Sell Hobby Items by Mail




By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=DeAnna_Spencer]DeAnna Spencer


You can, if you are ambitious, start a Mail Order Business selling collectables to hobbiest by mail. To begin, you must first find a hobby that appeals to YOU. Next, you must spend several weeks researching that hobby. You must learn what collectors want and how much they are willing to pay for it. You should also know what other dealers are willing to pay forthe merchandise which they sell. And you must be willing to pay the same amounts.



Perhaps you already know exactly what you want to sell. If youhave been collecting old Valentines, then start a Mail Orderbusiness buying and selling old Valentines. Or Stamps.

16 Tips to Direct Mail Marketing Success
...business. They should have access to the best lists and work with sources around the world. List professionals can help you find promising new names that you never knew existed. And, they ll steer you away from those files you ...
Or Comic Books. The first rule of Mail Order selling is to sell what you yourself would buy.


To give you an idea of what collectors buy and sell by mail, here is a partial list of today’s collectables:


Phonograph Records, Cigar Label, License Plates,Beer Labels, Circus Posters, Music Boxes,Salt/Pepper Shakers, Greeting Cards, Old Pencils,Atlases, Military Medals, Sheet Music,Doll Clothes, Menus, Cigar Boxes,Train Photos, Old Calendars, MapsStreet, Car Tokens, Buttons, Postcards,Fruit, Car Tokens, Fruit Jar Labels, Old Magazines,Gun Catalogs, Paper Currency, Cartoon Books, Theatre Programs, Political

Buy US Postage Stamps Online
...own computer, no matter the location around the world. There is a small monthly fee that makes this very new mail service, Buy US Postage stamps Online, more convenient for all industry users. More than that, when shopping online, user ...
Buttons, Baseball Cards,Children’s Books, Stock Certificates, Old Toys,Gems, Minerals, Belt Buckles, Airplane Photos,FBI Posters, Newspapers, Coins,Arrowheads, Old Jewelry, Boat Photographs, Advertising Cards, Dog Pictures, Movie Magazines, Autographs, Dolls, Hunting Licenses,Valentines, Cookbooks,
Understanding Opportunity Cost When Investing In Property
...to keep equity of 50k in a property, the opportunity cost is what he/she could alternatively have invested this money in and the resultant value. Now again this will depend on your specific strategy and many people are not too ...
Beatle Items,Stamps, Indian Relics, Railroad Books, Fishing Licenses, Comic Books, Thimbles, Automobile Manuals, Diaries, Railroad Passes, Antique Barbed Wire


Once you have selected your field, start a file. Keep copies ofall the ads selling your kind of merchandise. Also keep adsshowing the dealer’s buying prices. If price lists ar offeredin ads, send for them and STUDY them. MAKE YOURSELF AN EXPERTIN YOUR FIELD.


Try to locate any publications that deal with

Buying Real Estate in England
...Choosing a Property Choosing a property in England is much the same as choosing a property anywhere else. First decide on location, type of property and budget. Create a prioritized list of desirable features. It may also help to get ...
your field. Often, you can locate small mimeographed publications andnewsletters which will give you all kinds of useful information.


Your next step is to look for merchandise in your own community.Here are some suggestions:


Start by attending flea markets and antique shoes. Don’t be afraid to make inquiries of dealers. They often have what they consider “junk” stashed away, assuming that it isn’t of muchvalue to anyone. I once discovered a fabulous stamp collectionthat way!


Browse around through Thrift Shops.


Study the garage sale ads in your local newspaper. Visit any that sound promising. (Sometimes, it pays to telephone first. Also, by telling people what kind of merchandise you are looking for, they may be

Collectible Dolls - Pricing Guides
...that the Mike Hazard doll, in the original box, unopened goes for $1500. So you head down to the local collectible shop where they will buy your collectible doll, show it to the owner and he offers you $500. You ...
able to direct you to others who have exactlywhat you need!)


Place “Wanted to Buy” ads in your local newspaper. Be sure to list your phone number.


It is amazing what you can find in your local community if you work at it. However, if you can’t find enough merchandiselocally, run ads in the Collector’s Magazines listed above. Their rates are very, very low. And you will soon discover that they are widely read!


Once you have accumulated a decent stock of merchandise, you are ready to begin selling it. If there are publicationsspecializing in your field, by all means advertise there. Youhave a ready-made audience! Also run ads in the big hobbymagazines.


Type

Tips to Build Your Email Address Database
...5% to 10% of your postal file over the course of one year. 1. Direct Mail Collection Think about how much time and money you spent for copy and design on your last new direct mail piece. Most companies have ...
up a list of what you have and have an Instant Printer make a hundred or so copies for you. Hobbyists don’t mind typewritten, mimeographed, or xerox copies . . . it’s half thefund of collecting. Then run your ad. Your ad can merely offeryour list to interested collectors free (or for a stamp, to weedout coupon clippers). Or you can offer to make a sale straightfrom the ad. If you do the latter, stick in your price listwith the merchandise. It will be read . . . eagerly!


Here are a few sample ads run by hobby dealers for your
consideration:


“Railroad Timetables, 1940’s
Four different - $4.00

The Top Five Morgan Silver Dollars
...again for one more year in 1921, when the series finally came to a close. For decades thereafter, Morgan dollars were largely snubbed by hobbyists. Many dates, including those in mint state condition, could be obtained for as little as ...
postpaid..


“Old Children’s Books and Texts. Stamp for List.”


“85,000 Comic Books, Movie Magazines, Funnies, etc.
1900-1957. Catalog $1.00 (Refundable).”


“Original Movie Poster, Pressbooks,
Stills, 1919-1975. Catalog - 50 cents”


“Sleigh Bells! Stamp for list.”


“Sheet Music. SASE for list.”


Just in case you are not familiar with the phrase, “SASE” means “Self-addressed, stamped envelope”. As you progress, you will learn continually. Most hobby dealers will tell you that they learn more from the collectors who buy from them than they could ever learn from any other source.


Note to editors:
To show my appreciation to the

A Little Help From A Coin Price Guide
...time. This article will help walk you through some basics for coin price guide information. When it comes to con collecting you will find that the most reliable sources for coin value will be found in your local library or ...
editors that use my articles, I offer a free solo ad. Simply send an email to me by using the form on the contact me page on my website to tell me the url the article was used on or send me a copy of the ezine it was used in.


Copyright 2004 by DeAnna SpencerDeAnna Spencer is a virtual assistant that helps entrepreneurs run a successful business by providing affordable administrative help. She also publishes a blog for small business owners. Visit this [http://learnsmallbusiness.wordpress.com]small business resource today.







Topics: Collectable Stamp Prices |

Comments