21 years ago I scored a great deal that is still paying off.
1991 I went to a small town auction and bought a box of 35 NOS 1969 Dealer license plates. That's 35 pairs, still in the original wrappers.
Just dug another 3 pairs out of my stash. A couple of years ago they were selling for over $50 a pair and are now down to about $30. Have sold them for as low as $12 on up. Paid $7 for the whole box.
Need to go through the old post cards again. Must have 3 or 5 thousand. Also a big collection of glass negatives from 1900 to 1907
barbtries
(29,726 posts)my ex-brother-in-law's brother made 6 figures from his childhood collection of comic books, and that was maybe 20 years ago that he sold them. he may still have those, but he also collected every single Beatle album ever sold.
you got me looking around my living room here...
Grasswire2
(13,693 posts)It was like a money tree twenty years ago. Wake up in the morning and see what you made overnight. Crazy. I've been stashing ephemera (paper) forever, from estate sales.
safeinOhio
(33,950 posts)Have some very cool old post cards. One is off an elephant tight rope walking across a Main Street of a small Ohio town. One of a beautiful Native American girl in full beaded dress. Back has a discreption of all her costume including bear claw necklace. Then there are all of those 4x5 glass negative ca.1905. Includes some political rallies and other events. Need to learn photoshop do I can reverse them. Might be a Billy the Kid photo in there.
Love my retirement hobbies.
Grasswire2
(13,693 posts)Bidding wars ensued over old cards showing small towns in Texas. Loved it.
safeinOhio
(33,950 posts)I had one that was of a horse pulling a wagon in the snow at Put-In-Bay Ohio, I sold it in the mall for five bucks. A few weeks later I saw that one, same writing on the back, sold on Ebay for $400. Found out there are 3 or 4 millionaires there that collect them and try to out bid the others on them. Now I know. I don't feel bad because I paid less than a buck for it.
dameatball
(7,601 posts)But still, that has nothing to do with your good business sense. Well done!
safeinOhio
(33,950 posts)Love to talk about the great deals Ive found but 10 mistakes for every big score. I pass out lots of business cards and that has really paid off. All it takes is one or two out off a hundred to make them more than worth it. Ive had calls from ones I gave out years and years ago.
Grasswire2
(13,693 posts)??
safeinOhio
(33,950 posts)I have a relative that is married to an exec. in that department of PayPal.
Vinca
(50,930 posts)it goes up in value. I found a print at the back of a shelf once that I was about to take to the charity store, but I tried it on ebay first and it went for a couple of hundred dollars. I haven't run into a good box lot in quite awhile though.