Turning Your Trash Into Cash – Online Auction
Turning Your Trash Into Cash
Jeffrey Strain
Junk. We all have some of it lying around the house. Whether its boxed items cluttering the attic or everyday items that just dont fit with the rooms decorating theme anymore, many of us have more than we need. At some point it all gets to be too much and in a fit of energy we decide that our place needs to be cleaned. Then the junk gets moved, typically to the nearest trash can. But wait. Before you throw out all that stuff, it pays to take head of the saying "one persons junk is another persons treasure."
If you are about to throw out something because you think it has little value, you may come to regret it later. Those things that you consider to be trash many times have great value to collectors. If you have an item and have no idea if it has any worth, a quick first step is to head to the online auction sites like eBay. Input the item you have into their search engine. If similar items come up and there are bids on them, then someone out there thinks that the item you were about to trash has some worth.
If you are trying to get rid of a few select items, the online auction sites may be the perfect place. Simply place the item on auction for a minimum price and let others bid away on it. This is where you may find that old, ugly toy you could no longer stand the sight of looks like a perfect jewel to somebody else. You dont even have to know how to list the items yourself anymore since sites like eBay offer services that will match you with someone who will list the auction for you for a small fee.
Even if the item doesnt sell at auction, it still may be worth some money to you. If you have a large number of items that didnt manage to sell on the online auctions, having a garage sale or heading off to sell at a local flea market for a day may bring in some extra cash. This is also a good way of getting rid of those everyday items that still have life, but you are certain are not worth a lot of money.
If you have an item that you suspect has some value, it pays to do a little research before placing it on auction. While the auction sites are a good place to see if something may have worth, they are not a good place to determine what the true value of something. Auctions can easily turn more emotional than sensible, and items may go for far more than their true worth. In the same vein, unique items that may not be familiar to those frequenting the online auctions may sell for far less than their true worth.
If you want to find the general true worth of something, the least expensive alternative is to head to your local library and check out collectible books and price guides on the subject. You can also search for Internet sites dedicated to the particular item in hand that can give you a good approximation of what the item may be worth. Another low cost alternative for those who dont want to take the time researching is to take it to a pawn shop and see if, and how much, the shop would be willing to give you for it. Pawn shops will buy the item for a fraction of its true worth, so if you are offered a decent amount, you know that you have something of value.
For items that you believe may be worth quite a bit such as antiques or if you have a lot of items and want to make sure the gems dont get accidentally placed with the ordinary items, it may be worthwhile to hire an appraiser. Appraisers charge between $150 and $300 an hour and you want to make sure that you get an independent appraiser that has no interest in purchasing the items you are having appraised if the appraiser is interested in the items, he or she will be tempted to lowball their true worth in order to get them for a good price. You can get references for appraisers from organizations like the Appraisers Association of America: http://www.appraisersassoc.org
Even if you are not willing to put in the time and effort for any these events, there is always a better place than the trash can for most items. Simply load them up in your car and take them to a local charitable organization or the larger nationwide organizations like Goodwill and the Salvation Army. Not only will you be extending the life of the item, your donation will entitle you to receive a tax deduction for it if you itemize your tax return, and thats certainly better than getting nothing at all.
Copyright c 2004, by Jeffrey Strain
This article may be freely distributed so long as the copyright, authors information and an active link where possible are included.
A complimentary copy of any newsletter or a link to the site where the article is posted would be greatly appreciated.
About The Author
Jeffrey Strain has published hundreds of money saving articles and the creator of the Daily Money Saving Challenge Program. He is the co-owner of http://www.savingadvice.com -- a website dedicated to saving you money.
savingadvice@gmail.com
5 Quickest Ways To Massive Windfalls Of Cash Online – Merchant Account
5 Quickest Ways To Massive Windfalls Of Cash Online
Ewen Chia
These days everyone wants to know how to make money online.
Yet, for some, this lifestyle seems out of reach. Does this describe you at all
If you
The Many Ways To Profit From O.P.P.s Multiple Cash Streams – Real Estate
The Many Ways To Profit From O.P.P.s Multiple Cash Streams
Sue and Chuck DeFiore
In a previous article we introduced you to the concept of O.P.P., or Other Peoples Property.
In that article we asked you what you would do if you found a business that:
could generate multiple streams of income
would work in any area of the country
could be worked both locally and nationally
could be worked both on and off the web
would allow you to build your long term net worth
and, can be started either in your spare time or part time
What we are talking about is a wonderful business that allows you to generate immediate cash flow and also build your long term net worth.
So, what is this wonderful business. Lease Purchasing.
Lease Purchasing is a specialized niche in the field of Creative Real Estate, which allows you to control property without the trouble of ownership; and profit from this. Lease Purchasing affords wonderful benefits and opportunities to sellers, buyers, investors and those who would like to operate a home-based business. Lease Purchasing allows you to control property without ownership and this has benefits for all.
Lease Purchasing provides you with a variety of ways to make money. Some of them are:
You make money with the assignment fee. The assignment fee is the money you receive from selling a contract you have on a property. This will vary depending on the strategy you use.
You can also make money on cash flow. Cash flow is the difference between what the tenant/buyer pays you and the obligation you have on a property. You can also negotiate with the seller for a percentage of the positive cash flow, even if you are using one of the strategies in which you do not remain in the deal.
You can receive money at closing. When the tenant/buyer exercises the option to purchase the property, and if the deal is structured in this way, you can receive money at the closing.
You can create your own, high quality notes, which will give you a very nice monthly income.
You can flip a contract or sell a pure option to another investor and receive money in this manner.
You can consult with buyers and sellers. Sometimes the seller just doesnt want you in the deal or a buyer wants to do it themselves. In these cases you can consult with buyers and sellers and show them how to do it. You charge a consulting fee to help buyers and sellers with the lease purchasing their property.
Every year, thousands of people get started building their fortunes in Real Estate. It is well documented that Real Estate is the worlds greatest wealth builder.
The niche of Lease Purchasing grants you the ability to reach your financial freedom, with O.P.P., Other Peoples Property. All it takes is the desire to succeed, some time investment on your part and some specialized knowledge.
As you can see, Lease Purchasing comes very close to being the Perfect Home-Based Business. A realistic first year income is $50,000 to $75,000 for someone working full time. You can add $20,000 to $30,000 to your present income on a part time basis.
Dont you think you owe it to yourself to explore the potential of O.P.P.
What are you waiting for
Copyright DeFiore Enterprises 2000
About The Author
Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, its like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com
coaches@homebusinesssolutions.com