Today it was all 9 Series 3 mixels (NiP) New in Packaging.  Buy in was 27.02 and sale price was $90.  After sales and shipping expenses of $21.97 the return was $41.01 for ROI of 152%.

Also, 75092 NAboo starfighter (75092) Buy in was 33.38 on 12/17/2015 for $110.  After shipping and sales expenses of $28.34 the return was $48.28 for an ROI of 145%.  

 I need to sell seven sets still to have sold 10% of the collection (by set quantity) of NIB sets  

Let's do one @legoray01-style:

41318 Friends Hospital via FBA: $299.99 sale price, $41.08 buy-in after tax. No shipping costs (okay, it was part of a 300 SKU shipment that cost me $70 to send to 3 different Amazon FCs, so let's call it $1 shipping), had it in Amazon's warehouse for 2 months, so that's another "virtual" $1 in storage costs, $55.54 FBA costs, for a total net profit of $201.36, or 490% ROI. Bought in June of 2018, so about a 2 year hold.

Legoray01 style 

76022 X-Men vs. Sentinel Buy in was 22.51 on 2/5/16.  Sold for $75 and after expenses of 19.85 the return was 32.64 for an ROI of 145% 

75045 Republic AV-7 Anti Vehicle Cannon with a buy-in of $31.80 on 7/11/15.  Sold for $185 and after expenses of 34.14 got a return of 119.06 for an ROI of 374%  

 

The first sales from the upcoming garage Sale (starts tomorrow but my neighbor gets in early - she knows a guy!)  THe garage looks something like this...

21118 The Mine from Minecraft series purchased on 1/30/2016 for $70.48 and sold for $148.  No selling expenses so a return of $77.52 for an ROI of 110%

75953 Hogwart's Whomping Willow purchased on 12/27/2019 for $37.10 and sold for $55.  No selling expense so a return of $17.90 for an ROI of 48%

75951 Grindelwald's escape purchased on 12/20/19 for $19.95 and sold for $17.00 No selling expense so a return of .05 for an ROI of +0

I knocked off a few dollars on the deal because she is literally my next door neighbor and she has spent $200 plus every year for the last four.  

Two more sets to sell and i have cleared 10% of the collection this year 🙂  

IF you have been looking at some of my other posts here I am moving across multiple states next year to a home with a lot less storage space.  started the year with 1350 sets across seven pallets in the basement.  I have taken the view that selling is a lot easier and more practical then moving seven pallets.  Would much prefer it to be four.  My wife still questions my definition of practical.  

 

how well do you do in a garage sale scenario? I just assume most folks who go garage saleing are bargain hunters and want to negotiate you down as far as possible. 

15 minutes ago, MotorCityMuscle said:

how well do you do in a garage sale scenario? I just assume most folks who go garage saleing are bargain hunters and want to negotiate you down as far as possible. 

I've done well, but you've got to advertise the heck out of it on FB Marketplace etc.  Neighborhood or community garage sales have always done better.

6 minutes ago, MotorCityMuscle said:

how well do you do in a garage sale scenario? I just assume most folks who go garage saleing are bargain hunters and want to negotiate you down as far as possible. 

I have done this sale for a number of years.  Last May (2019) I sold 113 sets for a total of $4100 .  This will be the biggest one I ever do according to selection.  400 plus sets (120 different star wars)  I have a reputation now as the lego guy but I am also the garage sale coordinator for the neighborhood so the press ads lead with Lego.   I carpet bomb the neighborhood entrances with signs and provide ample direction to get to my place.  I cover face book market place and Craigslist.  The key, I believe is location, selection and pricing - I have the location (Troy, MI - suburb of Detroit well entrenched upper middle class, lots of traffic around the sub.)  Selection - give them something so out of the ordinary from a garage sale they are overwhelmed.   Once they get here it is no longer a garage sale it is a store and they treat it that way.  Plus all the signs that say Lego priced as marked - no negotiation.   Pricing, be reasonable - Look at eBay and take off some money for shipping and selling  expenses.  Don't try to get ebay prices (or Amazon)  - Give the discount for buying from thew garage sale I still get idiots like the Craigslist guy who offered me $1200 for the collection  I politely told him he was an idiot.  But my ad says pricing is reasonable and how I price and put a disclaimer in there that you are not going to get a $100 set for $10 - that is not going to happen.  Also, I sell nothing used - Damaged boxes yes but nothing that has been built or put together.  Used implies discount.  - I give no discount.  I don't even open that door.   

that's awesome. i'm sure it helps weed out the low-ballers. thanks for sharing. 

2 hours ago, legoray01 said:

The first sales from the upcoming garage Sale (starts tomorrow but my neighbor gets in early - she knows a guy!)  THe garage looks something like this...

