(Part 2) Best products from r/Flipping

> KESTENBAUM: What one looks really amazing?
>
> PETERSON: Well, the gold standard for this textbook season is "Adult Development And Aging." Do you have that chart, Kenny?
>
> JACOBSON: Let me find it. What was it called?
>
> PETERSON: Do you want its ISBN number? 0073128546.
>
> JACOBSON: Oh yeah, we've got six of those in inventory. Oh, my gosh, OK, that is a good chart (Laughter).
>
> KESTENBAUM: In the summer, the book hits a low of $16.92. But then...
>
> JACOBSON: Right around January first it starts shooting up. And at January 29, it's in the $250 range.
>
> KESTENBAUM: From $16 to $250 - the chance to make over $200 on a single book. The pattern was there for lots of books - arbitrage - free money. It's as if you'd found a stock that went up and down at very regular times so that you would know exactly when you could buy it and then you would know exactly when to sell it. And you would, guaranteed, make money.

Product on Amazon
Product on Camelcamelcamel (make sure you turn on the "3rd Party" lines!)

Pricing as of Nov 18 2014, 11am US Eastern
Prime: $188.18
New from Marketplace: $44.46
Used from Marketplace: $12.25

Their story doesn't seem to check out as reported. There's still money to be made by buying used & selling used, but on the order of $5 to $20, not $17 to $250.

What's more interesting is how anyone can figure out the timing system these people have "figured out". Anyone can do the same thing on the 'sales rank' tab at camelcamelcamel. The sales rank gets pegged for the duration of Jan 1 - Jun 1 (the spring semester), and has a pretty good bump for winter semesters.

Also note: you can rent this book for $16 on Amazon, with free return shipping at the end of the semester.

We'll see what happens in January with this specific example.

Sansa Clip+, it's a little MP3 player, 2.5 inch tall,1.5 inch wide, 1 inch thick... I liked the first one I got so I bought 2 extras at 20 dollars a piece to give as gifts but then phones became popular and they sat in a closet and through a couple of moves, now they're worth 200 each https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B002MAPSC6/ref=dp_olp_all_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=all

Turns out that they're essentially the 'perfect' device for lossless/FLAC enthusiasts, the team that made this particular MP3 player added in: long battery life, microSD card capability, an overbeefed audio driver that delivers something like 10-20% more power through the audio jack than other comparable devices (driving higher quality headphones more better and without hiss during silence), FLAC capability built in, weighs practically nothing, backlit screen, and it's RockBox compatible (open source MP3 player software), also, the team that made this version was let go afterwards apparently because Sansa devices made afterwards lost the extra power. It's been discontinued and MP3 players are a dying breed of devices because of phones so there's no more innovation except at the super high end with blue tooth capability (even those lossless FIIO players are only 150).

I was kinda shocked when I looked up the value. I found the one I used in an old bag, because I finally had enough life/work balance to go back to the gym and my phone is just too big. I sold the 2 and thinking about selling the third because a cheapo player from amazon is like 15 dollars.

1. Depends on what printer you are using. I use a dymo 450 with 30334 labels from HouseLabels. If you use a LaserJet, you can use 30 up labels, but I'm not experienced with those.
   
   
2. HouseLabels have good prices for mine. I'd just search Amazon and eBay and see what's cheapest with the best reviews.
   
   
3. Yes, unless you are doing co-mingled. You can either label the items yourself or have Amazon do it for .20 an item.
   
   
4. I have used these and they worked well: http://www.amazon.com/Suffocation-Warning-1-5ml-Self-sealed-Count/dp/B00GXFXNR8/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1411587308&sr=8-3&keywords=suffocation+bag
   
   I just ordered these so I can have a better variety of sizes:
   http://www.amazon.com/piece-Combo-Pack-Suffocation-Warning/dp/B006JNJD82/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411587308&sr=8-1&keywords=suffocation+bag
   
   

Use [salecalc] (https://salecalc.com/) calculate profits and fees.

