Blog Archives

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Tag, you’re it

I went garage sale shopping last week, and as I was looking around at my fellow buyers, scrambling and rushing about, I realized that I had the best tool possible at my disposal; I was using the Tag Sell It app. I always mention using your smart phone to research items on the spot, but I don’t typically mention one of the most valuable things it can do for you: it can tell you where the good deals are. The Tag Sell It app can assist you with a great number of things, but one of my favorite features is the sale search tool. You can actually map out the sales in your area and plan your garage sale route the day before, saving you valuable time. While everyone else is driving around with a newspaper and a map, or worse yet, driving around randomly, hoping to spot an garage sale sign, you’ll be zipping along, snatching up the best deals before everyone else even know about the sale.

I like to plan out my route the night before so that I’m all ready to go in the morning. I have everything ready to leave my house at about 7am, so that I can be at the first sale right when it opens. Most of the great items will be gone by 11am, so you need to plan out where you want to go first.

How do I decide which sale to visit first? Again, I turn to the app. You can check the sale listings to see what types of items will be at the sale and decide which ones sound the most promising. Hit those locations first, saving the more ambiguous sales for later in the morning.

Do keep in mind, however, that you can always swing by a sale around 3pm or so to pick up any items you’ve had second thoughts about. Odds are, if they’re still available, you’ll be able to get them at a much lower price. You might even get lucky enough to snag the items for free.

So my best advice to all you garage sale junkies is to save yourself some time and effort. Use the Tag Sell It app to plan your day, and have fun the next time you head out!

Good luck, and happy hunting!

-Aaron

To learn more about Aaron LaPedis, visit www.thegaragesalemillionaire.com or contact him at thegaragesalemillionaire@gmail.com.

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5 Years Old!

Today we turn 5 years old! We launched Tagsellit.com on May 1, 2008 and have had the privilege of being recognized by some of the nation’s top media, from the NY Times and Wall Street Journal to the LA Times and Yahoo! Fiance. Our site has grown tremendously since inception, all on a shoe-string budget and boot-strapping efforts. Today we reflect on our successes and look forward to our bright future serving individuals and businesses in the second-hand marketplace.

Thank you everyone for a great 5 years! We’ll be launching our newly designed website this month and be sure to be on the lookout for some big press later this month, too!

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Tagsellit.com New Website Coming Soon

Coming soon to your screens… A new and improved Tagsellit.com!

Our team is excited to be launching a new and improved website. In addition, we’ll also have a new iPhone and Android App available for mobile users. The new site will feature a fun new user interface, graphic design and layout.

Navigating the second-hand marketplace can be challenging. This is why our new site will be also dedicated to assisting second-hand retailers (such as Consignment Shops, Estate Sale Events and Pawn Shops) generate better visibility and offer more solutions to drive interest to their places of business.

As our mission says, our goal is to provide a big-picture roadmap for navigating the second-hand industry. Tagsellit.com’s platform helps sellers liquidate second-hand items through both our online virtual garage sale listings and with the ability for users to advertise their weekend sale events (for free). Tagsellit.com brings second-hand buyers and sellers together.

Did you know the yard sale market alone is an annual billion-dollar industry? There’s a lot of value hidden in closets, garages, basements and attics across the country. Generations of “crap” have accumulated and what’s “old” may be “new” …and worth lots of money!

Bottom line: Expect to be dazzled soon! We’ve revolutionized the garage sale industry by creating the “virtual garage sale” marketplace and we’re continuing to revolutionize the entire second-hand industry!

 

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Our Social Spaces

Using social media is a great way to connect with your current audience on a different platform and an easy way to grow your followers through similar interests. Best of all, it’s free and fun! Here are a few places you can find us online and how we’re using those spaces to connect the dots…

Facebook – We maintain two Facebook pages. One is our Tag Sell It page and the other is our Flea Market Events page. Our Tag Sell It page is our social company page where we interact with current users and new friends. We post a variety of updates including blog posts, funny second-hand related pictures, items found on the tagsellit.com website and more. Our Flea Market Events page is just for Flea Market enthusiasts.

