i <3 the goodwillSome of the happiest and wealthiest people have found a way to marry their hobby with their work. I love what I do during the day, but I have another hobby that doesn’t involve politics, education or alturism whatsoever… it’s junkin’.  Junkin’ is a pretty liberal term. So before you picture my butt hanging out of a trash can, let me clarify what I mean. I love to find deals on stuff I love at thrift stores or discount shops (like TJ Maxx, Loehman’s, or Nordstom’s Rack). It’s a hobby. I honestly spend most of my weekends searching for cool and valuable stuff. I’m sure you remember this though…

Last year I had a Come to Jesus moment two months into my 2008 enviro New Year’s resolution (to buy everything possible second hand). This was my way to be a quasi-consumer with a conscience. I spent more and more time at the Goodwill and found outrageous stuff. New Diesel jeans. Nanette Lepore jacket. Pearl necklace. New Dansko shoes. A lot of the time the stuff wasn’t my size so I’d put it back. Taking it to Buffalo Exchange never seemed like a good idea (because they rip you off) – but what if I sold it? That’s how S[ECO]ND RUN started.

What can I say, I have a gift. It’s pretty funny when I go with buddies. I’ll meet up with them an hour in and they’ll have old no name jeans and a stained top and feel pretty good. On the other hand, I look like I just walked out of Anthropologie. I go to the Goodwill for about two hours on Saturday and Sunday and find killer stuff. And I take my killer stuff and sell it on eBay. It’d be great if I didn’t have to use eBay because their fees are annoyingly high (9% plus insertion fee) – but the exposure is great. I upload stuff at least a few times a month, once a week when I’m on a roll (typically Sunday night using a seven day auction).

The upside is I’m sorta doing something that I’d already be doing – and it’s fun. A lot of people take second jobs that suck like retail or restaurants – no thanks. I look forward to shopping. The bad side is that it is very time-consuming, specifically cleaning the clothes, taking photos, measurements, and writing the description. It’s about 3-4 hours a week apart from the shopping.

s[eco]nd runThe major positive is the CA$H. It paid for my earnest money when I bought my condo last year, it is helping me pay off debt faster, and allowing me to have a little bit more fun (hello plane tickets). And, I can stop whenever I want. It’s not like I must do this. It’s all extra. I can live without it if I’m too busy or ill or on holiday. So, it’s a huge win for me, my budget, and I’m promoting my values (helping the Goodwill and recycling awesome clothes). I should say that I occasionally go to discount shops during super sales. For example, Loehman’s in Bellevue is having a 50% off clearance items sale this weekend. They sell awesome stuff (Marc Jacobs, Theory, Citizens jeans etc). I plan to go and see when I can find. Also, sometimes I go to consignment shops to see if they have anything on sale.

Here are my top eight tips:

  1. Buy high quality name brands that you know: I end up buying a lot of stuff that I do NOT want to sell. That sucks, but I know my market. It’s easier to sell that way.
  2. Carefully examine the clothes for stains, missing buttons, weird smells, broken zippers etc. (there is likely a reason why it has been donated)
  3. Look for stuff that will make lots of money: This will take time to figure out, but jeans and dresses sell better than t-shirts and shoes for example. Think about your profit-margin.
  4. Take REALLY good photos: I have a 10mp SLR and I take really nice shots with a nice background. I cover all angles and get close-ups of the tags.
  5. Use templates: It’s all about marketing. It should look cute. I use GarageSale which is a Mac program that costs $30. You can use Auctiva for free.
  6. Write cute descriptions: I’m not sure this works, but I think it does. It shows you are a good seller. Make sure you include measurements and content.
  7. Communicate: If you get a question, respond within 24 hours. Say thank you. This will REALLY boost your positive feedback and you need that, especially in the beginning.
  8. Be clear about shipping: there are benefits to offering free shipping, but I find printing postage with PayPal SO easy. I do that. And I always use Priority Mail just because the flat rate envelopes rule. It’s easy and you can shove A LOT in that envelope. People get their stuff fast. A tracking number is emailed to them. It’s easy. I’ve had one situation where a First Class shipping item didn’t show and it sucked.
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