Calculate shipping by weighing item + plus packing materials. You will need either a shipping scale or kitchen scale to determine weight. Choose "calculated shipping" when listing using the item's weight with packaging and it's dimensions. If you are going to sell clothing I recommend buying some [poly mailers] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HG8720/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) since they are lightweight, cheap, and great for mailing clothing items. I also recommend ordering some FREE padded flat rate envelopes and some A2 boxes from USPS.com for shipping items Priority Mail that are greater than 1 pound.

I guess I'm having a hard time with this because it feels like Amazon's fees and the general nature of low low priced books will completely eat away any profit. For instance, I found what looks like a brand new copy of this: http://www.amazon.com/Sizzling-Sixteen-Stephanie-Plum-Novels/dp/B004E3XI8U/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_har?ie=UTF8&qid=1380901290&sr=8-1&keywords=sizzling+sixteen+hardcover for $1. But when I look at the used books, they're going for like $1 plus $4 shipping.

Can you break this down for me so I understand exactly what's coming out? I found this book: http://www.amazon.com/Sizzling-Sixteen-Stephanie-Plum-Novels/dp/B004E3XI8U/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_har?ie=UTF8&qid=1380901290&sr=8-1&keywords=sizzling+sixteen+hardcover for $1. It looks practically brand new. Here are my questions

1. Should I list it as new? It could certainly pass for new, or at the very least "like new." It doesn't look like whoever used to own it ever opened it up.
   
   
2. I don't have many books to flip right now, so I'm not currently doing FBA (By the way, a very specific breakdown of exactly how FBA works, how to get signed up, fees involved etc., would be fantastic if you have the time). It will cost me $3 to ship this book with media mail (I weighed it just to confirm). What should I price this at so that I can actually make something with it? Or is it a lost cause?
   
   I guess I'm just having a hard time seeing how to actually make any money with books, since I've spent several hours now looking and haven't found anything that wasn't selling for as little as .01 plus shipping by someone else. Am I just looking at the wrong things? If I am, how do I start finding the RIGHT books? Do you have a quick checklist that helps you determine if it might be a good choice for Amazon reselling?
   
   Basically I'm just frustrated that I got so excited and I've had my hopes dashed in the first week of trying to do this. Any help is, of course, greatly appreciated.

The Metro Vacuum ED500 DataVac 500-Watt 0.75-HP Electric Duster 120 volt! (affiliate link)


It's like a vacuum cleaner in reverse. It blows way better than canned air and it doesn't run out so it'll pay for itself in ~10 cans worth of air. I use it to blow years of dust out of old electronics. I have been fixing computer and electronics for years and I just got this thing this year and I wish I had a long time ago.


It will actually clean things better than a vacuum with a dust brush would. But, you really need to use it outside or in a shop because it does blow dust everywhere. Personally I think it's worth the little bit of inconvenience to get my stuff as clean as possible.

tldr; this thing really blows for cleaning stuff

Non-affiliate link

Paper cutter.

Picked one up for a few dollars at a yard sale. I use it to cut up cardboard. If I have something light that can ship first class but semi fragile like an action figure or a $20-40 fishing reel I will cut up a strip of cardboard and wrap it around the item then throw it in a bubble mailer. I could use scissors or just rip the cardboard but there's less waste and faster with a paper cutter.

Rubbing alcohol for getting ink off items, just be careful with certain items as it can fade labels

Spaghetti strainer. Good for rinsing legos. Picked up a metal one at a yard sale as well for $1

Lingerie garment bag, good for also washing stuff like legos in a washing machine


Torso mannequins(I think I got a better deal than this on ebay, under $40 for this set)
https://www.amazon.com/Torso-Female-Waist-Mannequin-Forms/dp/B0040YSPO0/ref=sr_1_5?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1517504186&sr=1-5&keywords=torso+mannequin

Styrofoam head for modeling hats. A few bucks on ebay.

HELP! I've made a big rookie error in bidding on stuff at auction for flipping without checking the details - long story short, I've now got a whopping load (200KG) of coffee in 1KG bags to sell, but its a week past it's best by date.

I know the coffee is 'fine' and will be for months, but I have no idea how to shift this! This is what I have x 200:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kenco-24174-Westminster-Filter-Coffee/dp/B000J6BCCA

I didn't buy it for much and I'm not expecting to sell it for much, but please does anybody have any ideas as to what I could do?

