 |
|
 | |
Your search included government help for hobbies-crafts 800 306 0873 |
 |
|
| Crafts & Hobbies Government Incentives |
|
|
|
|
Free Government Grants 888 384 9608 Government Jobs
Sell Hobby Items by Mail
You can, if you are ambitious, start a Mail Order Business selling collectables to hobbiest by mail. 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 forthe 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 youhave been collecting old Valentines, then start a Mail Orderbusiness 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 collectables: Phonograph Records, Cigar Label, License Plates,Beer Labels, Circus Posters, Music Boxes,Salt/Pepper Shakers, Greeting Cards, Old Pencils,Atlases, Military Medals, Sheet Music,Doll Clothes, Menus, Cigar Boxes,Train Photos, Old Calendars, MapsStreet, Car Tokens, Buttons, Postcards,Fruit, Car Tokens, Fruit Jar Labels, Old Magazines,Gun Catalogs, Paper Currency, Cartoon Books, Theatre Programs, Political Buttons, Baseball Cards,Children's Books, Stock Certificates, Old Toys,Gems, Minerals, Belt Buckles, Airplane Photos,FBI Posters, Newspapers, Coins,Arrowheads, Old Jewelry, Boat Photographs, Advertising Cards, Dog Pictures, Movie Magazines, Autographs, Dolls, Hunting Licenses,Valentines, Cookbooks, Beatle Items,Stamps, Indian Relics, Railroad Books, Fishing Licenses, Comic Books, Thimbles, Automobile Manuals, Diaries, Railroad Passes, Antique Barbed WireOnce you have selected your field, start a file. Keep copies ofall the ads selling your kind of merchandise. Also keep adsshowing the dealer's buying prices. If price lists ar offeredin ads, send for them and STUDY them. MAKE YOURSELF AN EXPERTIN YOUR FIELD. Try to locate any publications that deal with your field. Often, you can locate small mimeographed publications andnewsletters 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 shoes. Don't be afraid to make inquiries of dealers. They often have what they consider "junk" stashed away, assuming that it isn't of muchvalue to anyone. I once discovered a fabulous stamp collectionthat 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 first. Also, by telling people what kind of merchandise you are looking for, they may be able to direct you to others who have exactlywhat you need!) Place "Wanted to Buy" ads in 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 merchandiselocally, 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 publicationsspecializing in your field, by all means advertise there. Youhave a ready-made audience! Also run ads in the big hobbymagazines. 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, mimeographed, or xerox copies . . . it's half thefund of collecting. Then run your ad. Your ad can merely offeryour list to interested collectors free (or for a stamp, to weedout coupon clippers). Or you can offer to make a sale straightfrom the ad. If you do the latter, stick in your price listwith the merchandise. It will be read . . . eagerly! Here are a few sample ads run by hobby dealers for your "Railroad Timetables, 1940's "Old Children's Books and Texts. Stamp for List." "85,000 Comic Books, Movie Magazines, Funnies, etc. "Original Movie Poster, Pressbooks, "Sleigh Bells! Stamp for list." "Sheet Music. 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. Note to editors: Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer This article may be redistributed freely on the Internet as long as the resource box remains intact.
