how to flip and not look like a fool

[sliqwill]

here is some info to help everyone...also, I have included at the bottom some of the PC stuff that has come in this calendar year, that have cost me NOTHING because of flipping

Flipping 101
Tips and Tricks for the beginner level flipper.

1. Start small, dream small. $100 will get you a nice start. Don’t expect to turn that $100 into $1000 right away; you need to build your stock.
2. When starting, buy LOW END, by this, I mean buy the ‘scrubs’ if you can get them in a lot. Don’t chase superstars; they will happen eventually, if you want LOW RISK start small. For my original flip project, I started with $300 and NO CARDS. After 1 year, I had 500 autographs. Buying 500 autos from ‘recent’ products for $300 is a real solid start. Oh, and that $300 cash magically became $900.
3. Focus on a couple of products, learn the ins and the outs, know the SPs, what they look like, learn the parallels, focus on COMPLETED SALES on eBay. I will tell you that I specialize in 2003-2010 Press Pass, 2005-2012 Sage/Sage HIT, 2001-2012 Contenders, and 2000-2010 SP Authentic. There is the common theory that ‘no one likes Sage/Press Pass,’ those are LIES.
4. Try to get as autograph heavy of a stock as possible. I know there are lots of mixed lots out there that have jerseys and autos and rookies in them, and that is fine, but don’t go hard on jerseys, they have continued to decline in value as far as I am concerned, and they move very slowly. I will have weeks where I sell 300 cards and 2 only 2 are jersey cards, and it isn’t because I don’t have a stock of them, I probably have 500 football jerseys, so I have most teams covered.
5. Don’t overpay on a HOT card, because when that guy gets hurt, or has a terrible game, he is going to burn you.
6. Once you have decided you want to dig into this style of collecting, you need to spend hours on eBay looking for things you want. You will now learn to refine your searches on eBay, you will find sellers that you like, because they list items that end at bad times, or don’t have good pictures.
7. Don’t fall in love with a player or set…sure, there was a time when I wasn’t the brightest and overspent, and you will do the same. I have 57 Jordan Palmer Exquisites, I have 30 Brodney Pool Exquisites, I have 30 Adrian McPherson Exquisites, I have probably 20 Andre Hall Exquisites, you get the idea…good thing is, the 500 or so Exquisite Auto RCs I have are PROFIT from things ive picked up along the way…as over the last 4 years I have operated solely on profit, and the amount of money I pulled out of my account makes it to where I’m pretty sure, I’ve covered my entire collection, and it is a serious collection as I have shown bits and pieces.
8. Know your role. My current role is high volume low cost. On average, I pay $1 or less for autograph cards delivered to me. I don’t like listing autos for under $1.29, because after fees, that leaves me a 15% profit on a sale. Sounds bad, $0.15 on a card, well that is for the garbage cards of the lot, inside the lot, you should have an eye to where you can see $3-$5 cards or better, so now, you go from $0.15 to $4 profit on a single card, in at $1, out at $5, leaves you $3.50 profit. Sounds a little better than the ‘grind’ game that I currently play. I do get nice profits out of a variety of decent cards that are in lots, but I tend to unload those quickly, to get cash flowing back in.
9. eBay free listings are your friend. You need to find a program that works for you. I use Turbolister. It uploads 200-400 listings per hour with the click of a few buttons, make the listing once, and just keep it until it sells, so once you make a listing, you only have to remake the listing when it gets ‘eaten’ and this does happen frequently. If eBay free listings didn’t appear with the frequency that they do, there is no way I would be able to be successful in flipping.

