Whether you realize it or not, at one time or another you have likely been exposed to a plastic canvas Kleenex box cover. They can be found in millions of homes across the country. And, while those Kleenex box covers may never be big sellers on eBay, there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people around the world addicted to the plastic canvas craft.

And, these crafters aren’t making just tissue box covers. They are stitching away on purses, doll houses, refrigerator magnets, coasters, along with things you would never even think of. They spend a lot of money on patterns for their next creations and are constantly on the lookout for new patterns.

The most frequently seen patterns are four page leaflets although you will also find pattern booklets ranging from eight or ten to two dozen pages in size.

Used patterns can be found at garage sales, thrift stores, and book sales, often for $.10 or less per pattern. These patterns can be turned into nice profits on eBay if you know what to look for, how to buy them, and how to package them.
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Popularity: 73% [?]

You may not have noticed, but vampires are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. And not just among young people. A growing number of adults, particularly women, are fascinated with them.

That fascination has spilled over into the publishing field in the form of several series of novels by a number of authors. Many of these series sell quite well when offered on eBay.

For some ideas regarding what authors and series to look for, check out Vampires - Throw Away The Garlic And Welcome Them Into Your Home over at The 2009 Garage Sale Challenge blog. Be sure to read the comments also.

Photograph by Annafur.

Popularity: 73% [?]

One of the most commonly heard pieces of advice about selling books on-line is to concentrate on non-fiction. But if you buy much of your inventory at garage sales, thrift stores, or book sales, there are plenty of opportunities to make some money with common fiction too.

A good place to start is with popular, best selling, authors who have written a series of books around one central character or theme. Because of the popularity of the authors and their series, these books are fairly easy to find and can often be purchased for $.50 or less.

The secret to making money with them is to sell them in lots. While you won’t get rich selling this kind of fiction, lots of 15 to 20 or more books by the authors explored below will offer you a reasonable chance of getting between $2 and $7 a book.
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Popularity: 21% [?]

Martha Stewart’s Blueprint magazine is another recent publication that you will likely see at garage sales and thrift stores this summer.

The premiere issue of Blueprint magazine was the Summer 2006 issue. The magazine was not a huge hit, and after the January/February 2008 issue the magazine ceased publication. During that time only eight issues were published.

Although Blueprint magazine never gained the subscriber base to make it a successful publishing venture, it still has a big enough audience that it is still worthwhile picking up copies at garage sales.

Although individual issues don’t attract much issues complete runs of all eight issues bring between $35 and $50 on eBay. Smaller lots of three to five magazines will usually bring somewhere around $5 an issue.

Popularity: 26% [?]

Domino magazine is an excellent example of a magazine you have a good chance of finding at garage sales or in thrift stores that can be extremely profitable when sold on eBay.

Domino magazine, published by Conde Nast, first appeared in April 2005 with a Spring/Summer Premiere issue. The magazine’s tag line, “A Guide To Living With Style” described the overall content of the magazine - interior design.

In January of this year, Conde Nast announced that the March 2009 issue would be the last issue. During the four years between 2005 and 2009 a total of 28 issues were published.
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Popularity: 34% [?]

Ever since the 1930’s, people have made snickering remarks about condoms. No self-respecting person talked about them in anything louder than a whisper.

They were something you swiped out of your older brother’s billfold and hid under the seat of your 1956 Chevy Bel Air convertible in the hope that some night you just might get lucky.

It wasn’t until people became aware of the AIDS virus that condoms began to be talked about in other than hushed voices by the general public.

Prior to that though, a small group of collectors had been hunting through flea markets and antique shops for the small tins that condoms were packaged in for many years.

These little tins, popular with a growing number of collectors for many years, took a significant step in their search for credibility recently when a 3 Pirates condom tin similar to the one to the right, sold for at a live auction for a little over $3500.

Very few condom tins bring anywhere near the price this little beauty did, but there are enough that will bring between $100 and $1000 that they are worth keeping an eye out for if you frequent antique shops or flea markets. Most general line dealers have no idea of the real value of condom tins which means there are bargains to be found. It also means there are a lot of overpriced examples out there too.

