Newsletter March 7, 2010 Tips for pickers

New England pickers would love nothing better than a nice Spring this year. For the last couple of seasons,weather-wise, we’ve basically gone from Winter, straight into Summer with very little Spring-like weather. A good Spring means a lot more treasures unearthed, and the struggling economy should mean a Bonanza of buys for skilled pickers as people looking for much needed cash sell off their old “stuff.” ========== I’ve been looking for Picker’s to interview for an upcoming episode of The AuctionWally Show, and am very surprised that no one qualified has answered the call yet.   I have had several people answer my request for an interview, and I thank them for that, but they were part time people in the business who buy things at flea markets and auctions for eBay, and that’s just not what I’m looking for with this interview.    I’m looking for pickers who have:   Been in the business for 10 years or more. Do doorknocking Pick at least 20 hours a week Sell items directly out of the back of their truck to dealers or at auction. Have a few colorful stories.   The older you are the better!   If this is you, or know someone who fits the bill, contact me at pickers@auctionwally.com ============ Amazon and eBay sellers:   Ever wonder how people get those great deals that enable them to sell far below current retail value for current hot products?    Are you a wheeler, dealer who’s more into electronic gadgets, computers, cell phones, video games? Do you have the ability to make volume purchases of 20 to 10,000 items? If so, I’ve just become a rep for Closeout Solution, a company who sub-wholesales, laptops, iPod accessories, X-Box games etc.   We sell products from Belkin, Griffen, Microsoft, Logitech and many other companies. Sometimes these items are refurbished, sometimes they are brand new. The inventory changes daily, as we purchase large trailer and container loads, and sell pallet and case-loads at sub-wholesale. This is not a drop-shipping scam, we sell the actual inventory and deliver it to your business.    To find out more, contact me at walt@cosintllc.com If you know someone who can use this type of product line, as with everything I do, finder’s fees are paid for referrals that result in a sale or purchase. ====================== Spring tips for pickers:   If you’re canvassing an area, call the local police dept. to let them know what you’re up to. It’s not legally required in most towns, but it’s a good idea. This way if any complaints are launched because of “suspicious activity”, you can save yourself some time and trouble. Bring a flier or a handout with you, as well as business cards.  Make sure your vehicle has a sign or is painted with your business name and #.   Look for buildings that appear to be old, interesting, or full such as: large barns, garages. Yards that seem to have years of accumulation scattered around are a good sign. Be careful of animals. Make sure to present yourself in an un-threatening manner. Stand back a bit from the person, hands out of pockets, NO sunglasses, hat off, quickly introduce yourself and why you’re there.  Make sure you are actually dealing with the person that owns the property you wish to buy and not a tenant or someone else. Pay as fair as you can for the item, while trying of course, to ensure a good profit. Ask, ask, ask. Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean they don’t have it. When you ask for things you don’t see around, you jar their memory and every so often, they’ll say something like: “oh yeah, I have some of those tucked away in the loft.” Have cash, let them know you have cash, pay in cash. Get a receipt. Don’t get discouraged after a few strikeouts, the next big find is just around the corner.  Any time you go out on the hunt, you could find this, or this, and that’s what keeps us all going in this business! These are just a few of the important things you need to know on the hunt. I could fill a book with information critical to success in picking, and someday may.   For now, lets see if we can get more knowledge from some “old-timers” as my search continues for interviewees for The AuctionWally Show. ======================   Live online video auctions today starting at 2PM ============= Site of the week: WatchedItem.com.    I got the following email last week from Michelle from WatchItem.com.   I hope you are well and getting through this snowy winter.         I’d love to get your feedback on WatchedItem.  You can try the Top 500 Most Watched Auction List which shows the hottest listings across all categories. The list is updated every 2 hours and supports US and UK. WatchedItem has 3 super auction searches that are not available on eBay: 1. Search by the number of eBay watchers 2. Search by the most bids or purchases 3. Search the highest priced auctions that will sell  There is a $45K auction for a 1920 MILLS VIOLANO DOUBLE DOUBLE MUSICBOX For buyers, it gives insight on how many people you are going up against in an auction. For sellers, it provides a rough idea of the interest in a particular item that you are not selling at the moment. Best regards, Michelle WatchItem is an eBay compatible application, and after looking around the site I was pretty impressed. It seems to work very well, and the important information that you’d want right up front about an auction is right in the initial pane, such as price, amount of bids, and time left on the auction. This is critical to folks who put expedience at the top of the list when browsing eBay.  