Alas – we come to the final week of this years Goodwill Smackdown. We extended it a week so we could have a little more time to find items and sell them. Whether that extra time helped or not – we shall soon find out.
If you’ll remember, each participant was tasked with finding a maximum of 3 items and needed to resell those items on ebay or Craigslist. The highest percentage of profit (on any of the items) would be the winner.
Let’s find out what each contestant purchased and if they were able to sell their items for profit. Don’t forget to comment below for your chance at winning a $50 Goodwill gift card (OR another card of your choosing if you aren’t in a Goodwill area).
Laurie
can she add to her first year victory?
Well, once again neither of my items sold. After my blowout first year in which I kicked Aaron and Charlie’s tails, and losing to Aaron last year, I fully expected a comeback this year. For my clothing choice I found a brand new, tags-still-on pair of Old Navy Jeans for girls. I got them on a “deal day” at Goodwill for half-price, paying just $1.99 for the jeans. I listed them on EBay using EBay’s recommended price of $9, but no bites.
For my household item I found a beautiful-looking antique fake silver pitcher. I paid $4.99 at Goodwill and tried to sell it for $9.99, but again, no bites.
I didn’t do auctions this year, but instead, set prices, hoping to solidify my profit margin. Apparently people are better lured in by the fast action of the auction bids. I’m going to try and re-list them via auction and see what happens. Either way, you can’t beat the great prices at Goodwill stores.
Profit: $0
Charlie
Can the originator of the smackdown claim top honors?
This year I went into Goodwill with the mindset that whatever I was going to buy was going to be something that I could use if it didn’t sell. So I went in thinking I’d buy only one item, and spend roughly $3.59. However, that wouldn’t be the case. I ended up finding four items that I thought were awesome deals and any one of them I could probably sell and make a profit. [Ed. note: Since Charlie created the Smackdown, we’ll give him a pass on going against the rules..hehe. ]
- Brand new Braggi – Louis Rafael Slacks (100% Polyester) – $7.99
- Hurley Shorts (Grey – Size 34) – $3.59
- Nike Dryfit Plaid Shorts (Black & White – Size 35) – $3.59
- White Khaki Tre Vero Pants (size 34×34) – $3.59
After I got the items home, I decided on selling the item that I liked the least. (It’s not about the competition this year for me). I listed the White Khaki Tre Vero pants for $8.99 auction with a fixed price of $19.99. The auction is scheduled to end on 9/30 at 3pm, and thus far I don’t have any bids, no watchers, but 9 views. As I’ve learned in year past that if I keep the item listed for at least 30 days, then every year I’ve sold my item for a profit. So at this point I’m doubtful that the item will sell, but I’ll be sure to keep you posted!
Profit: $0
Aaron
can he repeat?
After last years victory, I went into this year’s competition pretty confident (probably too much so). I decided to visit all the Goodwill stores in my vicinity and try and find that hidden “gem”. I think a lot of this is being in the right store at the right time – and being fortunate enough to spot that “one” item.
It wasn’t until the 5th store that I was able to locate most of my items. Every year, I seem to find this challenge more difficult due to the fact that I think more and more people are visiting Goodwill stores these days because you can find a lot of good stuff – that is often brand new! At one store in particular, I could hardly find a parking spot because it was so busy with shoppers.
Since it worked for me last year, I tried to seek out newer, popular board games. I settled on one called, ImagiNiff that I’ve played before and found to be enjoyable. I picked it up for $2.99 and listed for the same at ebay and a little more on Craiglist. In the end, it did not sell.
For my second item, I also went old school and discovered an old wooden-shafted Robert T. Jones (Bobby Jones) golf club. Picked it up for $4.99 and listed it on ebay for as much. I figured if I could just get my money back (at the least), I’d be pleased. But for all my efforts, this too, did not sell.
On my third attempt, I picked up a newer Beatles t-shirt that I thought for sure would get someone to bite. I bought it for $2.99 and started it at that price on ebay auction. I got quite a few visits to the page – and on the last day, just before the auction ended, someone swiped it for the asking price. Fortunately, I got a decent return on shipping and made just a little bit of money.
Profit: $0.85 (WINNER!)
Win a $50 Gift Card to Goodwill!
As you can see – we aren’t exactly experts at thrift store flipping – but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. I (Aaron) do know of people making a living off of flipping items on Craigslist and ebay. But it takes a fair amount of research, knowing what is valuable and properly listing the item for sale. I also think it’s important to set the prices low enough to get an auction going if you are selling on ebay. Oftentimes, I have set a price too high, and no one begins to bid.
All this said – it was another fun Smackdown. Hope you enjoyed following along and we’d love to hear if you have tried this yourself and what has worked for you? All you have to do is leave a comment on this post OR the last one kicking off the event to be eligible to win the $50 Goodwill gift card (graciously provided by Goodwill Easter Seals in MN). Last day to comment is 10/2 at midnight.
Happy thrifting! If anyone knows of someone who wants an old golf club or fake silver pitcher, let us know!