How you can make some "small potatoes" from something that most people throw away with the garbage

You can sometimes get lots of very interesting business ideas on ebay.... I'm sometimes amazed by what people buy and sell there!

Here are some auctions I found interesting.... How can you make money from something that many people throw away?

A lot of people throw away their old magazines.... After they've read them, to them they are worthless and go out with the trash.

Well, if you can get these cheaply (or even for nothing), you could have a product. It won't make you rich - it's a "small potatoes" type of project, but you could have a product nevertheless.... The product is....

CLIPPINGS!

Several people on ebay are selling magazine clippings. They go through old magazines, and clip out articles and photos of various celebrities. They put the same ones together, so all the Jodie Foster clippings go in one pile, and all the Michael J. Fox clippings go in another pile. Then, they sell them.

Here's an example of some Hayley Mills clippings on auction.... and here are some Ewan McGregor clippings on auction.... If you look for "clippings" on ebay you'll find plenty more. It seems to me that older clippings tend to get higher prices.

This won't make you rich, but for someone who reads these magazines anyway then throws them away, why not make some money from it on the side? I don't think I could do this (I don't read the right magazines, and couldn't be bothered clipping things), but if you like these kinds of magazines anyway you could do this in your spare time, at home, while watching your kids or even in front of the TV.

Anyhow, this was just to give some Sowpubbers some ideas....

If you see any interesting auctions on ebay, please post them here so we can all learn something from them. :)

Cheers,

Dien Rice

I sometimes dabble in selling items on ebay. This doesn't make big money, but children's ex-library books sell great also. The books should be a few years old and ones the library doesn't want anymore. Sometimes you can pick these up fairly cheap at yard sales and book fairs. You'd be surprised at how much people are willing to pay for something that has sentimental value to them. One mans junk is another mans gold.

> You can sometimes get lots of very
> interesting business ideas on ebay.... I'm
> sometimes amazed by what people buy and sell
> there!

> Here are some auctions I found
> interesting.... How can you make money from
> something that many people throw away?

> A lot of people throw away their old
> magazines.... After they've read them, to
> them they are worthless and go out with the
> trash.

> Well, if you can get these cheaply (or even
> for nothing), you could have a product. It
> won't make you rich - it's a "small
> potatoes" type of project, but you
> could have a product nevertheless.... The
> product is....

> CLIPPINGS!

> Several people on ebay are selling magazine
> clippings. They go through old magazines,
> and clip out articles and photos of various
> celebrities. They put the same ones
> together, so all the Jodie Foster clippings
> go in one pile, and all the Michael J. Fox
> clippings go in another pile. Then, they
> sell them.

> Here's an example of some Hayley Mills
> clippings on auction .... and here are some
> Ewan McGregor clippings on auction .... If
> you look for "clippings" on ebay
> you'll find plenty more.

> This won't make you rich, but for someone
> who reads these magazines anyway then throws
> them away, why not make some money from it
> on the side? I don't think I could do this
> (I don't read the right magazines, and
> couldn't be bothered clipping things), but
> if you like these kinds of magazines anyway
> you could do this in your spare time, at
> home, while watching your kids or even in
> front of the TV.

> Anyhow, this was just to give some
> Sowpubbers some ideas.... If you see any
> interesting auctions on ebay, please post
> them here so we can all learn something from
> them. :)

> Cheers,

> Dien Rice




You too can work from home

Hi Wendi,

> I sometimes dabble in selling items on ebay.
> This doesn't make big money, but children's
> ex-library books sell great also. The books
> should be a few years old and ones the
> library doesn't want anymore. Sometimes you
> can pick these up fairly cheap at yard sales
> and book fairs. You'd be surprised at how
> much people are willing to pay for something
> that has sentimental value to them. One mans
> junk is another mans gold.

Thanks, that's a great idea.... It IS fun turning "junk" into "gold".... And I've found people can be overjoyed too when you send them something they've wanted. I've sold a few different things on ebay, and to me the greatest joy is when you get enthusiastic emails from people who love what they've bought from you!

I've found a good market is the market of people who are missing things from their past, or even those who are living away from "home" and who are "homesick".... You're right, people love to reminisce and they'll love you for giving them the chance to do it. :)

Thanks Wendi for sharing those great thoughts. :)

- Dien

Here are a couple more people making money from ebay....

These two guys lost their jobs after September 11. But they are real "pack rats" - they save everything! They've found they can make profits selling all their old toys and other stuff lying around the house on ebay....

