How to Make a Fortune with Other People's Junk (Paperback)

by G.G. Carbone (Author) "Welcome to the exciting world of buying and selling..." (more)
Key Phrases: Getting Started, New York, Clarice Cliff (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Expert advice on how you can find the hidden treasures of resales--and earn big profits

". . . a lively crash course in how to exit the garage sale with treasure in hand. As fun as it is informative."
--Wally Lamb, author of She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True

There's buried treasure everywhere. And How to Make a Fortune with Other People's Junk shows you how to find it. Packed with proven insider tips on finding bargains in dozens of venues--including garage sales, flea markets, white elephant sales, tag sales, eBay, and more--it shows you how to:

• Make treasure maps based on classified listings
• Wheel and deal like a pro
• Resell other people's junk for top dollar
• Work upscale markets, including antique shops, auctions, and private collections

From the Back Cover

Learn how to find hidden treasures and sell them for big profits!

Wouldn't you love to be one of those lucky people on "Antiques Roadshow" who finds a Rembrandt at a rummage sale or Jimi Hendrix's guitar in their attic--and then sells it for an unbelievable amount of money? Well, with the right advice from the people who make a living spotting treasure where others see only trash, you can be.

In How to Make a Fortune with Other People's Junk eBay PowerSeller G.G. Carbone reveals the buying and selling secrets of professional antique dealers, collectors, auctioneers, and appraisers, so you can:

• Quickly spot bargain items with a hefty resale value
• Cash in on hot trends and overlooked specialty markets
• Bid wisely at auctions and buy smart at antique shows
• Find the customers that want exactly what you have
• Establish and expand your business through eBay, antique and collectibles shows, private sales, or your own shop

How to Make a Fortune with Other People's Junk also includes amazing treasure hunt success stories, access to valuable Web sites, and a special resource section on price guides and reference books, so you too can make a fortune with other people's junk.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (March 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071446427
• ISBN-13: 978-0071446426
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #119,067 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not My Way, but A Good Way to Start, May 21, 2005

By	John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I find that after reading this book, she's dead right on a number of points, and yet there are a few things where I believe differently. First though a point of absolute agreement. She says concentrate on something, it really doesn't matter, but something. I concentrate on books and computers.

First she says that she sets her alarm to go off at 5 AM so that she can get to the opening bell at the garage sale, flea market, or whatever. Nope! I'm not going to set the alarm anywhere nearly that early. Today a local church had a flea market from 7 to 11. I got there about 10:45, I was just about the only customer there. The church ladies were beginning to recognize that they had an awful lot of stuff left. The book table still had an awful lot of books. The sign said Paperbacks $1, Hardbacks $3. These numbers were scratched out and new numbers of 50 cents and $1 were written in. These were scratched out and 20 cents and fifty cents were written in.

I asked, "How much if I take all the books you have left?" That caused a conference among the church ladies.

They came back, "Make us an offer."

"Well, I brought my truck with me, how about I help you haul stuff out of here in turn for the books?"

Another conference and we made a deal. (This works really well at estate sales where the kids are there from out of town to clean out Grandma's house.)

Free is a good price for books, you can list any of them for sale at Amazon for a penny and make fifty cents or so on the shipping allowance that Amazon gives you. More important, you may find a jewel. I've sold a few free books for $5, $10, $20, in one case $75.

Ms. Carbone recommends several things that you should carry in your car. A thing that I find invaluable is a computer type cell phone with web capability. I can browse to the Amazon web site and quickly check the value of an obscure book while I'm looking over the inventory at a thrift store. Some books look like they would be rare and hard to find but it turns out they were recently reprinted and Amazon has 441 copies available starting at a penny.

As Ms. Carbone says, you will probably eventually specialize. You can't be an expert in everything. Pick something you like, you're going to spend a lot of time working on those things.

Good Luck!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Book for Anyone who would like to make some extra $, June 25, 2005

By	Virginia G. Castle - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is an incredible insight into how you can really make money at garage sales, estate sales, auctions, ebay, etc. First of all for the beginner, like myself, this book was jamm packed full of inside hints of what to do so you can make a great buy. There is a lot of information in this book but it was presented in a way that made it really enjoyable to read. By the time I finished the book I was inspired to get out there and find a great buy. GG Carbones' book just proved to be wonderful advice because I bought a saxophone at a swappers meet a couple of weeks ago and I just sold it and made 100.00 profit! I never would have been the first one there but I took GG Carbones advice and was the early bird and now I have 100 more bucks in my pocket! How can you go wrong with reading a book and making money soon after you have finished it.
I think I'll re-read it again!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Found my Fortune by reading this BOOK!, May 11, 2005

By	Laurelynn G. Martin "Laurelynn" (Connecticut) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is awesome! I made money from the first tip I read and let me tell you, there are hundreds of tip to get you excited about making money. I needed to supplement my income because I'm a single Mom. And guess what? I even learned how to take my kids and get a bargain on items just because they were with me. The treasure success stories are inspiring. The Chapter on Creating Your Secret Treasure Map is so detailed and easy to follow and the author is so right on about mapping
out your yard sale route ahead of time so you can hit more yard sales in less time. My kids love to help me plot the map and then we get up early and go on a treasure hunt! What a fun way to include the family and make money at the same time. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!