Pinterest – Whenever something really, really cool is posted for sale on our site, we’ll share it on Pinterest. Same thing with our blog and other random fun images we find! We maintain 9 Pinterest boards. They include:

Tumblr – Tumblr is where we share content from 2nd Hand Social. Check it out sometime. You might just tumble across some other cool blogs that we follow or that follow us. Have fun!

Twitter – Tweeting daily, or trying to. Be sure to follow us, @tagsellit for fun tweets about anything and everything second-hand marketplace related. Get educated. Get your laugh on. Get your sharing on.

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Yard Sale Tips

Did you know…

Garage Sales are a multi-billion dollar industry; how much money did you make the last time you hosted one? Whether you’re planning and preparing for a lifestyle liquidation, yard sale or virtual garage sale, this is your must read guide.

Inside you’ll learn remarkable tips and tricks for maximizing profit while running an efficient and effective garage sale from start to finish. A fully loaded, fun and informative read for any buyer, seller and garage sale enthusiast!

Tag Sell It Inc. was founded in October 2007 to provide all garage sale enthusiasts an online destination for buying and selling their items. Tagsellit.com is designed to solve the challenges of individuals who wish to sell their second-hand personal or household items, but are unable to host a physical garage sale at their residence. Members of the website enjoy being a part of “The Largest Group of Tag Sale Enthusiasts,” a unique community integrated into the site enabling users to experience a fun social networking aspect.

Our Garage Sale Guide Book is now available for the Amazon Kindle! Click here to download it now!

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An Overview of Second-Hand Marketplaces

Several second hand online marketplaces exist and each has their own strengths and weaknesses but we’re going to avoid the “which is best” question because we believe that is a question best suited for the seller to answer. We’re simply going to give a broad overview of the major second hand marketplaces and what makes them unique.

eBay – The most popular auction website with global reach. eBay has expanded since it’s early days of simple online auctions to add “buy it now” options and “storefronts” features for business owners. eBay is a great site to research items and learn about the trends of items that have sold or identify price ranges for your items and what the current market value of those items is. It’s important to note that a large part of eBay’s business is still auction-based, so while you might fall in love with a second hand treasure, there’s also the risk of getting caught up in a bidding war over an item (which can be fun or painful). One of the greatest things about eBay is their user rating system. With this technology, you can choose which users you wish to do business with and which ones to avoid, based on other users feedback after a transaction was completed.

Craigslist – The most popular e-classified website on the web with a dominant presence in the US, but it has a more limited global reach than corporate second-hand websites like Amazon and Ebay. Craigslist has virtually put newspaper classifieds out of business (thankfully), who reads the printed version of the newspaper anymore? Just kidding. It’s great that the world has had a web-based e-classifieds option, saving millions of forests and trees each year (yes, I’m a tree hugger). Craigslist has everything you’d expect from a newspaper classified but in digital form. While the service is geographically limiting and your risk of being scammed is increased over corporate sites like eBay and Amazon, it’s still not a bad site to use as long as you proceed with caution and heed basic safety rules. One thing that really SUCKS about Craigslist’s garage sale section:

  • Most sale events posted are not responsibly managed by users, so you’re likely to find sale events posted on the site from days, even weeks ago. That’s not entirely Craigslist’s fault, some users are just irresponsible for not removing their ads when the event is over. (On Tagsellit.com, we do this automatically so the user doesn’t have to go in and delete their sale – it automatically expires at the end of the scheduled sale event on the last scheduled day. Technology is pretty sweet.)

    • One thing that’s really awesome but they don’t do anything about (Again, stressing user irresponsibility too):

  • Oh and for the love of whatever, please keep “virtual garage sales” off Craigslist – they clearly discourage this, yet people still abuse it. Nonsense, respect their rules!

    • Amazon.com – A global department store with both a corporate business model and successful entrepreneurial business model. You can find a lot of goods on Amazon.com but if you’re looking for second hand treasures, there are alternatives, like going to a Flea Market. Amazon.com is great for getting deals on pre-owned media, like books and DVD’s. Their individual seller platform is a bit more confusing and complex to use than other sites but has gotten much easier recently. From new to used and everything in between, chances are good you’ll find at least some information about what you’re looking for or looking to sell when using Amazon.com.