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Bartering: A Modern Day Phenomenon Back in the early days of America, families didn't have much in the form of money. What they did have was skill, creativity, and a desire to help each other out. Most of us know of the "doctor" who is paid for his services with chickens, apples, or bread. Scrapbooking Yourself as an Individual, Homemaker, Worker, and More From age 25 onwards, our grand adventure has just unfolded as we embrace adulthood. Wax Pencils, Stickers, and Rubber Stamping in Your Scrapbooks Another important writing implement for scrapbooking is a wax pencil. Wax pencils are soft pencils designed to write on glass, plastic and photographs. These pencils are easy to draw with and can be used to color in portions of lettering, in borders, or to create accents. How To Create A Collage Journal Creating a collage journal is a unique and fun way to personalize and enrich your journal. Making a collage journal is something that everyone can enjoy. If you are a visual artist, photographer, writer or just someone who wants to enhance your written journal, then creating a collage journal can be quite an adventure. Choose From A Wide Variety Of Off Road RC Trucks To Play In The Dirt Are you tired of driving your cars only on the road? Are you looking to get a little bit dirty? Or even a lot dirty? If you need a change from RC street racing, it is time to go off-road with the extreme off-road RC trucks. With a large variety of RC trucks to choose from, there is something for everybody, and every skill level. Creating A Family Tradition-Jigsaw Puzzles Do you find it difficult to spend time together as a family? Coin Collecting ? A Fun Hobby Over the years, collecting coins has grown from being just a hobby to becoming a full-blown enterprise with numerous Internet sites devoted to coins. Over the next several weeks, I will give you a little background about coin collecting to help those who want to pursue this as a hobby and maybe even make some money in the process. Copyright: Five Facts Every Scrapbooker Needs To Know! Here are five basic things that EVERY scrapbooker should know about copyright: Woodworking: Protection When Working With Wood - Ignoring Could Potentially Harm Your Health Or Kill Woodworking: Basic Safety Tips Depression Glass Patterns Collectors of Depression Glass find not only its beautiful colors fascinating, but its patterns, as well. With many glass producers making this type of glass, as you can imagine, many patterns resulted, creating a wide array of pretty, practical, and inexpensive glassware affordable to every American household in that lean era of history and making Depression Glass one of the most collectible items today. What Is An Un-circulated Coin? You may have heard the terms proof coin and un-circulated coin, but what's the difference between these two? To understand the difference between a proof and un-circulated coin, let's first answer the question, "What is an un-circulated coin?" A Look at Cloisonné Lapel Pins Cloisonné lapel pins are the most traditional, if not the most collectible of the lapel pin types. Most of the older lapel pins are either die-cast metal or cloisonné. Cloisonné is from the French word for cell, which refers to the method that cloisonné is created. A metal structure, or cell, is formed with the outline of the design and filled with enamel and then baked to permanently set the design. The cloisonné technique dates all the way back to 13th century B.C. in ancient Japan, however the Chinese really made the art form their own, creating beautiful vases and other artifacts. A cloisonné lapel pin is a modern interpretation of this ancient and beautiful art. Scrapbooking Tips And Tricks For Photos And Images When you're incorporating pictures of any kind into your scrap book, why not set them off with an unusual finish? This could be an original idea for a border or frame -- or an arrangement of several items on the page to add a little drama. Here are a couple of tips that might do well for a children's album -- perhaps a keepsake baby scrapbook, or just a page for a boy or girl. Floral Arranging as a Hobby Flower arranging has become increasingly popular as a hobby, for people of all ages and backgrounds. Origami Instructions - Getting Started The birthplace of origami is still a mystery. Paper was developed in China in the first century A.D., and Buddhist monks brought it to Japan by the sixth century A.D. However there are not many written records from that time, so it is not known whether origami first began in China or Japan. However, no one will argue that Japan developed origami to a high art form. The word origami is Japanese: oru means "to fold", and kami means "paper". How Could Your Hobby be the Key to Financial Success? Virtually everyone has the knowledge they need to make a fortune. Everyone has an interest, hobby or has knowledge about a particular subject. It could be anything, and I really mean anything! From gardening to model planes, childcare, from dog training to sports, everyone has knowledge that someone else wants. The problem is that most people have no idea how much their knowledge is worth because information online is worth much more today. Decorative Metal Work Techniques From The Early 1900s Today's Metal Craft workers should truly appreciate the artistic skills & techniques used exclusively by the highly skilled metal artisans from almost one hundred years ago. An Introduction to Lanyards Lanyards are pieces of rope, wire, or cloth specifically designed to attach to objects. They are typically used to secure small items such as a work badge, key, identification card, eyeglasses, whistle, cell phone, bottle opener, knife, or compass. A lanyard can be worn around the neck, arm, waist or wrist. When worn around the wrist, a lanyard is often referred to as a "wristlet." Embroidery Designs Digitizing Software Embroidery Magic 2 software program was created with multiple function lettering, editing and digitizing features for embroidery designs and was designed for those who have home embroidery machines and software. We have also have had customers purchase this embroidery software who have well established commercial embroidery businesses but have found that it creates better lettering than any other program they have purchased, regardless of price! However, in regard to the EM 2 price, it should be understood that you will not get the full features of a high end digitizing program with a lot of "bells and whistles". Let's focus on what is included in this great, very affordable program! Embroidery Designs Testing for Machine Embroidery We have found a "new" way to see how well the stabilizers and methods you are using are working with so that your designs look GREAT without any off outlines, puckering, cupping or warping. This is a TEST - Only a Test - but if You and your stabilizers pass - You will have great looking designs. And if your methods and stabilizers don't pass - you can just try again - Till you get it right.
|
