Of course, everyone wants to be the person to win the next rare antique at auction, but high-dollar items aren't the only way to be successful in the resale business. In fact, small every-day household items can easily make up the bread and butter of your business. It's much easier to make a comfortable profit if you take the time to learn how to sell common small items. These items include clothing, housewares, decorations, knick-knacs, toys, books and much more.
When you're assessing a storage unit and deciding whether to bid, of course you'll look at the major items like furniture, electronics and appliances. Just because a unit doesn't have any big-ticket items, though, doesn't mean you can't profit from it. In fact, many of these units can be an excellent value because others will be unwilling to bid on them, so you can get the whole unit for a very low price.
Once you have the items, the easiest way to sell them is to take them to a flea market or hold a yard sale with them. Even at just $.50 to $1 a piece, these small items add up quickly. A general rule of thumb is to run the items through two yard sales or flea markets to see if they will sell. You can also see if things include scrap metal that could be worth more than the item itself. Whatever is left after that point, you can donate to a thrift store for a tax write-off.
Selling these small, inexpensive items is a good way to add some padding to your business, and it helps keep things moving when auctions hit a dry spell. You might not always be able to find a rare antique or expensive piece of electronics, but you can always find small household items that can be sold for a few dollars a piece. And, if you buy enough common units, it is just a matter of time before you uncover a real treasure that you were never expecting to be there.