![]() |
Sell Hobby Items by MailYou can, if you are ambitious, start a Mail Order Business selling collectables to hobbyist by mail. To begin, you must first find a hobby that appeals to YOU. Next, you must spend several weeks researching that hobby. You must learn what collectors want and how much they are willing to pay for it. You should also know what other dealers are willing to pay for the merchandise which they sell. And you must be willing to pay the same amounts. Perhaps you already know exactly what you want to sell. If you have been collecting old Valentines, then start a Mail Order business buying and selling old Valentines. Or Stamps. Or Comic Books. The first rule of Mail Order selling is to sell what you yourself would buy. To give you an idea of what collectors buy and sell by mail, here is a partial list of today's collectables: Phonograph Records, Cigar Label, License Plates, Beer Labels, Circus Posters, Music Boxes, Salt/Pepper Shakers, Greeting Cards, Old Pencils, Atlases, Military Medals, Sheet Music, Doll Clothes, Menus, Cigar Boxes, Train Photos, Old Calendars, Maps, Street Car Tokens, Buttons, Postcards, Fruit, Car Tokens, Fruit Jar Labels, Old Magazines, Gun Catalogs, Paper Currency, Cartoon Books, Theatre Programs, Political Buttons, Baseball Cards, Children's Books, Stock Certificates, Old Toys, Gems, Minerals, Belt Buckles, Airplane Photos, FBI Posters, Newspapers, Coins, Arrowheads, Old Jewelry, Boat Photographs, Advertising Cards, Dog Pictures, Movie Magazines, Autographs, Dolls, Hunting Licenses, Valentines, Cookbooks, Beatle Items, Stamps, Indian Relics, Railroad Books, Fishing Licenses, Comic Books, Thimbles, Automobile Manuals, Diaries, Railroad Passes, Antique Barbed WireOnce you have selected your field, start a file. Keep copies of all the ads selling your kind of merchandise. Also keep ads showing the dealer's buying prices. If price lists are offered in ads, send for them and STUDY them. MAKE YOURSELF AN EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD. Try to locate any publications that deal with your field. Often, you can locate small mimeographed publications and newsletters which will give you all kinds of useful information. Your next step is to look for merchandise in your own community. Here are some suggestions: Start by attending flea markets and antique shoes. Don't be afraid to make inquiries of dealers. They often have what they consider "junk" stashed away, assuming that it isn't of much value to anyone. I once discovered a fabulous stamp collection that way! Browse around through Thrift Shops. Study the garage sale ads in your local newspaper. Visit any that sound promising. (Sometimes, it pays to telephone first. Also, by telling people what kind of merchandise you are looking for, they may be able to direct you to others who have exactly what you need!) Place "Wanted to Buy" ads in your local newspaper. Be sure to list your phone number. It is amazing what you can find in your local community if you work at it. However, if you can't find enough merchandise locally, run ads in the Collector's Magazines listed above. Their rates are very, very low. And you will soon discover that they are widely read! Once you have accumulated a decent stock of merchandise, you are ready to begin selling it. If there are publications specializing in your field, by all means advertise there. You have a ready-made audience! Also run ads in the big hobby magazines. Type up a list of what you have and have an Instant Printer make a hundred or so copies for you. Hobbyists don't mind typewritten, mimeographed, or Xerox copies . . . it's half the fund of collecting. Then run your ad. Your ad can merely offer your list to interested collectors free (or for a stamp, to weed out coupon clippers). Or you can offer to make a sale straight from the ad. If you do the latter, stick in your price list with the merchandise. It will be read . . . eagerly! Here are a few sample ads run by hobby dealers for your "Railroad Timetables, 1940's "Old Children's Books and Texts. Stamp for List." "85,000 Comic Books, Movie Magazines, Funnies, etc. "Original Movie Poster, Press books, "Sleigh Bells! Stamp for list." "Sheet Music. SASE for list." Just in case you are not familiar with the phrase, "SASE" means "Self-addressed, stamped envelope". As you progress, you will learn continually. Most hobby dealers will tell you that they learn more from the collectors who buy from them than they could ever learn from any other source. Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer
