| You can, if you are ambitious, start a Mail Order | | | | direct you to others who have exactlywhat you need!) |
| Business selling collectables to hobbiest by mail. To | | | | |
| begin, you must first find a hobby that appeals to YOU. | | | | Place "Wanted to Buy" ads in your local newspaper. |
| Next, you must spend several weeks researching that | | | | Be sure to list your phone number. |
| hobby. You must learn what collectors want and how | | | | |
| much they are willing to pay for it. You should also | | | | It is amazing what you can find in your local community |
| know what other dealers are willing to pay forthe | | | | if you work at it. However, if you can't find enough |
| merchandise which they sell. And you must be willing | | | | merchandiselocally, run ads in the Collector's |
| to pay the same amounts. | | | | Magazines listed above. Their rates are very, very low. |
| | | | And you will soon discover that they are widely read! |
| Perhaps you already know exactly what you want to | | | | |
| sell. If youhave been collecting old Valentines, then start | | | | Once you have accumulated a decent stock of |
| a Mail Orderbusiness buying and selling old Valentines. | | | | merchandise, you are ready to begin selling it. If there |
| Or Stamps. Or Comic Books. The first rule of Mail | | | | are publicationsspecializing in your field, by all means |
| Order selling is to sell what you yourself would buy. | | | | advertise there. Youhave a ready-made audience! |
| | | | Also run ads in the big hobbymagazines. |
| To give you an idea of what collectors buy and sell by | | | | |
| mail, here is a partial list of today's | | | | Type up a list of what you have and have an Instant |
| collectables:Phonograph Records, Cigar Label, License | | | | Printer make a hundred or so copies for you. |
| Plates,Beer Labels, Circus Posters, Music Boxes,Salt | | | | Hobbyists don't mind typewritten, mimeographed, or |
| Pepper Shakers, Greeting Cards, Old Pencils,Atlases, | | | | xerox copies . . . it's half thefund of collecting. Then run |
| Military Medals, Sheet Music,Doll Clothes, Menus, Cigar | | | | your ad. Your ad can merely offeryour list to |
| Boxes,Train Photos, Old Calendars, MapsStreet, Car | | | | interested collectors free (or for a stamp, to weedout |
| Tokens, Buttons, Postcards,Fruit, Car Tokens, Fruit Jar | | | | coupon clippers). Or you can offer to make a sale |
| Labels, Old Magazines,Gun Catalogs, Paper Currency, | | | | straightfrom the ad. If you do the latter, stick in your |
| Cartoon Books, Theatre Programs, Political Buttons, | | | | price listwith the merchandise. It will be read . . . eagerly! |
| Baseball Cards,Children's Books, Stock Certificates, Old | | | | |
| Toys,Gems, Minerals, Belt Buckles, Airplane Photos,FBI | | | | Here are a few sample ads run by hobby dealers for |
| Posters, Newspapers, Coins,Arrowheads, Old Jewelry, | | | | yourconsideration: |
| Boat Photographs, Advertising Cards, Dog Pictures, | | | | |
| Movie Magazines, Autographs, Dolls, Hunting | | | | "Railroad Timetables, 1940's Four different - $4.00 |
| Licenses,Valentines, Cookbooks, Beatle Items,Stamps, | | | | postpaid.. |
| Indian Relics, Railroad Books, Fishing Licenses, Comic | | | | |
| Books, Thimbles, Automobile Manuals, Diaries, Railroad | | | | "Old Children's Books and Texts. Stamp for List." |
| Passes, Antique Barbed Wire | | | | |
| | | | "85,000 Comic Books, Movie Magazines, Funnies, etc. |
| | | | 1900-1957. Catalog $1.00 (Refundable)." |
| | | | |
| Once you have selected your field, start a file. Keep | | | | "Original Movie Poster, Pressbooks, Stills, 1919-1975. |
| copies ofall the ads selling your kind of merchandise. | | | | Catalog - 50 cents" |
| Also keep adsshowing the dealer's buying prices. If | | | | |
| price lists ar offeredin ads, send for them and STUDY | | | | "Sleigh Bells! Stamp for list." |
| them. MAKE YOURSELF AN EXPERTIN YOUR | | | | |
| FIELD. | | | | "Sheet Music. SASE for list." |
| | | | |
| Try to locate any publications that deal with your field. | | | | Just in case you are not familiar with the phrase, |
| Often, you can locate small mimeographed publications | | | | "SASE" means "Self-addressed, stamped envelope". |
| andnewsletters which will give you all kinds of useful | | | | As you progress, you will learn continually. Most hobby |
| information. | | | | dealers will tell you that they learn more from the |
| | | | collectors who buy from them than they could ever |
| Your next step is to look for merchandise in your own | | | | learn from any other source. |
| community.Here are some suggestions: | | | | |
| | | | Note to editors:To show my appreciation to the editors |
| Start by attending flea markets and antique shoes. | | | | that use my articles, I offer a free solo ad. Simply send |
| Don't be afraid to make inquiries of dealers. They often | | | | an email to me by using the form on the contact me |
| have what they consider "junk" stashed away, | | | | page on my website to tell me the url the article was |
| assuming that it isn't of muchvalue to anyone. I once | | | | used on or send me a copy of the ezine it was used |
| discovered a fabulous stamp collectionthat way! | | | | in. |
| | | | |
| Browse around through Thrift Shops. | | | | Copyright 2004 by DeAnna SpencerDeAnna Spencer |
| | | | is a virtual assistant that helps entrepreneurs run a |
| Study the garage sale ads in your local newspaper. | | | | successful business by providing affordable |
| Visit any that sound promising. (Sometimes, it pays to | | | | administrative help. She also publishes a blog for small |
| telephone first. Also, by telling people what kind of | | | | business owners. Visit this small business resource |
| merchandise you are looking for, they may be able to | | | | today. |