    Tagsellit.com – While not yet a household name, the founders of this site did have the foresight to come up with an interesting way of revolutionizing yard sales, especially for folks who don’t physically have a front yard or garage, or who may even be restricted by neighborhood ordinances to have a garage sale. Founded in 2007 and launched in 2008, the idea behind Tagsellit.com is simple, a second hand marketplace with nationwide reach where virtual garage sales can take place, 24/7 and serve as a resource for folks looking for services from professionals specializing in the second hand industry (including Consignment Services, Pawnbroker Services and Estate Sale Services). The beauty of a virtual garage sale is simple: Even if you’re hosting a garage sale it makes sense to advertise your event and items in advance. By listing them on Tagsellit.com, you immediately get a nationwide reach. So, someone in California might really like that trinket that was listed for sale in New York – that buyer wouldn’t travel all the way to California for a garage sale, but shopping virtual garage sales online, now that’s genius!

    It’s important to note that not one single website has all the answers or all the solutions to everyone’s online buying and selling needs. Having options such as these makes life easier, and more fun, for everyone!

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    It’s official!

    I’m excited to announce that I’ve officially partnered up with TagSellIt! I’ve loved contributing to this blog and I’m thrilled to be able to take my contributions to the next level as a full partner. I’ll still be posting my adventures and advice here every week, but now I have the added bonus of letting you know what exciting things are up and coming for Tag Sell It!And speaking of exciting things … we will be rolling out a new website in the near future and I can’t wait for everyone to see! In the mean time, be sure to check out our smart phone app if you haven’t already. I’m a huge proponent for using smart phones to research items on the spot, and the Tag Sell It app takes it a step further, letting you search for local sales and plan out the best time-saving route.

    That’s all the news for now.

    Good luck, and happy hunting!

    -Aaron

    To learn more about Aaron LaPedis, visit www.thegaragesalemillionaire.com or contact him at thegaragesalemillionaire@gmail.com.

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    Estate Sale Event and Company Advertising

    Estate Sale Advertising Price Comparison Guide
    As of January 2013
    *Tag Sell It Inc. is not responsible for any errors for this comparison.

    In February 2013 Tag Sell It Inc. will be introducing a new membership called the “Lifetime Membership” for professional Estate Sale Companies who wish to list their services in our Estate Sale Directory as well as advertise their Estate Sale events on tagsellit.com. Anyone is welcome to list an Estate Sale event on the site, however, only paid members will have the benefit of including unlimited photos, hiding addresses and listing virtual Estate Sales.

    The above price comparison chart shows the charges you can expect to pay when using these nationally recognized Estate Sale website services. Each of the companies you see listed here offers professional Estate Sale service providers the opportunity to join a reputable web platform where their services can be found by state and city as well as the ability to advertise the sale events they host.

    The goal of the “Lifetime Membership” offered by Tag Sell It Inc. is to streamline the membership process and eliminate monthly or annual recurring payments for Estate Sale professionals. Tag Sell It Inc. does not list companies with a “ranking” based on how much they pay us. Rather, we list all companies in a given state alphabetically and prospective customers can also search by city to narrow their options of service providers closest to them. Customers ultimately have the decision-making power of which company they choose to work with.

    Remember, always do your own due diligence when creating a marketing plan for your company’s future. Companies offering Estate Sale professionals options for advertising their sale events and listing their services in a directory format will each have their advantages and disadvantage respectfully. Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned veteran, your goal is to maximize positive results for your clients. Your clients are investing their time and trust in you. The more you can show how your company invests in advertising and reaching all the Estate Sale shopping enthusiasts, the better for you and your clients.

    *This post is not intended to induce or favor any of the companies mentioned here. Rather it is an educational publication for Estate Sale Professionals to learn more about options to enhance their business.

