What's your favorite 'flip' story?

[tyler@ebay]

Happy February! I was watching some reality shows recently (Storage Wars, Antique Roadshow, etc) and it got me thinking about how some of those 'finds' appear pretty staged, and I knew that our Community probably had better stories

This month I'm curious to hear about your favorite flip story - have you come across a great steal that you knew you could turn for a profit? Or did you have an item that you didn't think would do well and it ended up being a huge money maker? Share your story below!

[tyler@ebay]

@femmefan1946 - that's amazing! You have to wonder how many things like that are out there, just floating around waiting to be connected to the history they come from. 

Definitely a good flip!

[tyler@ebay]

@esclyons - oh that's a brilliant buy! Disney videos are always solid, sealed VHS of one of the most acclaimed Disney animated films in the past 30 years is even better. 

Though for my money no Disney movie in recent memory can compare to Robin Hood. My personal childhood favorite. 🙂 

[weaversofspeech]

Last summer I found an item online from a offline shop I deal with from time to time. A very scarce item that rarely shows up for sale

Checking their website they had just posted pics of this item. The item usually sells for $2500 to $3500 when it appears

These folk know their market so figured they would want the going rate for it so put it on the back burner.  Would have loved to own it to resell but figured at that price it would be a keeper If I purchased it and really did not want to keep it

A few days later we were going to the area they were in so decided to drop in and just look at it and drool

Drove up it was sitting on a dresser outside they had for sale.  It was fantastic.  A man was standing beside it looking at it and we briefly discussed what a great piece it was.   The price tag  was flipped over so looked at it and they had $500 on it plus GST

:>O    :>O   :>O

I could not believe it.   Looked over and was about to tell the owner it was Sold!

The man who  I was talking to watched me gave me a nudge and said "No word of a lie I bought this piece just as you were walking up to it".  Figure I missed it by 4 or 5 minutes

:>O   :>(

I remained stoic for a few minutes congratulated the guy on the purchase and then went to a corner of the building and sulked

*chuckle my other half offered to buy me a treat after to lessen the sting

while not successful it's still one of my most memorable flips  even though it did not work in my favor

Still cannot believe I missed it   I should have phoned them when I saw it but ce la vie .  I know I could have flipped it at a good profit if I had been there 5 minutes before. I  had buyers for it

Learned a lesson that day  if I ever see something like that again make the call whether I think it is attainable or not       

weavers

[weaversofspeech]

Some of my most memorable flips are when I  encounter folk who relate to items I have found . Could be they had the item when younger,  always wanted one  and the most important when it has a family connection

it has nothing to do with the monetary value

I have mentioned things I have found that relate to my family  but I have a number of times found items that affect people who find them in a personal way

on ebay have had postcards sell that find their way home such as Correspondence from loved ones. Sometimes it's close to home other times it's across the continent. Every once in awhile get emails from folk asking where I got this from that live thousands of miles from where I live. It's from someone they know or show pics of loved ones on them

offline the most memorable was at a small show I was doing.   An older woman went through my cards. She was there for hours going through them and the pile she was going to buy grew  Near the end of her time with me I looked up and she was crying

hmmmmmm  not a thing you want to have someone do that at your booth 

I left her did not say anything and waited for her to approach me

she finally did holding up a large pile of cards and had 2 in her other hand

she looked embarrassed and said "Sorry" I in turn said "no problem but are you okay"? was not trying to pry just trying to understand what was going on

she handed me the 2 cards she had and Said  "these were written and sent by my MIL. She died 40 years ago. I miss her so much and remember my time with her"

then we talked for awhile and she smiling told me some stories about her

she finally said "I will take these"  and handed me the rest of the cards. Took a few minutes gave her a price and she purchased them

I had the 2 from her MIL apart she asked "what about those"?