I'm UK-based (Manchester).

Thank you in advance for any ideas and advice :)

Sort of a different help me sell this, but should I give up competing with amazon for this buy box?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006IBTF/ref=id_xx_cont_xx

I don't want to lower it anymore because I'm not doubling my money anymore, but amazon lower theres just a little, doesn't even undercut me, and gets the buy box. Should I match amazon and hope to god I get the buy box every so often? Should I raise my price a little and hope amazon does the same thing?

God this is the last time I make the mistake of trying to compete with amazon.

I've posted this one other time in another thread, so this will be my last. I got a few electrical items, maybe someone knows someone doing home remodeling. They are open box but inspected and in good shape. Nothing broken. These are not my listings I'm linking to, just examples. I also have a few men's size large black Nike Golf Dri Fit polos. $17.5 shipped. New with tags. Thanks guys. https://www.amazon.com/Nike-363807-Unisex-Dri-FIT-Micro/dp/B005HFC81C

Recessed lighting housing 2 boxes for $25 plus shipping: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NO83GD8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_arQHxb0J5WV63

Portfolio/bel air lighting pendant lighting $23 shipped: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M94BCW0/ref=cm_sw_r_em_api_c_qdXGxbYKNPNR4

Portfolio/bel air lighting 9 light chandelier $40 shipped: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004Q0M3BO/ref=cm_sw_r_em_api_c_JiXGxb20K80GQ

Hampton bay 2-light chrome bath light $40 shipped: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009M98MKA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_xEQHxbWGJH2JC

> On my 6th FBA shipment now and already feel like I want a barcode scanner to go with profit bandit. I figure the sooner I get it the faster it pays itself off just like my dymo but 300$ for that one scanner everyone seems to use is crazy.

Buy a $50 commodity gun scanner.

I use this one, there are 100000 PL versions that are all identical. I'm not selling this one, so feel free to buy from someone else.

You aren't a spy. No one will care you have a gun format scanner, and it'll be faster and easier to use. Good luck.

https://www.amazon.com/Xcellent-Global-Wireless-Bluetooth-Automatic/dp/B00W92Y2AQ/ref=sr_1_27?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1467923775&sr=1-27&keywords=bluetooth+scanner

I've always just used my common sense. First I look at the item itself. Is it a popular item? Is it something people would need, or is it a luxury? etc. Once I figure that out I try and work my way up the categories. I say "ok so it's a popular scanner, but how often do these sell in comparison to other items you may find in computers & accessories".

It's crude, but it's my way of guesstimating a rough idea of the rank.

You could also try and check CCC. The whole not displaying main rank thing is fairy new, so they may have previous sales history to give you an idea. It may be over a year old, but it should still give you some idea.

http://camelcamelcamel.com/DYMO-1760685-CardScan-Personal-Scanner/product/B004YC2WO2

In your case it shows up until Feb 2015. Not so recent, but definitely give you an idea.

EDIT: You can also click on the category above it to see if it's in the top 100 of that category, etc. In your case, it is ranked 69 in "scanners" which isn't too bad.

Also, the amount of sellers as well as whether Amazon carries it is a good indicator. There usually wouldn't be 50+ sellers if it wasn't a decent item.

A few months ago I picked up a new copy of this. I've never used Amazon before, so I just listed it on ebay. I've dropped the price to as low as $8 and it still isn't selling on ebay.

I'm not sure if the sales rank is very high to know if it would sell on amazon, it's currently ~4,000 in PC games and ~30,000 in video games. Is that at all good? If so, why is the selling price so much higher on amazon than ebay?

I checked CamelCamelCamel to see if it sells frequently, and it looks like there are spikes in it's sales rank over time, but I'm not entirely sure how to understand this data haha. Any help would be appreciated!

So today I managed to find a Speak & Spell, Boxed, used but in great shape, at a sale today. Ebay listings have it at around 25-30, but amazon has it 60+. None of the amazon listings state they have the box. HOWEVER, according to camelcamelcamel, the item doesn't appear to have moved/sold.

