This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.
[Music]
Game consoles, VCRs, and typewriters for sale. I love this episode. Welcome to Side Hustle School, my name's Chris Guillebeau. Today, we're gonna hear from a reseller who specializes in retro electronics, including those vintage game consoles and typewriters, and anything else that's, you know, ancient, but having a comeback, 'cause people always like that throwback thing. And speaking of throwback, this is in fact Throwback Thursday.
Throwback Thursday, a weekly segment where we take an in-depth look at someone whose story has evolved since we first featured them. I think we heard from this person when they were doing some other kind of reselling at some point, but they have kind of evolved to specialize in these items, which I think is cool. No, number one, it's always good to specialize. And then as a reseller, it just makes things so much easier, both in terms of branding and in terms of logistics, like acquiring all the different items, listing them, shipping them out, all that kind of stuff. So in this series, let's see, last week we heard from a project manager in the construction industry.
He's got a side hustle as a home inspector, and that second job was bringing in several thousand dollars a month. Pretty awesome, but today we're gonna talk about reselling. So we're gonna hear from, this is Damian. Let's hear directly from Damian with his updates. He also has some advice for us.
We always try to get a bit of a story and a bit of advice for anybody who might wanna do something similar, and I'll come back at the end with a very quick wrap up. [Music]
When this story begins, I was working as a sales rep for a medical device company in Michigan, cruising through a predictable, comfortable routine. I enjoyed my job, but something was missing. I've always been intrigued by all things retro. My apartment was a medley of vintage typewriters, analog cameras, rotary phones, and old gaming consoles.
My friend said that coming to my place was like a trip back in time, and I realized that this hobby could potentially be a profitable side hustle. I started small. I was already frequently scouring garage sales, flea markets, and online auctions for unique pieces to add to my collection. However, now I began doing it with more business-focused eye. My first sale was a Smith Corona typewriter from the 1970s.
I bought it for 30 bucks, and I sold it for 75. The sense of achievement I felt from that first sale was exhilarating. I wasn't just making a small profit. It was the belief that something new was possible. The joy of finding hidden treasures and the thrill of making some more sales began to take over my free time.
I dedicated my weekends to visiting estate sales around the state, researching the items, cleaning, and sometimes repairing them, and then listing them on eBay and Etsy. Weekdays, at least after my day job, were spent making new listings, answering queries, and shipping sold items. Let's be real, I stumbled a few times. In particular, I underestimated the time and effort needed to clean and repair some items. An old NES game console that I thought was a steal at $50 ended up costing me another hundred in parts for repairs, not to mention the countless hours.
I learned quickly that I needed to factor in these costs when making purchases. Another valuable lesson I learned was the importance of good, clear photos and detailed descriptions when listing items online. This should be obvious, but quality listings significantly increased interest in my items and led to quicker sales. As the business grew, I started recognizing trends in demand. For instance, vintage cameras sold well around Christmas, and the market for old gaming consoles spiked when a new popular game was released.
Recognizing and leveraging these trends boosted my sales and helped me better plan my inventory. A surprising advantage of this hustle was the networking opportunities it provided. I've met a bunch of interesting people from avid collectors to other resellers who have enriched my knowledge and made my journey even more enjoyable. Today, I'm making at least 3,000 a month from my side hustle, which supplements my income from medical sales. I've learned to spot the hidden gems in a pile of junk, negotiate prices like a pro, and manage an online business.
I believe anyone can do this if they're passionate about their project, willing to put in the time and ready to learn from their mistakes. It's been a fascinating journey and I can't wait to see where it goes next. Thanks for letting me share my story. [Music]
Thanks so much to Damien for sharing those updates with us. I appreciate it.
I don't do much reselling these days, but if I was going to do it, I would love to be a retro reseller. I just think that's fun. Fun and of course profitable, as you heard. Damien's bringing in $2,000 a month on the side, doing something that's kind of fun and interesting. So I love that.
Listeners, let me know what you think, who you'd like to see featured from our archives if more than a thousand stories, or if you've been doing some reselling, especially if you've been doing some kind of different form of reselling. Like we've talked about reselling a lot, so I always try to specialize and look at different niches or different approaches, strategies and such, so we can get our listeners the most helpful, informative content as possible. And of course, if you have any notes, sidehustleschool.com/questions, the show notes, speaking of notes, sidehustleschool.com/2392. That's all for today. Thanks for being out there.
You're awesome. I'll be back tomorrow. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This is "Side Hustle School." [Music]
From the "Onward Project."
