All kinds of antiques, from dolls to furniture, are undoubtedly big sellers. But most of us are not antique dealers and may not know or care enough about them. So here are twelve things that are selling like crazy that you can profit from using online auctions. (The list is not in order of priority).
1. Corners
Many people are coin collectors. You can buy all kinds of foreign currencies on the Internet; Mexican pesos and Brazilian coins. Now that we have the euro, the coins in the old money can only increase in value as they become a rarity.
These are very cheap coins. Some people have packaged them up, like a hundred world coins, and sold them at auction for £60 and £70. Many of those coins, like the Mexican peso and the Brazilian peso coin, cost less than a cent.
Also, Indian Head pennies and old silver, and even some current silver that isn’t that old, which is called junk silver but is still silver, is very popular. Some people offer these things much more than what can be bought as base metal. It’s crazy, but that’s how it is.
2. Pocket and hunting knives
Both old and new pocket knives and hunting knives are very popular items. This category also includes swords.
It’s not for everyone, but if you’re interested in or have some knowledge of survival skills using knives, or find the history of swords fascinating, these articles work well online.
3. Watches and Rings
People like some unusual watches and rings. Some of New Mexico’s turquoise watches and jewelry were originally popular twenty years ago. But then it went out of style and no one would wear it. Now, once again, it is popular.
If you can buy such jewelry at a good price, you can double and even triple your money.
4. Music boxes
Music boxes are very collectible and very popular. They are relatively easy to ship to customers. A visit to any junk shop, car trunk sale, mall, or antique market will usually yield at least one music box.
5. Holiday Season Items
All kinds of unusual items related to Easter, Christmas and Halloween are extremely popular. People have bid items in this category way up.
6. Native American Indian Arts and Crafts
Anything to do with Indian arts and crafts is big business, especially in the US, UK, Germany, and Belgium. Old arrowheads are popular, blankets, saddles, beads, all sorts of things related to Native American nations.
7. Religious items
It does not matter if the religious items are Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu or any other religion. They are all very popular.
In the Middle East they have “pearls of concern”. I had an Arab friend many years ago who gave me some. They don’t cost a lot of money. I’ve seen them bid up to £25.
8. Rocks and fossils
Rocks and fossils are very popular, perhaps because they are very collectible: they take up little space, but a collection can be interesting and start.
9. Bedspreads and Quilts
Star quilts from the North American Indians are very popular as are the various quilts made by the Victorians. Still a popular craft today, even modern handmade quilts and quilts can fetch a good price.
10. Perfumes and Colognes
This includes perfumes and colognes for both men and women. Especially big discount brands where people can bid on them, but get them for less than the £50 they would normally sell for in a big box department store.
11. Regional articles
Regional items have increased in popularity. People who live in Arizona and New Mexico, California, Texas, can cross the border and buy Mexican crafts at an extremely low price and yet double or triple their money on eBay.
If you don’t live in the United States, but take a vacation to Mexico or South America, you may still find this lucrative. This category also covers tourist items purchased anywhere in the world; like African beads, dolls in country dress, porcelain from the seaside towns of the British Isles, handbags from Egypt, it’s endless. On the other hand, there is a vast and thriving market in pre-1970s British seaside trivia.
12. Autographs
If you know or have something that has been signed by a famous person; a rock star, movie stars, presidents, you name it, are bidding big on eBay and other auction sites. Some collectors are also willing to bid on a famous person’s item of clothing or lock of hair.
So that’s just a roundup of twelve categories that sell well through internet auctions.
Of course you can sell thousands of other items. All kinds of books are sold, for example, there is no doubt about that. I have sold books and have had three or four different companies buy books from me and resell them on eBay, Yahoo and other auction sites. However, you must buy or print books cheap enough to be able to claim large enough discounts.
For example, a £25 book could be auctioned off for £6 or £7. Now, if you bought it for £2 or printed it for £2, making a steady profit shouldn’t be a problem. The profit margin is big enough for you to walk away with cash in your pocket.
