How I Make $4,000+ a Month Selling Postcards on eBay

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 ธ.ค. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 96

  • @bobbonsante1290
    @bobbonsante1290 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Thanks so much for the video, I was selling postcards a while back, but thought that all you could make is $1 to 3 dollars on average, so I decided to
    stop and stick with clothing & Diecast cars. I never thought of looking for certain postcards & publishers to sell even though I new that rppc can bring more money.
    Anyway I decided to go to my local Antique store and apply what you taught & picked up a postcard of a Baptist Church in Texas. It has a horse drawn carriage & the congregation standing in front on the day it opened. It was not in good shape the 2 bottom corners were cut off. Anyway this was a test run and I put it for $39.95 or
    best offer and a collector offered $21.99 plus shipping. Not bad for a $1 purchase. Sorry for the long story but I appreciate what you taught & have joined your channel

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว

      That’s awesome! Printed postcards (not RPPCs) are often overlooked by people that don’t know too much about postcards, and they can sell for good money.

  • @MailboxMemoriesAshli
    @MailboxMemoriesAshli ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Excellent video - especially the publisher info. Really appreciate you sharing your insights and what sold info.

  • @harrycummings2407
    @harrycummings2407 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Thank you for all this. All this information makes us all better collectors!

  • @SteveHencye
    @SteveHencye ปีที่แล้ว

    You make some very good points about buying lots on ebay and what to look for. Great vid!

  • @BorisBidjanSaberi11
    @BorisBidjanSaberi11 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    *grabs notebook* I've been trying to find other categories to resell besides clothes and cologne. Thanks man

    • @TSunshineful
      @TSunshineful ปีที่แล้ว

      Me too! Something that doesn’t take bubble wrap lol

  • @TheSkipper51
    @TheSkipper51 ปีที่แล้ว

    14:15 Great Info. I have seen post cards and just walked on buy. I won't be doing that anymore.

  • @backyardonorchard9420
    @backyardonorchard9420 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Excellent video! I'm just sticking my toe into postcards and researching like crazy. Haven't listed a card yet.
    I won a small lot of ephemera on local hibid just because I thought it was cool. There are a few street scenes of Washington towns from like 1908 Era. I didn't have a clue the value they might hold, in fact in the auction photo you really couldn't even see the posrcards. I'm planning on starting a new ebay store just for photos and postcards. So I will likely wait until I have some solid feedback before I even think of listing these and continue learning and researching in the meantime.
    Just subbed 😊

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Oh that’s really awesome! I love finds like that. Washington postcards have always done really well for me.

    • @Kane6676
      @Kane6676 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It’s good you are doing all this research , many won’t. Get a worthpoint account. It will pay for itself , trust me

  • @rikki-tikki-tavi2456
    @rikki-tikki-tavi2456 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for sharing your experience with the video, it was very helpful. I inherited a bunch of 1930's through 1950's post cards while cleaning out a multigenerational Iowa farm house. Trying to figure out how to price them all is a challenge.

  • @nuthindown
    @nuthindown ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank You Very Much! Alot of Great Tips, looking forward to your next video

  • @Soulshine2018
    @Soulshine2018 ปีที่แล้ว

    Enjoyed that very much. Thank you sir for that excellent content

  • @billtaylor1010
    @billtaylor1010 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video. It is very informative. We look forward to your next one.

  • @gtaylor1999
    @gtaylor1999 ปีที่แล้ว

    Ok nevermind..lol obviously I asked that question before finishing your video. You're on number 2😁

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว

      No worries! I will be talking more about sourcing future videos as well.

  • @justashton255
    @justashton255 ปีที่แล้ว

    Awesome video. I didn't know anything about this, so interesting

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว

      Thanks for watching!

  • @slugore
    @slugore ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video. Thank you for the tips. FYI, I think your microphone needs to be turned around. The Blue Logo is the front of it, I believe and the side you talk into.

