I have done a bit of selling on eBay in the past so I always have my eyes open for things that I think might have a chance of bringing me a little bit of extra money.  Recently, I helped a friend out as he cleaned his parents’ attic prior to them moving out of state. We hauled box after box down the cramped steps from the attic and through his parents’ bedroom. Within a couple of hours, the attic was empty but the living room was filled with old Dusty boxes containing items that no one had seen for years.

My friend was opening up boxes and doing a quick check into each one. After looking into each box for a few seconds, he would write either “save” or “garbage” on the outside of the cardboard flap before closing the box back up again. It was only after hearing him say something about worthless old magazines, that I asked him whether he had considered putting any of the items he labeled as “garbage” on eBay to see if anybody was interested in purchasing them.   He said that he really didn’t have the time to bother with it, but if I wanted to list anything in the “garbage boxes”, he would split the money with me and let me keep 75%.  His parents had already said that they did not want anything that was stored in the attic, as it was mostly old clothing, books, and magazines.

This was an offer that I just could not refuse. The old eBay seller in me kicked into gear as I loaded the old boxes into my van. It turned out that there were several pairs of men’s vintage shoes which sold very well. There were also several old magazines and books that made taking the boxes well worth my while.  My friend was happy have 25% of the sale coming his way, but I gave him half of the money just because I felt like it was the right thing to do.

It has been my experience that it is almost always worth it to at least check out what types of vintage items for sale are available and selling well on eBay from time to time. You never know exactly what you’ll find that other people are very willing to pay for to add to their collections.