21118 The Mine from Minecraft series purchased on 1/30/2016 for $70.48 and sold for $148.  No selling expenses so a return of $77.52 for an ROI of 110%

75953 Hogwart's Whomping Willow purchased on 12/27/2019 for $37.10 and sold for $55.  No selling expense so a return of $17.90 for an ROI of 48%

75951 Grindelwald's escape purchased on 12/20/19 for $19.95 and sold for $17.00 No selling expense so a return of .05 for an ROI of +0

I knocked off a few dollars on the deal because she is literally my next door neighbor and she has spent $200 plus every year for the last four.  

Two more sets to sell and i have cleared 10% of the collection this year 🙂  

IF you have been looking at some of my other posts here I am moving across multiple states next year to a home with a lot less storage space.  started the year with 1350 sets across seven pallets in the basement.  I have taken the view that selling is a lot easier and more practical then moving seven pallets.  Would much prefer it to be four.  My wife still questions my definition of practical.  

 

You might want to post on the boards to see if a member would be willing to purchase them all. 

2 minutes ago, Mark Twain said:

You might want to post on the boards to see if a member would be willing to purchase them all. 

Not the point - The point is running a toy store for a couple of days.  Meeting people, talking Lego  .  Seeing a kid get a new set and smile.  having a customer talk to me about Lego and learning what investing is like -  I do this for the fun of it and to make a few dollars 

Nice setup in the garage. I would imagine a lot of local kids (and big kids) were amazed with it. 

I've done a garage sale when I last moved and done well. I had pretty much the same ground rules as well with pricing. I want to do another one but am afraid to show all the sets I have when I'm not actually moving. It's almost like putting a target on my back for would-be thieves. 

Edited September 16, 20205 yr by oneknightr

1 hour ago, oneknightr said:

Nice setup in the garage. I would imagine a lot of local kids (and big kids) were amazed with it. 

I've done a garage sale when I last moved and done well. I had pretty much the same ground rules as well with pricing. I want to do another one but am afraid to show all the sets I have when I'm not actually moving. It's almost like putting a target on my back for would-be thieves. 

Oh you mean that off-site storage area that i keep everything in  😉

SO - Day 1 of the garage sale has ended.  I sold 92 sets and generated 4663 dollars in revenue and generated 1895.83 in profit.  

 

To put this in perspective last year in the may garage sale my three day total was 113 sets sold for 4501 in revenue and 1495.48 in profit 

 

I am in utter shock and exhausted.  I will now be restocking tonight - good problems to have!!!!  (Can I do a $10K weekend????)   

Edited September 17, 20205 yr by legoray01
MISSPELL

20 minutes ago, legoray01 said:

SO - Day 1 of the garage sale has ended.  I sold 92 sets and generated 4663 dollars in revenue and generated 1895.83 in profit.  

To put this in perspective last year in the may garage sale my three day total was 113 sets sold for 4501 in revenue and 1495.48 in profit 

I am in utter shock and exhausted.  I will now be restocking tonight - good problems to have!!!!  (Can I do a $10K weekend????)   

Nice job on the sales! Someone on Facebook posted about it saying how nice it was. Of course, trolls were commenting about how they think all your sets must've been stolen. 

That is awesome.  Sucks some people think something cool has to be done by ill gotten methods but that is their their problem.  Best moment of the day was when a little boy was so excited he just ran up and gave the Lego guy a hug.  His mom promised him a Lego set after his hair cut and he was so beside himself and the smile was huge.  One of the reasons that I love doing the garage sale.   Seeing actual kids get the set and the joy it brings them.  I just don't see that on eBay.  I assured her the hug was cool,  his mom was shocked when he did it but hey unbridled happiness is an awesome thing.  We all have to remember what toys are for.  

1 minute ago, legoray01 said:

That is awesome.  Sucks some people think something cool has to be done by ill gotten methods but that is their their problem.  Best moment of the day was when a little boy was so excited he just ran up and gave the Lego guy a hug.  His mom promised him a Lego set after his hair cut and he was so beside himself and the smile was huge.  One of the reasons that I love doing the garage sale.   Seeing actual kids get the set and the joy it brings them.  I just don't see that on eBay.  I assured her the hug was cool,  his mom was shocked when he did it but hey unbridled happiness is an awesome thing.  We all have to remember what toys are for.  

That's awesome! I hear you. It makes me happy to see kids get excited over Lego. 

On 9/16/2020 at 11:14 AM, legoray01 said:

 

IF you have been looking at some of my other posts here I am moving across multiple states next year to a home with a lot less storage space.  started the year with 1350 sets across seven pallets in the basement.  I have taken the view that selling is a lot easier and more practical then moving seven pallets.  Would much prefer it to be four.  My wife still questions my definition of practical.  