Good luck Michelle. ============ What’s up with you?   Do you have a blog or a website that talks about or sells antiques and collectibles? Do you have a sale or a special event coming up? Send me some news on what’s up with you and I may post it in my next newsletter for all to see.   Send to news@auctionwally.com ================== News from Barre MA This week we have an auction full of art, antique & collectible books, and who knows what else.  More details here. ===============    We are always looking to buy and consign good quality items for these sales. If you have something to sell, give me a call at 978-636-3101 or send an email to: wkolenda@gmail.com ================================= A book from 1779 selling for only $25.00?!                                                                                                                     Looking for work?   If you can answer “yes” to a few simple questions, you may be able to start making good money as an antiques appraiser. I have a one day seminar that will help qualified candidates start earning between $75 and $150 per hour as a Professional Personal Property Appraiser. Find out more here. ======================================                                                Ask an Auctioneer Mystery item at Ask an Auctioneer. I been stumped! Does anyone out there know what this is? If you have a question about antiques, collectibles or auctions,  email me at ask@auctionwally.com (a few good .jpg pics of any items is essential.)   ==========================================   Do you or need the services of a Massachusetts Auctioneer?  Want to find out how auctions work, or need help with your auction business? If so, check out http://massauctioneer.info ====================================                                                    The weekly contest:                                                 Two contests this week!    Thanks to the folks that participated in last week’s contest, your prize packets are on the way.    This week, there are two contests. The first contest question revolves around the MYSTERY item at Ask an Auctioneer, as noted above. If you can answer as to what the item is without doubt,  I’ll send off one collectibles ephemera surprise package. (You must cite your source as proof)                      LAST WEEK’S CONTEST CONTINUES   Since I’d gotten such a good response to last week’s contest, and since the folks at DealitLive.com are subsidizing prizes, I’m going to run that contest again! Here’s how that works:   The first 10 new people who register as sellers on DealitLive.com and subscribe to my auctions there, (both are free to do) will win collectible surprise packages from me. DealitLive.com is a live video auction site that’s a ton of fun to buy and sell on! It’s easy to use, all you need is a web-cam and a microphone, and some stuff to sell. Right now, the site is 100% free to sell on, with no fees at all. How can you beat that? If you’ve already subscribed to my auctions there, but have NOT registered as a seller, you are eligible to enter this contest and win again! The first 10 peeps to email me at wkolenda@gmail.com with a notice that they’ve registered as a seller and subscribed to my dealitlive auctions will win a packet, it’s that easy. Now of course, I’ll need a way to get that package to the winner, so send your snail mail address along with your contest answers. The prize is a neat collectibles surprise envelope which includes things found in a recent estate purchase I made. Things likely to be in said envelope are vintage postcards, ephemera, books, old photos and who knows what? There are a LOT of live auctions out there. The best way I know of to search them is to use Auctionzip.com the largest live auction locator.   I’ve been using AuctionZip.com for years now, and I’m proud to have them as a sponsor.   In short, if you want to find auctions anywhere in the US, AuctionZip is an easy way to search online by zip code, the site is free to search and has a million uses within the auction business, such as:   Find auctioneers See the prices realized section to find out the current value of items. Search for items coming up for sale Track which auctions specialize in specific genres Learn how to consign to auction houses   If you have an ecommerce business, in the antiques and collectibles genre, your link may be a perfect sponsor fit in this newsletter: If’ you’d like to know more, please contact me at: wkolenda@gmail.com                         See the best collectibles video podcast at http://Collectiblescornertv.com Tammy Kahn Fennell provides tips, interviews and news with a lot of fun.     Winter is here, and travel can be difficult. But that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on great auctions! Did you know that iCollector.com is an online portal into hundreds of auctions from live venues? You can bid live and even contact the auction houses to see if you can send your quality consignment to be featured in an upcoming auction!       Please forward this to friends.       Until next time,  thanks for reading, and remember, it’s not spam if your requested the content ;)