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว

      Thanks! That’s funny, I’m sure you’re right. This was one of my first videos so I didn’t really know what I was doing (and the audio is definitely bad!).

  • @Kayfeathers
    @Kayfeathers ปีที่แล้ว

    Great Video and very useful info. Thanks😀

  • @sandrawilcox4986
    @sandrawilcox4986 ปีที่แล้ว

    Excellent info! Thanks!

  • @julienorman
    @julienorman ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for sharing! I look for similar things on eBay.

  • @SMPostcards
    @SMPostcards ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks Daniel! 😃

  • @thriftygalcollectibles
    @thriftygalcollectibles ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thanks for the info, especially the publishers.

  • @cutenessoverload8699
    @cutenessoverload8699 ปีที่แล้ว

    I kept waiting on more ebay tech details, i.e., how many do you list per day / week etc... how much time do you take to research your items to know how much to list them for so you're not leaving money on the table... I am one of those people that have boxes full and I'm so exhausted at the thought of listing a $2 item... looks like you just scan your item front / back - period...right.... these are the nuances an ebay seller also wants to know --- do you list every day? -- so many people trying to unlock the ebay algorithm of getting sales --- so that kind of info would be helpful... otherwise... fun content - thanks so much for sharing :)

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I’ve got a video coming out in a couple hours that covers all that stuff! How much I list per day, how I research, how often to list, etc. Check it out and then let me know if you have any questions!

  • @andrewgarratt5191
    @andrewgarratt5191 ปีที่แล้ว

    I wound up buying about 11,500 cards at $40 a box…. I knew NOTHING about cards but I knew them being 1901-1950 I could not loose “even if I just wanted to look and organize because I actually enjoy that”
    However I’ve been giving a lot of thought to dealing on eBay….
    But I honestly just don’t see any evidence that anyone’s seriously collecting them anymore….
    That’s how I wound up with mine is the antique dealer was “tired of them taking up space”
    Another antique dealer friend of mine I asked said: “good luck with that, you can’t hardly give away a damn postcard anymore…paper collecting has been done for sometime.”

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      They can be slower sellers, but plenty of serious collectors out there. Happy to take them off your hands if you aren’t interested in selling on eBay!

    • @andrewgarratt5191
      @andrewgarratt5191 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@mailseum we might could do something…. I’ve became very attached to the romance/couples (about 200) I’d keep those for myself... and the old Savannah Georgia ones, I’ll send you some pics of you’d like.
      Even if I went through eBay I’d be trying to sell lots of topics/eras as I simply don’t have the patience for one-at-a-time-ing them off.
      We could see if there’s a category or box you could use.

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@andrewgarratt5191 oh that’s cool! Savannah’s a beautiful town. I’d love to talk more, my contact info is on my website here: www.mailseum.com/contact

  • @ninersnation3298
    @ninersnation3298 ปีที่แล้ว

    i have cumulated so many 100 years old postcards. I'm not sure why i just buy so many at the estate sale for about $.20 each. I'm selling for $7.99 on ebay. I don't care what publishers they are, I just want to unload them because i have about 15,000 postcards. My goal is to upload 100 listings a day. I'm getting decent hits of my listings. I need to post atleast 5000 listings on ebay to make a decent living.

  • @thecapecodder
    @thecapecodder 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

    100% new at postcards, how does a beginner learn what real photo looks like... and all that good stuff with the photos on these cards!

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Easiest way to tell is a loupe (magnifying glass), if they don’t have printing dots it is an RPPC. You’ll be able to tell better with time. They have a different feel to them and the stamp boxes on the back are different.

    • @thecapecodder
      @thecapecodder 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@mailseum thanks so much!!!!!

  • @barbaraengro2130
    @barbaraengro2130 ปีที่แล้ว

    I really enjoyed this.

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว

      Thanks Barbara!

