales being the best source. Some better than others, but generally the sellers arent pros and dont know the value of their goods. So good bargains available. When we were at the 127 highway sale the Tent City vendors were terrible. All overpriced, no one was willing to bargain. They were all pros. We did find some interesting items, but we werent visiting museums, we were sourcing. The yard sales were much better opportunities. Mike from NY
Yes the tent city’s were cool but overpriced for us. I think if you are niched and know more than the dealer you have a chance unfortunately I am an everything person so I fond a few throng there but no bangers.
Fun episode. You guys were "Cuckoo for Coco Puffs" on this one. Flying termites, dirty innuendos, edits that didnt get deleted after all, the typical technical difficulties that added to the fun, and Benz's credo.." we want to stay consistently crappy"..lol. All in all, just another typical episode of Pocket Change . .Mike from NY
Benz at 1:55. "Thats how i did my first drilling," Highly irreverant, sir...and hilarious. Joel, how do you put up with this knucklehead? Lol Jefferson for the win with the weiner, no actually a greyhound. Way to go, you have redeemed yourself. Good job! Regarding those Wheaties boxes, I got suckered into it as well as i thought they were valuable At least i got them down from $8 each to five I bought 4 and I'm still sitting on them Mike takes an L for that one. Jefferson on the underware " ill wear them for you and increase the price" EEeWww, Joel cant you keep your partner in line? (Dont you dare! Very funny). See you on the next one. Thanks guys. Mike from NY
