Encarta’s definition of “rummage” is “to make a rapid search for or through something by carelessly moving and disarranging things or to find something by searching.”
I have to admit, I do my share of rummaging, although my version takes slightly longer and is more in depth. Whenever I’m in a department store, a thrift store or a garage sale, I cannot keep myself from digging through the clearance racks or rummaging through boxes of garage sale merchandise. Why? Because I’m always on the lookout for fantastic deals on things I think I can resell on eBay for a profit. It’s almost an illness. You likely know the feeling.
Even if I’m short on time, I frequently find myself drawn toward the backs of certain stores where the clearance merchandise is often hidden. The eBay seller in me says, “If I don’t at least take a quick peek at what’s been marked down 90 percent, I could be missing a huge opportunity to make some big bucks.”
When it comes to garage sales, I have a little more control. I don’t slam on my brakes and foam at the mouth whenever I spot a sign announcing, “Yard sale today!” OK, maybe a little drooling, but that’s to be expected, right? The approach I take is more methodical: I check the local paper and Craigslist ahead of time, and look for a few big sales that I think will have the most stuff to browse through. Then when I actually go to these sales, the seller in me takes over.
Read more…
The wind has turned crisp, the Yankees are headed to the World Series, the NBA season starts tonight and NFL football is in full swing. Yes, sports are all around.
The holidays aren’t too far off, either, which means now is the time to get your hands on some sports memorabilia and merchandise to make a profit. If you’re as enthusiastic as some of Auctiva’s own, you know how passionate people get about their favorite sports teams. And if you’re not, let me just tell you: People go crazy. I’ve seen it firsthand.
So why not take advantage? Here’s a little advice from our own Product Analyst and Oakland A’s fanatic Rebecca Miller to help you get started.
1. Buy items at the end of the season.You’ll be sure to find the best prices then as people get engulfed in other sports and stores try to clear their racks. The baseball season will soon be over, and it already is for all but two teams. So now’s the time to look for baseball gear. Browse through the clearance section and see what gems were left behind.
Read more…
Black Friday is a few short weeks away. Will you be ready?
If you’re like me, you look forward to Black Friday and all the bargains that come with it. I have a mental list of all the stores where I shop each year during the Black Friday madness, and I’ll make an actual shopping list on Thanksgiving Day.
Thanks to the Internet (and likely to the dismay of retailers), many Black Friday sale ads are posted days before the big day arrives, so you can get a good sneak peak at the deals to be had. You’ve got to be quick, though—retailers are very aware of the “Black Friday” sites and have used their muscle (aka attorneys) to have the ads immediately removed.
Black Friday isn’t what it used to be, though. More people buy online than ever before to avoid the stress, long lines and pushy crowds that can mar the whole shopping experience. Retailers are extending door-buster sales through the Thanksgiving weekend, and even creating new ways to offer super deals on other days, as well as online-only bargains.
I might not spend less this year, but I am planning on spending smarter. Retailers are desperate to get you to spend your holiday budget in their stores, and price wars are already breaking out. So this year, I’m going to do my research and make sure I’m getting the rock-bottom, out-the-door best price! If that means getting up at 3:30 a.m. instead of my usual 4:30 a.m. to start the Black Friday shopping frenzy, so be it.
Here are some ways you can prepare for that shopping frenzy, too:
Read more…