Should I just throw it on amazon at the higher end of the price ranges and see what happens? The rank seems decent compared to the graphs I've seen, but still trying to fully understand it. Here's the listing and CCC's graph:

http://www.amazon.com/Speak-Spell-Instruments-Classic-Electronic/dp/B003GDEE9G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462128956&sr=8-1&keywords=speak+%26+spell

http://camelcamelcamel.com/Speak-Spell-Instruments-Classic-Electronic/product/B003GDEE9G

Not even sure if the ranks and graph indicate I did decently (I got it for dirt cheap so anything is profit really, but asking for clarity's sake).

> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073Q6HMB2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7fG3CbR5QR140

They seem okay. I am on the last bit of a roll that i ordered from them, and while i did not measure it, it looks to be accurate compared to others that I have measured. The segments tear easily where they are supposed to tear and the quality seems pretty decent.

I would go ahead and place an order, I think you will be happy with them. I ordered a couple more the other day.

Well it seems that amazon has Over 1000 of these items in stock.

Based on the CamelCamelCamel Results:

http://camelcamelcamel.com/Rolodex-One-Sheet-Business-Plastic-67699/product/B00006IBTF

http://imgur.com/Mol5Rqn

The price fluctuation for this time last year indicates that the price may be headed on a downward trend (due to seasonal needs, demand, etc).

If I were in your shoes, I will not concern about "not doubling my money anymore" and I would start lowering the price until it starts selling and before the price trends may go down.

This item is evergreen, meaning that you could wait until a more favorable season to sell it (in regards to price), but depending on your inventory amount, you may want to just cash out and get as much profit as quickly as possible to reinvest in better inventory.

As far as how your item appears to the buyer check out this page:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B001ILV982/ref=olp_f_primeEligible?ie=UTF8&qid=1463249126&sr=8-4

those are all of the purchase options for this book: http://www.amazon.com/Right-Stuff-Revised-Tom-Wolfe/dp/B001ILV982/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1463249126&sr=8-4

Some times there will be a "Buy Box", where a customer can just click add to cart without even looking at all the available listings, some customers do that, some will go ahead and check out every available option.

Every listing there is an individual seller that has that book for sale. Items that are in Amazon's warehouse and are being sold FBA are eligible for free Prime shipping, this is probably the best advantage to doing FBA, many buyers will chose that option even when there are cheaper options. You can also filter by condition, new vs used, etc. As you can see, there are many different prices and conditions offered. Some items/books will have hundreds of offers, some will only have one or two.

Picked up a printer ink cartridge for free. First time dealing with ink/cartridges. It seems to be this one http://www.amazon.com/HP-Q2610A-Laserjet-10A-Cartridge/dp/B00008BO7B/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393917292&sr=8-1&keywords=hp+10a+q2610a
Just not in the same packaging. I'm thinking it some sort of replacement packaging or just generic business packaging. Anyone know if this is common or if listing it under that Amazon listing would be smart?

Yeah. The clothing that I sell most are the ones on the mannequin. I use one like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0040YSPO0.
It really does look better than hanging or laying flat.

3.2 cents per square foot is the best I've found.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073Q6HMB2

I use this scale
It goes from 0.01 oz all the way to 110 lbs and is great for weighing small first class envelopes all the way up to larger FBA packages.

And at $29.99 it beats the ~$40 scale that only weighs up to 11 lbs that came from Staples.

After about an hr of research I use these

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H1M10EY/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Works great with Inventory Lab

I got a scale for ~$20 that was well reviewed. If I could go back and do it again I would get one where the display attaches via a cord so you can see the weight without having to pick the box off of the scale again.

This is the one I bought.

I would get something well reviewed like this.

I just bought this one a few days ago: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I9D5IFM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I like having the screen separate so bigger boxes don't cover up the readout

I'm still using these rolls from Amazon that were posted here a while back. The reviews are all horrible and there seems to be a chance they will short you on the amount of feet, but it has been fine for me.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073Q6HMB2

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XJBGNN2

Have you tried this one? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073Q6HMB2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_7fG3CbR5QR140