 

 

Smart move, I should've done the same. My wife was quite unhappy when we paid for 2 huge Pods to move out of state and 2/3 of the 1st pod was all LEGO.
I don't want to think about how much that cost. I did sell my Joker Steamrollers just before moving though.

2 hours ago, legoray01 said:

SO - Day 1 of the garage sale has ended.  I sold 92 sets and generated 4663 dollars in revenue and generated 1895.83 in profit.  

 

To put this in perspective last year in the may garage sale my three day total was 113 sets sold for 4501 in revenue and 1495.48 in profit 

 

I am in utter shock and exhausted.  I will now be restocking tonight - good problems to have!!!!  (Can I do a $10K weekend????)   

Sounds like you had some happy customers: 

 

8 hours ago, Phil B said:

Sounds like you had some happy customers: 

 

I remember that guy - His Dad spent some cash to!!1  

It is 5:30 in the morning here and I am getting myself ready for round 2.  IT is cool to everyone who shared today some of the things people posted.  I am glad that  this effort is putting a little happy in the world - sometimes we need that 

And of course, last night on ebay I sold a 4492 Star Wars Mini Star Destroyer for $27.90.  Won't get to the post office until Monday to ship it but I estimate the expenses will be 8.96 for a return of 11.53 or an ROI of 156% on a $7.41 buy in from 2004.  

Bottle 110

Apollo 215

Had one left of each, dropped prices after news last night. 

As a native Detroiter, I’m happy for you and glad to see a Detroit economy that is able to have enough folks there with money to spend on LEGO. I hope it continues to rebound in the right direction. Good luck this weekend Ray!!

Day two wraps up with 43 sets sold for $2376.00 in revenue and a profit of $1245.09   - A number of repeat customers who added to their buys form yesterday and a lot of new ones who came for the first time.    

Started off slow and cold but picked up  at lunch and throughout the afternoon.  One more day to go 

Best year ever after two days and looking forward to tomorrow.  Sold a galaxy Squad, two hobbits and even some Duplo boxes and towers.  

 

42 minutes ago, legoray01 said:

Day two wraps up with 43 sets sold for $2376.00 in revenue and a profit of $1245.09   - A number of repeat customers who added to their buys form yesterday and a lot of new ones who came for the first time.    

Started off slow and cold but picked up  at lunch and throughout the afternoon.  One more day to go 

Best year ever after two days and looking forward to tomorrow.  Sold a galaxy Squad, two hobbits and even some Duplo boxes and towers.  

 

How do you manage people coming up and haggling prices?

Do you just have a excel spreadsheet with your buyins and try and make a set amount per set / transaction?

1 hour ago, Voltron said:

How do you manage people coming up and haggling prices?

Do you just have a excel spreadsheet with your buyins and try and make a set amount per set / transaction?

I have signs that say no negotiation and I stick with that . When new people comes up I explain pricing to them so I take the mystery of it out.  I tell them I sell this for X on ebay and have sold two in the last  two months (truth) I indicate that I reduce my garage sale priced to reflect a cost savings form mot paying ebay, pal Pal and shipping fees. I also tell them it is not a perfect science but in general I try.  I don't encourage them to check ebay but in my Craigslist as I see them checking - GO ahead and check  im not afraid of them checking - they are usually presently surprised and see I have told them the truth.  Someone buys four or five sets I do not budge.  

After doing this a few years i have my regulars who come shopping.  One is the little old lady on her walker who spent $700 just this year.  She likes suggestions so I steered her to one of my low buy-in good appreciation set and told her I was taking it to half price for her.  She is a neighbor from three doors down and she has bought form me for years.  A deal is worth it for me to take care of the neighbors.  

But in general I just say no and tell them if I go lower I would just take it to ebay.  There are tricks:

1. I make it look like a store

2, I make it an event that people talk about

3.) I prove to them they are already getting a discount with my price.  

4. ) I have items from $4 - $400 

5. ) My Lego are not mixed in with "Garage Sale" items

6.) I do not sell used Lego 

7.) Prices are clearly marked - Sticky note with price and set number.  (Critical for tracking and not getting confused onm the cost of a set.) 

8.) You may have multiples but only put out 1.  Let them believe it could be your last one.  You can always pull the duplicate out once an item is sold.  

I have a spreadsheet and have been tracking buy-ins for years but I priced based on eBay.   If I lose a little money on a set I sell it for a loss.  What I paid for it is not important.  It is what I can sell it for that is important.  But if I am losing money and have to ship it and pay fees then I lose a lot more.  In the garage Sale it is about volume sales 61 of my sales is under $28.  THese are sets that maybe hard to sell for a profit on ebay but for me they generated $500 in profit.  Sure - you get your whales but this chump stuff is a solid foundation and a way to get rid of low hanging fruit.  When you sell 100 plus sets in an event accept the few losses and consider a way to pare out underperformers.