  • @dreamybuys1133
    @dreamybuys1133 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video Daniel, thank you for some useful info. I sell quite a few Albertype, that is one Pub I'll put in the title. Also anything signed/distributed by JR Willis, have quite a few collectors who buy those, not much money but they sell. I usually put Rotograph Co in title on those as well. I believe that was you that purchased some clearview/wayne paper cards at one time from me?

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yes that would’ve been me! I personally collect the Wayne Paper cards, usually they don’t go for much but they published some unique views of smaller towns in the 1930s.

    • @dreamybuys1133
      @dreamybuys1133 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@mailseum yes, i just looked what i had mostly zoos/animals. had one from rushville and one from lake wawasee IN.

  • @juliegreen6074
    @juliegreen6074 ปีที่แล้ว

    Fantastic information! Absolutely price high. Especially for unique cards. Do you have two stores? One for low priced cards and one for more unique ones?

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thanks Julie! I just have one store. I do have categories at the top with some more curated/unique postcards, such as RPPCs, postcards with old cars, and some of the states I specialize in.

  • @jasongordon13
    @jasongordon13 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks knew nothing enjoyed subscribed✅✅✅😀😀😀👍👍👍👍😀😀😀

  • @TSunshineful
    @TSunshineful ปีที่แล้ว

    How will you ship postcards? The new shipping for first class is minimum 3 oz, when my first class item would take only two forever stamps.

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I ship them the same way I always have, any that qualify for eBay standard envelope for that way and any that don’t go first class package (now called ground advantage).

  • @vintage_alexandreaaa
    @vintage_alexandreaaa ปีที่แล้ว

    Great Video

  • @marklesmarket
    @marklesmarket ปีที่แล้ว

    Hi Daniel. Would you mind telling how many cards you have listed at any given moment on eBay. If not I understand. Thanks really enjoyed tips.

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I’m closing in on 12,000 right now - it definitely takes at least a year or two to get where I’m at now. You can also check out my store on eBay and filter by sold/completed to see every single postcard I sell, instead of just the ones that make it into videos. Hope this helps!

  • @TreasureZona
    @TreasureZona ปีที่แล้ว

    Great info; thanks for sharing. Curious, how much time per week are you working eBay with postcards? Is this full-time for you or...?

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Part-time, I work a full-time job during the week. After eBay fees I usually get payouts of at least $1,000 a week. I talk more about how much I make after fees, costs, taxes, and everything else in an upcoming video.

    • @painterdave727
      @painterdave727 ปีที่แล้ว

      ​@mailseum how many do you think you have in your inventory

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว

      Total including listed, probably about 25,000

    • @painterdave727
      @painterdave727 ปีที่แล้ว

      @mailseum i have someone that gave me over 10,000 post cards and I don't know what to do with them

  • @thecapecodder
    @thecapecodder ปีที่แล้ว

    Just found this video after I picked up some old postcards at a thrift shop... new to making content here! My question is do you sell postcards that have writing on them too? Very cool niche and Ive always wanted to sell them along with old ads and vintage books!

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Every single day! Probably about half of the cards I sell have writing on them. The majority of the time it doesn’t affect the value, but if there’s writing on the front over the image, it might make it worth a little less. If it was written to or from someone notable, it may be worth a little more. I work with the site EphemeraSearch and we are working to transcribe written postcards and connect them to family members and ancestors.
      Postcards are a really cool thing to sell! I’ll be making more videos like this with more info about how I sell.

    • @thecapecodder
      @thecapecodder ปีที่แล้ว

      @@mailseum just subscribed. awesome!

  • @cutenessoverload8699
    @cutenessoverload8699 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    also - how are you doing shipping for $1.50? do you just put a stamp on it ?? with no tracking? ---

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      There’s something called eBay standard envelope that’s $0.60 per one ounce label. You can use it for postcards, trading cards, and a few other things. It makes it really easy to ship. The tracking can be a little unreliable, but I probably only get one or two questions a month about tracking being off (out of hundreds of orders).

