Hi Virginia, I LOVE LOVE your substack. It’s my favorite. I used to be a reseller 2011-2013 but it honestly took so much time (constant hunting for interesting stuff AND trying find stuff at a reasonable flipping price point, cleaning found objects, storing, taking pictures, researching, writing about said objects, responding to interested buyers, appointments for viewing and purchasing….) people don’t often realize how much strategy, time, and labor goes into a simple object you are selling. I couldn’t flip and hold down a full-time at the same time-it was just very hard. But what you wrote deeply resonates with me: TRENDS!!! That is 100% how I made really good money too! I would write down a list of popular stuff in visual culture from music videos, tv shows, and movies and I also worked at design company for a while where we had access to global trend reports and that SIGNIFICANTLY allowed me to target my buying and selling. I just want to affirm that success as a re-seller isn’t only personal taste but also taking the time and putting energy to understand where we are in *this* cultural moment and making an educated (but not perfect) guess about where we might be headed. I so enjoy your substack!
This is so great, Virginia! Thank you. Would also love to know: What your process is for, well, “processing” your vintage finds, (especially for resale.) Do you have a good storage space? If so, how do you organize it, and when do you list your items? Immediately? Seasonally? Thank you so much again, Virginia! ❤️
Hi Virginia, I LOVE LOVE your substack. It’s my favorite. I used to be a reseller 2011-2013 but it honestly took so much time (constant hunting for interesting stuff AND trying find stuff at a reasonable flipping price point, cleaning found objects, storing, taking pictures, researching, writing about said objects, responding to interested buyers, appointments for viewing and purchasing….) people don’t often realize how much strategy, time, and labor goes into a simple object you are selling. I couldn’t flip and hold down a full-time at the same time-it was just very hard. But what you wrote deeply resonates with me: TRENDS!!! That is 100% how I made really good money too! I would write down a list of popular stuff in visual culture from music videos, tv shows, and movies and I also worked at design company for a while where we had access to global trend reports and that SIGNIFICANTLY allowed me to target my buying and selling. I just want to affirm that success as a re-seller isn’t only personal taste but also taking the time and putting energy to understand where we are in *this* cultural moment and making an educated (but not perfect) guess about where we might be headed. I so enjoy your substack!
This is so great, Virginia! Thank you. Would also love to know: What your process is for, well, “processing” your vintage finds, (especially for resale.) Do you have a good storage space? If so, how do you organize it, and when do you list your items? Immediately? Seasonally? Thank you so much again, Virginia! ❤️