    Don’t be undersold on eBay

    I’m sure you’ve all heard me say that when you’re selling items on eBay you need to search both current and completed listings to get a good starting price for your item. But what do you do if your item has never been listed or sold before? What if you’ve searched everywhere and can’t find [...]

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    Tagsellit.com Announces Partnership with Just Between Friends Consignment Franchise System

    Bargain shoppers searching for children’s and maternity consignment sale events around the country will have an easier time finding one in their neighborhood. Just Between Friends Franchise Systems, Inc., the nation’s leading children’s and maternity consignment event, is joining forces with Tagsellit.com, an online second hand marketplace. The two companies are both dedicated to helping families across the country and will now collaborate to promote their consignment services and sale events.

    Tagsellit.com began as a simple virtual garage sale website in 2008 and has grown into a dynamic hub serving the second hand industry. Tagsellit.com makes it easier for shoppers to locate consignment sale events by allowing consignment professionals to promote their sales and items from their inventory for free. The site’s growing Consignment Directory already lists more than 200 consignment services and professionals from across the country. This new partnership means that Tagsellit.com will promote the franchisees massive children’s and maternity semi-annual consignment sale events on the site.

    “The resale industry is clearly thriving and attracts consumers from several economic levels. It’s an exciting collaboration because Just Between Friends has a unique approach to consignment sales. By being able to promote these fabulous sales events along side other second hand events happening in communities, such as yard sales and flea markets, provides even better resources for families across the country,” explained Tagsellit.com’s Founder and CEO, Jonathon Papsin, adding, “It gives moms the opportunity to buy and sell children’s gently used clothes, furniture, toys and maternity items they may otherwise not find at a garage sale and it’s important that our site grows as a resource to help shoppers.”

    “Just Between Friends goal is to help families across the country save money. This new partnership allows us to reach even more families who want to find a way to make ends meet. We are thrilled to be working with them,” said Shannon Wilburn, President and CEO of Just Between Friends Franchise Systems, Inc.

    About Tag Sell It 
    Tag Sell It was launched in 2008 as an alternative to existing online auction and e-classified services. Tag Sell It fosters a resourceful, user-friendly free online marketplace where buyers, sellers and professionals can connect to share their passions of the second hand industry. Through education and mobile technology, Tag Sell It bridges the generation gaps of second hand enthusiasts. Tag Sell It has been seen on NBC News, Yahoo! Finance, US News & World Report, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Denver Post, The LA Times and has also provided industry statistical information for the Discovery Channel‘s “What’s America Worth” show hosted by Donald Trump. In 2011, Tag Sell It won the “Best Drupal CMS App Developer Award” for their Flea Markets App.

    About Just Between Friends 
    Just Between Friends was created in 1997 in a living room in Tulsa, Oklahoma when Shannon Wilburn, a mother of two young children, and her friend Daven Tackett hosted a sale with 17 friends as consignors and grossed $2000 in sales. The event caught on and quickly grew each season and in 2003 they formed Just Between Friends Franchise Systems, Inc. Wilburn is now sole owner and CEO of the franchise system which currently has 124 franchises in 24 states and in 2012 they are projected to top $20 million in gross sales. Just Between Friends (JBF) has made Inc. Magazine’s list of the 5000 fastest growing companies for the past four years and was named one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 500 Franchises. In 2012, Just Between Friends was one of only 75 companies nationwide to receive the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Blue Ribbon Award. Just Between Friends Franchise Systems Inc. also received a “Franchisee Satisfaction Award” and was listed in the Top 50 Franchises by “Franchise Business Review”. In 2010, Wilburn had the honor of being named the Small Business Administration’s Regional “Women in Business Champion”. JBF has been featured on numerous national television shows including CBS Early Show, ABC News, Good Morning America, Fox News, CNN, Headline News, Inside Edition and CNBC’s The Big Idea. They have also been featured in news stories in many top-tier markets including Seattle, Denver, Dallas, Houston, San Francisco and Philadelphia as well as in The Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times, Wall Street Journal and on popular websites http://www.yahoo.com, http://www.inc.com,http://www.sheknows.com and Disney website http://www.family.com.

    For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/10/prweb9969280.htm