How to Sell Hobby Items
by Mail You can, if you are ambitious, start a
Mail Order Business selling collectibles to
hobbyists. 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 collectibles!
Phonograph Records
Cigar Labels
License Plates
Beer Labels
Circus Posters
Music Boxes
Salt/Pepper Shakers
Greeting Cards
Old Pencils
Atlases
Military Medals
Sheet Music
Doll Clothes
Gems, Minerals
Belt Buckles
Airplane Photos
FBI Posters
Automobile Manuals
Antique Barbed Wire
Old Jewelry
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Street Car Tokens
Fruit Jar Labels
Old Magazines
Gun Catalogs
Paper Currency
Cartoon Books
Theater Programs
Political Buttons
Baseball Cards
Children's Books
Stock Certificates
Indian Relics
Railroad Books
Fishing Licenses
Cigar Boxes
Comic Books
Old Calendars
Postcards
Arrowheads
Railroad Passes
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Boat Photographs
Advertising Cards
Dog Pictures
Movie Magazines
Autographs
Dolls
Hunting Licenses
Valentines
Cookbooks
Beatles Items
Stamps
Old Toys
Menus
Maps
Thimbles
Train Photos
Newspapers
Diaries
Coins
Buttons
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I would like to suggest that
you send for sample copies of two magazines. They
are read avidly by hobby dealers and hobby
collectors alike:
THE ANTIQUE TRADER WEEKLY
Box 1050
Dubuque, IA 52001
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THE COLLECTORS NEWS
Box 156
Grundy Center, IA 50638
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Each of these
publications contain around 70 or 80 pages of ads
from dealers and collectors. Almost every hobby
publication, large or small, if listed within its
pages.
Once you have selected your
field, start a file. Keep copies of all the ads
selling your kind of merchandise. Also keep ads
showing the dealers 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 publication
that deals 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 shows. 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, they may be able to direct you
to others who have exactly what you
need!)
- Place "Wanted to
Buy" ads in your local Swapper's
News, or 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,
laser printer, or xerox copies - it's half the
fun of collecting. Then run your ad. Your ad can
merely offer your list to interested collectors
free (or for a SASE, 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 consideration:
- "Railroad
Timetables, 1940's
Four Different - $4.00 postpaid."
- "Old
Children's Books and Texts.
#10 SASE for List."
- "85,000
Comic Books, Movie Magazines,
Funnies, etc., 1900-1957. Catalog
$1.00 (Refundable)."
- "Original
Movie Posters, Pressbooks,
Stills, 1919-1975. Catalog - $.50
- "Sleigh
Bells! 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.
Below are some other hobby
publications that may interest you. (At the time
this article was written, these publications were
available. However, we cannot guarantee that they
are still in publication. There are several
things you can do before sending a letter or
money to them. You can check your local library
in the Index of Periodicals or a local book store
may be able to verify current addresses for them.
Good luck). You can write to these publications
and request a sample copy. However, it would be a
good idea to include postage when requesting
copies from the publisher.
HOBBIES
1006 S. MICHIGAN AVE.
CHICAGO, IL 60605 THE AUTOGRAPH
NEWS
7540 S. MEMORIAL PARKWAY
HUNTSVILLE, AL 35802
WESTERN
STAMP COLLECTOR
BOX 10
ALBANY, OR 97321
COIN
& STAMP TRADING NEWS
BOX 11101
SANTA ROSA, CA 95406
STAMPS
MAGAZINE
153 WAVERLY PLACE
NEW YORK, NY 10014
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LYNN'S WEEKLY
STAMP NEWS
BOX 29
SIDNEY, OH 45365 DOLL CASTLE NEWS
BRASS CASTLE
WASHINGTON, NJ 07882
JESSIE'S
HOMEMAKER
731 BLUE BELL STREET
FT. COLLINS, CO 80521
CANADIAN
HOBBY SHOPPER
BOX 3382 - HALIFAX SOUTH, NS
CANADA B3J 3J1
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