Many of the rarer condom tins do not have anything on them to indicate what they originally contained and often general-line dealers view them as just another attractive tin and price them for only a few dollars each.

If you are going to look for these I recommend you read Selling Condom Tins On eBay. Most of the information written there is still valid, but it was written three or four years ago so be sure to do some checking in eBay’s closed sales or an eBay auction research tool such as Terapeak before spending a lot of money.

Popularity: 28% [?]

Since it’s publication two years ago, Buying Stampin’ Up Sets At Garage Sales has produced more email from readers than any other post on The Auction Rebel. Because of this continued interest, and because much of the original information is no longer up-to-date, I thought I would revisit the subject and put together some more current prices and information.

The popularity of rubber stamping and scrap booking has grown over the last two years, resulting in increased interest by both sellers and buyers in these sets on eBay. This increased popularity has also resulted in a growth in the number of Stampin’ Up sets showing up at garage sales.

The increase in sets available at garage sale provides the savvy seller with the chance to garner some nice profits selling sets on eBay. However, this increase also means you can get stung if you aren’t careful.
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Popularity: 59% [?]

The first month of the 2008 Garage Sale Challenge is complete and sales have been respectable considering the garage sale season doesn’t pick up a full head of steam until June.

Here’s a list of the top 10 best selling items from the Challenge. Hopefully the list will give readers some idea of the kind of things that can be found at garage sales and thrift stores that sell well on eBay.

1. A University Of North Dakota School Of Mines Vase by Julia Mattson - $202.50 - 380026946104

2. A University Of North Dakota School Of Mines Vase by Flora Huckfield - $177.50 - 280226328140

3. A battery operated Polaris Mustang snowmobile in it’s original box - $108.15 - 280228701737

4. Lenci Clothes Book - $94.87 - 280228702064

5. A University Of North Dakota School Of Mines vase by Julia Mattson - $69.95 - 280226328046
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Popularity: 34% [?]

If you regularly shop at garage or yard sales for antiques and collectibles to sell on eBay you know there are plenty of days when you go home empty-handed. However, if you are willing to take a little more time at each sale, you may be surprised what you can find that will make a “day-without-antiques” profitable.

Here are ten things that regularly show up at garage sales that will pay for your gas and make you a nice profit when sold on eBay.

1. Adult Halloween or Holiday costumes. That big pirate, Easter Bunny, or Minnie Mouse costume that no one else is paying any attention to can easily bring $50 or more when listed on eBay.

2. Current college textbooks. It’s amazing how many of today’s college students will pay $125 for a text book and then put it in a garage sale at the end of the school year for two or three dollars. If you live near a college or university campus watch for these. Most any textbook with a copyright date of either the current or the previous year will bring $30 or more on eBay. Just hold onto them and list them in August before the school year starts.
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Popularity: 41% [?]

Vita-Mix blenders don’t show up at garage sales on a regular basis, but they do appear often enough that you should be aware of what they are so that you can take advantage of it when the opportunity presents it self to buy one.

Vita-Mix has been manufacturing blenders for home use since 1937 and for commercial use since 1986. Any of the various models they have manufactured over the years are worth considering when you come across them, but we will look only at the household models here because they are the ones most likely to show up at garage sales.

These are the models you are most likely to find.

The Vita-Mix Mark 20 was manufactured during the 1950s and early 1960s. Most buyers of the Mark 20 on eBay are probably collectors rather than someone looking for a Vita-Mix they can use on a daily basis in the home.

When considering the purchase of a Mark 20 be sure you test the blender to insure it works. Vita-Mix still has parts available for many models on their web site but this isn’t one of them. Nearly all of these I’ve seen have at least some rust at the top of the base around the drive shaft mechanism, so be sure to check for rust there. If it has light rusting, it can be removed, but if it is heavily rusted, it is probably a good idea to pass on it, unless it is so cheap you feel you can make a few dollars selling just the barrel and the top.

The Mark 20 can bring anywhere from $20 to $80 on eBay depending upon it’s cosmetic appearance. With that in mind, I wouldn’t recommend paying more that $5 or so for one of these.
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Popularity: 50% [?]