Get your crochet hooks, paintbrushes, scrapbooks, and creativity ready: Hobby Lobby opens soon Progress Index The rise of yarn crafts during the pandemic Miami Student Sew much fun quilting and crafting your way through COVID Wooster Daily Record Birchard Library announces March events Tiffin Advertiser Tribune Creative workshops see boost in numbers as people pick up new hobbies in lockdown South West Londoner De-stress to be your best! The Bucknellian Aspiring women's home gets relaunch | News | hammondstar.com Hammond Daily Star online At-Home Hobbies Gain Popularity Naperville Community Television The Top 5 DIY Trends, According to Michaels BobVila.com 15 hobbies that will raise your IQ, according to science Countryliving (UK) Here are five of the best craft shops in Lancashire Lancashire Post Local Woman Crafts New Business Amid Pandemic | Community Yankton Daily Press Garages – not just for cars | | tctimes.com Fenton Tri County Times Woman's Day Easter Craft and Food Templates Yahoo Canada Shine On The Punk Rock Linguistics of Cottagecore JSTOR Daily Coronavirus pandemic: This ‘Netflix-like platform’ strives to facilitate early learning among kids The Financial Express COLUMN: We will never get this lost pandemic year back OrilliaMatters Ginger Lou Crum of Perry theperrynews.com Bookmarks TAPinto.net Marilyn Remington | Obituaries | tillamookheadlightherald.com Tillamook Headlight-Herald Watch now: Crafting Experience in Forsyth offers place to creative types to exercise, grow skills Herald & Review Twitter’s Top 6 Trends to Help Brands Stay Ahead Search Engine Journal Clara C. Furbish, 80, of Northborough Community Advocate Five of the Best Fitness Watch Brands HYPEBEAST Virginia M. Nesbitt 1933-2021 | News, Sports, Jobs Warren Tribune Chronicle Top Aldi Specialbuys hitting the middle aisle tomorrow including a 'miracle' hard floor cleaner My London Most Popular Lockdown Hobbies for Women Revealed | News Craft Business 12 Activity Ideas Your Family Can Do Together During Lockdown The Jerusalem Post Local hobby and craft specialists seeing uptick in consumer interest Charleston Gazette-Mail 7 Quarantine-Friendly Hobbies to Try Right Now Real Simple 11 unique at-home craft ideas to see you through quarantine, creatively goodhousekeeping.com Outrageous predictions for the future Moneyweb.co.za Crafting new hobbies to get through 2020 INQUIRER.net Hobbies keep us entertained, relieve stress during pandemic HollandSentinel.com 30 Best Hobbies for Women - Creative Activities to Fill Your Free Time - GoodHousekeeping.com GoodHousekeeping.com Go local on Quinpool Road The Coast Halifax 50 Hobbies for Men You Can Start at Home The Trend Spotter Widen Your Horizons: Hobby & Craft Books 2020 Publishers Weekly Best hobbies to do at home while self-isolating Stylist Magazine Kids need to play this summer, not catch up on school Washington Post Notes | This Week courierjournal Veterans of The Foundation HQ is launched in St Helens St Helens Star At the Library: Let the library be your hobby incubator The Westerly Sun Year of the pandemic: 'Life as knew it was stolen from us' The Malibu Surfside News People Have Gone Full 1800s The New York Times Hobbies Promote Personal Growth, Help Enrich Lives Escalon Times 'Trying to find positivity': UNC athletes find hobbies during COVID-19 The Daily Tar Heel Real-life Expert Advice for Healthy Diabetes Weight-loss HealthCentral.com Therese E. Gauthier, 93 Obituary - SouthCoastToday.com COVID Long Island: Roslyn teen Caroline Faber creates crafts program for kids in homeless shelters WABC-TV Dating Sites Where Everything Is Free - Looking for Love? Try These 6 Totally Free Online Dating Websites! Wine Magazine Detroitisit - Looking for an Exciting New Hobby in Detroit? Submerge Yourself into the City Culture Detroitisit Not a crafter? Here’s why you should consider becoming one during the pandemic. The Washington Post The Best New Hobbies to Try During Quarantine (That We’ve Written About) New York Magazine Hobby Lobby scheduled to open to the public mid-September Sault Ste. Marie Evening News This Crafting Machine Sparks so Much Joy, Especially if You Love Sending Cards (and Immaculate Organization) Real Simple A pandemic winter is a great time to start a new hobby Minnesota Public Radio News Endangered Crafts and the Destinations Keeping Them Alive The New York Times
|