This is the first chunk of our Aida Springs Citywide footage. The whole sale is too big to cover in one video — we’ll be threading it through a couple. The two things worth pulling out from this round: the picks, and the moment we got recognized at a sale for the first time ever.

A few highlights from the haul

[1:03] Tommy Hilfiger spell-out jacket — $5. Lady selling: “I just want it out of here. I’m not taking nothing back.” That’s our favorite kind of seller. Liner is still zip-tied — may not have even been worn. We’re guessing $75 list.

[2:05] OEM floor mats, two sets — $15 total. 2019 Ford Explorer set (new in tag, the seller’s wife had WeatherTechs over them) and a used set for a 2019 F-150. We’ve sold a dozen sets of mats over the years and they always sell — average $40-50, more for fancy trim packages. Easy money.

[13:17] Five National Shrimp Festival pottery mugs — $1 each. Numbered out of 150, by an artist named Burrow, dated 1991 through 1995 — consecutive years. We could only find one comp on eBay; Candice may try them at $25 a whack just to see what the market is.

[15:17] Hot Kiss jeans with lips on the back pockets — $2. Candice spotted those. “Kiss My Grits.” Mel’s Diner. We’ll see.

Meeting Emily

[7:50] Emily walked up at one of the sales and recognized us. “Y’all are my number one.” I was so amped I asked her if my hair looked crazy — which is a strange thing to say to a person you’re meeting for the first time, but I had no warning and we don’t usually get recognized. So Emily, if you’re watching: I’m sorry I was weird. That’s just what you get with me.

She did the selfie thing with us and posted it in the Reseller Water Cooler Facebook group later. That was a first for us. It made our day.

Order pulling — eBay and Mercari

[19:00] Set of 4 Spode Buttercup mugs — $100. Estate-sale buy at $10. One of them has a misprint flaw — the stamp didn’t hit clean. Candice spotted it during photos and disclosed it in the title. I’d have shipped it without ever noticing.

[23:34] Pee-Wee Herman 1000-piece puzzle — $19.99. Sale to Sarah, a long-time viewer who asked us to sign the box. We’ll do that during the pack video. Thanks Sarah.

[28:05] Whistle Stop Cafe Mysteries 13-book lot — $54.99. Garage-sale buy at $8 a few days back. Book lots are heavy and bulky, but when they’re priced right at sourcing, they pay for the floor space.

[28:51] Stephen King “Cycle of the Werewolf” Signet first edition — $19.99. Same buyer also grabbed a magnet.

[29:06] Dr Seuss 23-book hardcover lot — $39.99. Listed for $40, paid $30 for this and another lot we listed at $20 — so $30 in for $60 in potential listings. Honestly not the smartest buy. Probably $5–$20 profit after fees. Candice called it as we listed: “that’s not really the best business.” Live and learn.

Plus a Mercari sale — Holly Holiday Fiesta candle holders for $59.99. Best pieces in that set we picked up. People ask whether you should bother listing Christmas stuff in the spring; the answer keeps being yes.

Wrap

That’s the first slice of Aida Springs. Meeting Emily was the moment, the Spode catch was the reminder that Candice sees stuff I don’t, and the Dr Seuss buy was the reminder that being excited about a book lot doesn’t always mean it’s a smart book lot. More from this sale to come.