I handed them to her and said "My Compliments"

she left beaming

it's not just about selling and making money  This is one of my favorite times doing a show,  she left with good memories and I  felt good  being able to help her find them

weavers

[weaversofspeech]

I already knew this but it always pays to ask questions  May take years to get info but it happens. Happened today

In 2013 I posted a question about a Canadian Photographer who died in approx 1987 on one of the ebay.ca chat boards asking if anyone  knew anything about her and her career. While she was well known then  and had major exhibits there is not a lot of info available about her

She was the Manager of The T Eaton's College Store Photography Studio from the late 1920's  in Toronto for yrs and also did photography

I purchased a very large Cabinet Card (largest I have ever seen)  she did

It shows a Eaton's Beauty Doll ,  I believe ( Beautiful Dolls Eaton's produced for years) dressed as a bride. Another Doll is dressed as a Bridesmaid  adjusting her train. The Doll is looking into a Victorian Tilting Mirror

This is one of the most Unique Cabinet Cards I have ever had. It is stunning. When I show it to others they don't realize it is dolls  they think they are actual people. Took me awhile to realize this too 

This Cabinet Photo had to be hers and not for sale . She apparently lent it out. The backing there  info on it saying to return it to her at the Eaton's store

A friend just emailed me asking if I still had it  which I do.  He wanted to let me know a  Toronto Gallery is having a exhibit of her and her Mother's work in March. (I know where I'm going) Told me he saw the  ebay.ca thread on Google  when he searched her name. I have not looked at that thread in yrs.  There were more posts on it from folk who knew her. Note to self check past questions

weavers

[retroman_studios]

This just happened today and is officially my favorite flip now.

A few months ago I bought a bag of sew on patches at Value Village for $3.99. I've been slowly selling them on eBay for between $5-10.

One of the patches was for " John Perine Co" which is a very successful Seattle company that deals with nuts bolts etc.

I had a potential buyer message me asking where I got that patch. I mentioned I picked it up at the local community thrift store. He bought it and I shipped it. Of course, for small things like this I hand write the address, but it still didn't click untill I re read his message (Thanks to eBay messaging bug, thought I had new message, guess it worked good in this case) and realized his last name was.....Perine!

I sent another message and asked if he was related to John Perine the founder of the company, and here is his reply:


Hi, Thanks for writing. Yes, my grandfather is John Perine from Seattle. He started selling brass and stainless steel screws to the shipyards after the war and he packaged and sold them out of his garage before his company became a longtime success in Seattle. I always scroll through eBay in hopes of finding old family memorabilia and that's what I was doing last night when I found your Perine Company patch. I had never known that my grampa had these made so you can imagine how happy I am to find it. It's actually a surprise for my Dad who will no doubt be very happy to have in his possession as my Dad took over the company long ago and my grandfather has since passed away. Anyhow, I'm very thankful to you for selling this to me and talking with you about it has been fun. I was just curious to know how someone in Canada ended up with it.

That felt good that I was able to reunite family history with the family, and to top it off, no one knew that these patches ever existed.

[weaversofspeech]

A number of years ago I sold a Old Postcard of a small New York State town to a woman who lived there. Not a expensive card worth about $10.00

After the woman received it she wrote me thanking me.  Then she asked where my family was from.  Her maiden name was the same as mine.   I told her and she wrote back asking for more background

sent some more info and she wrote back saying we were related.  Her family had lived in the same area about 90 years before  and  moved to New York State. Gave me some info about her family

My Father was staying with me at that time.  I asked him about it and he told me he had heard of this branch of the family but had drawn apart over time and no one knew where they were for years until then

One of my Dads cousins had written a book detailing the family background etc  her family was mentioned but with little info. I gave her the title and where to get it.  She was going to get it so she could find out more about her great ancestors

selling that card here gave us both more info about our family

weavers 

[vintagenorth]

 At least 10 years ago I sold a vintage Vogue sewing pattern for about $120 US. As I recall it had about 91 watchers by the time it ended. Back then I listed vintage patterns as auctions and they were fun to watch. Now I just list as BIN, unless I have something exceptional.

[randall-prue]

Trying to buy a tire pump (portable compressor) at an auction, one after another went to other bidders. One "pump" was still at one dollar with no bids, so I bid. I won it and everyone looked at me "funny". What are you going to do with a breast pump?

It turned out to be medical grade (hospital grade), $800., and I sold it on eBay for about $600.

[reallynicestamps]

@vintagenorth 

Was the pattern an Issy Miyake? I've done well with the Designer lines of Vogue Patterns, but my highest price went to an uncut Miyake.

DH is off to this third visit to an estate in a 'hoarder house'. He's been finding dealers for the estate.  The owner had 'collected' 600 pounds of cat's eyes- the road signals not the marbles and about the same of broken golf tees.
But the estate got $10,000 for the postcards and he's taken a bookdealer today, who has promised to see to the National Geographics if she takes the books. The Geographics go back to the 19th century.