So I will tell you, as of today, I have made under $100 for the year, but this is some of what I have done…
INCOMING
2 12 Boxes Cases of 2014 Topps Winter Olympics (arriving tomorrow)
2 more boxes of 2014 Topps Olympics
PC Arrivals this year:
Chelsie Hightower /10 x3
Chelsie Hightower /5 (2 versions)
Chelsie Hightower /25
Chelsie Hightower RED INK
Melissa Rycroft /5
Brittney Palmer Natasha Dual Auto /100
Nancy Kerrigan UD Auto
Summer Sanders UD Auto /241
Nastia Liukin UD Auto
Kikkan Randall Silver /30
Rebecca Soni base auto, Silver Auto /30, USOC Pin
Kyle Boller Topps DPP Superfractor 1/1
Kyle Boller Elite Status /7 x2
Kyle Boller Fleer Platinum PSA 10
Kyle Boller Fleer Platinum BGS 9
Kyle Boller SP Authentic Patch/Auto
Marcus Trufant SP Authentic Patch
Kyle Boller Finest Refractor
Carly Patterson UD Auto and Relic
Ashley Wagner Bronze Auto /50
Octogon Girls Triple Threads Relic /27 (has Brittney Palmer, so yeah)
Brittney Palmer/Natasha Wicks Dual Auto /100 x3
Carly Patterson UD Auto
Ashley Wagner Bronze Relic /75
Carly Patterson Leaf Press Plate 1/1
Caroline Woziacki Auto
Anna Kournikova Auto
Ashley Wagner Bronze Relic /75
Tanith Belbin UD Auto
Anna Kournikova Auto
Jennie Finch Auto
Kyle Boller Sweet Spot Gold /25 Jersey
Nancy Kerrigan Leaf Heroes Auto
Nancy Kerrigan Leaf Heroes Auto
McKayla Maroney Allen and Ginter Red Relic
Kyle Boller Sweet Spot Team Logo Gold /25
Nancy Kerrigan Leaf Heroes Red /5 Auto
Lolo Jones Leaf Going for the Gold Auto
Lolo Jones Leaf Going for the Gold Auto
Kyle Boller Skybox LE /99
McKayla Maroney Allen Ginter Black Relic
McKayla Maroney Allen Ginter Auto

then for my Olympic pulls that I am keeping
Gracie Gold Auto
Gracie Gold Relic
Gracie Gold Bronze Relic /75
Gracie Gold Silver Relic /50
Gracie Gold Gold Relic /25
Ashley Wagner Auto
Ashley Wagner Bronze Auto /50
Ashley Wagner Relic
Ashley Wagner Bronze Relic
Lindsey Van Auto
Noelle Pikus Pace Auto
Allison Baver Auto
Lolo Jones Auto

I think that is about it...also I no longer list any serial numbered Olympic stuff, hoping that next year it is at levels like the 2012 Olympics are...

in my cases/boxes incoming, ill be PCing Hilary Knight, Katie Uhlaender, Jamie Anderson Autos

so yeah, feel free to look and see what some of this stuff sells for...I believe a Maroney Auto went off last night for $87, some of these PC cards aren't cheap...and ive been paid to take those...just build a stock, sell at fair prices, find good cheap lots to increase inventory, and repeat

 

[redwing40]

Wow that's a lot of good info as I just started my Ebay store, only starting small with 5 mid-high end.

Think I'm already messing up, would you like to have a look and give me your opinion as I have tons to up load but can only list 10 or up to $1000

 

[sliqwill]

why the restrictions? are you starting out seller or something? sure fire me a link, I don't know crap about hockey, and I wouldn't do a 'store' unless you are getting it free for the month, otherwise you are paying like $20 for 'discounted' listings that you cant really use, plus I don't typically pay any listing fees, that's what eats your money

 

[redwing40]

why the restrictions? are you starting out seller or something? sure fire me a link, I don't know crap about hockey, and I wouldn't do a 'store' unless you are getting it free for the month, otherwise you are paying like $20 for 'discounted' listings that you cant really use, plus I don't typically pay any listing fees, that's what eats your money

I'm probably a new seller and that's all I can do at one time, I'm not really looking to flip these cards to gain better to flip, but just trying this to see if you can really sell a card by its BV, which I doubt I will get, so I marked them at half price of BV for a quick sale...guess I'm playing the waiting game now, At least my cards are marked down way better than the other cards of the same that are listed, the Zetterberg/Fransen Dual Auto goes for $30 BV, there's two listed on Ebay, mine for $18/with free shipping and another at $56 or something like that. Where do some people come up with there prices

I will update my ebay profile. but its pmag9000

 

[redwing40]

Added my Ebay in my signature.

 

[andy]

BV? Uhhhh. I would really recommend paying attention and trying to learn how things actually sell than burying your head in any kind of pricing guide that has about as much relevancy as a typewriter.

 

[sliqwill]

based on titles, I would do quite a bit of work...

instead of 05-06 go with '2005-06'
instead of GU/AU add either 'auto' or 'autograph' and 'jersey' or 'jsy'
add a team name when possible
no clue what H&P is, elaborate more, in baseball A&G is "Allen & Ginter" so when space allows, add in as much info as possible