Click on the link below to read their story. :)

- Dien Rice


Old Toys Help Local Men Make Money

>You'd be surprised at how
> much people are willing to pay for something
> that has sentimental value to them. One mans
> junk is another mans gold.

Do you suppose that after 9/11 there would be more of a market for nostalgia - things that remind people of simpler, more peaceful times? If so, what sorts of things would people be after?

> You can sometimes get lots of very
> interesting business ideas on ebay.... I'm
> sometimes amazed by what people buy and sell
> there!
..
> Here are some auctions I found
> interesting.... How can you make money from
> something that many people throw away?

> A lot of people throw away their old
> magazines.... After they've read them, to
> them they are worthless and go out with the
> trash.

> Well, if you can get these cheaply (or even
> for nothing), you could have a product. It
> won't make you rich - it's a "small
> potatoes" type of project, but you
> could have a product nevertheless.... The
> product is....

> CLIPPINGS!

> Several people on ebay are selling magazine
> clippings. They go through old magazines,
> and clip out articles and photos of various
> celebrities. They put the same ones
> together, so all the Jodie Foster clippings
> go in one pile, and all the Michael J. Fox
> clippings go in another pile. Then, they
> sell them.

> Here's an example of some Hayley Mills
> clippings on auction .... and here are some
> Ewan McGregor clippings on auction .... If
> you look for "clippings" on ebay
> you'll find plenty more. It seems to me that
> older clippings tend to get higher prices.

> This won't make you rich, but for someone
> who reads these magazines anyway then throws
> them away, why not make some money from it
> on the side? I don't think I could do this
> (I don't read the right magazines, and
> couldn't be bothered clipping things), but
> if you like these kinds of magazines anyway
> you could do this in your spare time, at
> home, while watching your kids or even in
> front of the TV.

> Anyhow, this was just to give some
> Sowpubbers some ideas....

> If you see any interesting auctions on ebay,
> please post them here so we can all learn
> something from them. :)

> Cheers,

> Dien Rice

For years Kurt Saxon has been taking his old
popular mechanics and popular science articles
and republishing them as The Survivor. Link below.
Then he ads his own editorial and a few articles
of his own.

There was a book in the 60's called Public Works.
One of those "you can do absolutely anything"
type books. It was huge...about 4-5 lbs. He wrote
6 pages of it. The rest were just various pamphlets he had accumulated...cooking, first aid,
auto repair, taxes, amtrak train schedule...

Just a thought....


How to Prepare for the Coming Collapse!

> Do you suppose that after 9/11 there would
> be more of a market for nostalgia - things
> that remind people of simpler, more peaceful
> times? If so, what sorts of things would
> people be after?

I saw a news item the other day on the fact that
people apparently are abandoning health food in
favor of comfort foods and pet sales are up.
It didn't bring up nostalgia, so don't know
whether thats up or not. I went thru my nostalgia
phase a year before 9/11, so its always there.

Here's an excerpt of a story I wrote for The Business Fastlane and just got reprinted in
Spare Time Magazine

RETRO CRAZE BRINGS In 3,000 ORDERS/MONTH

Are you old enough to remember eating Jiffy
Pop StoveTop popcorn, Sugar Babies or Necco
Wafer candies? What about those wax lips or
wax mini bottles?

About 5 years ago, 45 Year Old Colleen Chapin
moved from Wisconsin to sunny Florida. She
liked the move but was unhappy she couldn't
find her favorite candy in her new state.

She called some candy suppliers and not only
located her favorite, but other long forgotten
candies she hadn't eaten since she was a kid.

That gave he an idea. Supply "retro" candy
to baby boomers they used to enjoy as kids.

She lined up suppliers, created a website and
launched her new "retro" candy business right
out of her house.

It's been a sweet success :-) She now has over
400 products and sales are approaching $1 million
a year and she recently moved into a new spacious
warehouse.

http://www.hometownfavorites.com/

What favorite memory from your past can you
turn into a profitable business?

Ron Ruiz
The Business Fastlane


Reporting Who's Making Money and How They Are Doing It!!

Hi Joe,

Thanks for sharing this.... I had a look at Kurt Saxon's web site, he had some fascinating stuff.

I think there's a lot you can do with "recycling" articles.... A lot of people don't realize that US Government publications are generally free-of-copyright, and can be legally "recycled". That is, in general, you can reprint them or even modify them legally, and sell it as your own product. The US Government is also a great source of copyright-free images.

Now, I SUSPECT this is also true for US military documents - that they are also free of copyright - but I'm not 100% sure. Does anyone know?

Thanks,

Dien Rice