[simplelittlestore]

I’m thinking anything within a 150 mile radius is likely Tons of random things happen all the time if we put ourselves out there.

[simplelittlestore]

WOW!! I’ll be watching for him.

[forester_studios]

Several "Best Flips" spring to mind. A couple of Library sale items, One an Anime DVD I paid $1 for sold if I remember correctly for $110 and fairly quickly. Another Library find was a book about a Mexican architect whose escapes me at the moment. Anyway turned $1 into $99.99, but it took about a year for the right buyer to come along.

The most memorable was last year. I was in a local thrift store looking at DVD's. A man walked up to me and said "I've got too much stuff, maybe you'd like these" and placed a handful of DVD's/CD's into my hand and walked away. I looked at them and they looked like decent items so I thought "why not take chance". Paid about $20. Went home and looked them up on ebay. Most were nothing special. One however was a boxed DVD set of Classic Pop/Rock tunes performed live by the original artists. I paid $3.99 for it and sold it a day later for $99.99. To this day I say thanks to that anonymous stranger.

[reallynicestamps]

We are two days into sorting the philatelic part of the Hoarder House I think I mentioned upstream.

There are eight boxes in the back of the car that are going directly to The Club (Muffin Break for those into Vancouver Island philately) and I'm pretty sure some were smuggled into the studio attached to the house.

I've found a few neat things for eBay so far.

I'm going to find a reason to have a dinner party or I may never get my dining room back.

[kawartha-ephemera]

Looks like lots of good fun is being had around that table! 

[vintagenorth]

---

@reallynicestamps wrote:

@vintagenorth 

Was the pattern an Issy Miyake? I've done well with the Designer lines of Vogue Patterns, but my highest price went to an uncut Miyake.

DH is off to this third visit to an estate in a 'hoarder house'. He's been finding dealers for the estate.  The owner had 'collected' 600 pounds of cat's eyes- the road signals not the marbles and about the same of broken golf tees.
But the estate got $10,000 for the postcards and he's taken a bookdealer today, who has promised to see to the National Geographics if she takes the books. The Geographics go back to the 19th century.

---

I really can’t remember what the pattern was, I just know it was a Vogue pattern, probably not an Issey Miyake. I have done very well with the Miyake patterns too but it’s rare to find one these days. I guess the collectors have picked them all up.

[kawartha-ephemera]

This story doesn't exactly fall into the category of a rags-to-riches story, more of a you just never know what you'll find (and buy) story.

Over the years I've bought my fair share of weird items often discovering that weird and wonderful merchandise generally does sell beyond one's wildest expectations.

Several years ago upon attending a general this and that auction I came across several tables with a large collection of curious art works haphazardly strewn across them. At first glance the drawings seemed little more than the works of a child, or maybe a madman but after a bit of sifting amongst the rubble I decided there was something about them that struck a chord with me, I ended up buying a good percentage of what was there. I haven't now a firm count of them but I'm sure I must have purchased at a minimum 200 or 300 pieces which for the most part consisted of quick watercolor drawings on sketchpad paper. There were also some more ambitious works as well drawn on quality paper, these the artist had clearly taken more time with. I've not even a single piece left in inventory now, they sold very well.

Just for fun I have attached a few photos … does anyone care to make a guess of the subject and purpose of these drawings? 

[rcrawford34]

wondering if these could be used for a movie or some sort of theatrical production.  Planning stages  for the costumes that were going to be used

[kawartha-ephemera]

Darn near impossible to stump an ebay seller. Three of these were costume design sketches for a TV series, the other two for a feature film. Hint … 1990s era Canadian productions.

[rcrawford34]

This morning went to a Local Market I do in the good weather. While there purchased a really nice Vintage Canadian Sign. Quite pleased with it

After I left I went Grocery Shopping. (Wanted it done early did not want to chance  running into any Irish Folk while their parade was on today)  Then came home and listed the sign and other items on kijiji.

refreshing the page listing other items had a message about the sign.  Spent a few hours off and on discussing it plus he had a question about another sign I had just put on.   He purchased both.  Who woud have thunk it happening that fast on kijiji?

list on kijiji from time to time and have had success at times.  Takes about 5 to 10 minutes per listing. No fuss no muss no cost.  If the item sells  bonus if not the items are on between shows etc and look better there than just sitting at home

weavers