    • @cutenessoverload8699
      @cutenessoverload8699 ปีที่แล้ว

      cool --- looking forward to it :)

    • @cutenessoverload8699
      @cutenessoverload8699 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@mailseum can you do a how to video on this too? I just watched someone else's and still have so many questions... weight limit - for postcard I'd rather use a protective cardboard envelop - but is that too much weight? if you use a regular envelop how do you protect it from getting bent... such a small topic - but loads of questions... thanks again and good luck on your channel growth :)

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว

      Yeah I’ll try to make a quick video or a short! What you’re gonna want to use (and what most postcard sellers use) is the EcoSwift 6.5 x 4.5 semi-rigid envelope. Enough protection to keep them from getting damaged, but very lightweight. You can get them on eBay, Amazon, and their own website. 3 sleeved postcards can go in one envelope for one ounce. Any more than that and I’ve found it usually weighs 2+ ounces. You can only use eBay standard envelope shipping for orders that weigh 3 ounces or less, and the total order must be under $50. But there’s no limit to the postcards you can ship in one envelope as long as it’s no more than 3 ounces.

  • @brettlott570
    @brettlott570 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hello, Do you know anything about stereo cards or have a video about them? I’m not sure that’s what they are called.

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว

      Hi! I don’t know much about stereoview cards. I do know that some were mass produced and are worth $5-$10, while some sell for hundreds of dollars. If you have some, try searching eBay for similar views to see what’s out there. Hope that helps!

  • @tanistramontin4261
    @tanistramontin4261 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video! How do you mail the post cards you sell on ebay?

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thanks! I ship them in EcoSwift 6.5x4.5 semi-rigid mailers using the eBay standard envelope shipping service (currently $0.60 for a 1 ounce envelope).

    • @tanistramontin4261
      @tanistramontin4261 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@mailseum wow thats awesome! I hope you blow up on youtube. Your videos are awesome! Thanks for sharing the info.

  • @quintoncarroll4828
    @quintoncarroll4828 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    What is a good ROAS?

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I actually don’t think ROAS is a very useful metric. It’s just 100/ad rate. Mine is 16.67 since my ad rate is 6%. I could raise my ROAS to 50 if I just lowered my promoted rate to 2%, but I’d be selling a lot less. ROAS also assumes your listing sold because it was promoted, when it might have sold regardless.
      For example, if I promote a postcard at 6% and a buyer finds it organically, but they visited a promoted listing in my store in the last 30 days, it will still count as a promoted sale and positive ROAS even though it should be negative ROAS (promoting in this case cost you money).

    • @quintoncarroll4828
      @quintoncarroll4828 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@mailseum I've just started promoting all my listings after watching your video. I've started at 2%. I wanted to see if I getting everything set up correctly. I may increase to your 6%.

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @quintoncarroll4828 I tried out a bunch of different percentages before I settled on 6%, higher and lower. I’d recommend keeping track of all promoted sales and testing a bunch of different rates!

  • @gtaylor1999
    @gtaylor1999 ปีที่แล้ว

    I've just discovered postcards. Where can I source them?

    • @AlexButler-ry3hj
      @AlexButler-ry3hj ปีที่แล้ว

      Antique malls/stores, auctions, local classifieds, eBay lots, and much more. Just do some research of your local areas.

  • @defcon-tv8hl
    @defcon-tv8hl 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Thanks a lot :-) but can you tell me how and where I can sell them, As I am from Pakistan and I am facing much trouble opening ebay account, is there any other market place or a buyer I could get?

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I’m not sure, sorry! If you have Etsy in your country you could try there - and take a look at Delcampe and HipPostcard as well.

  • @biffboffo
    @biffboffo ปีที่แล้ว

    Just wondering how you rank in eBay's listing quality report for topographical postcards?

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Just checked and I’m currently #9. I think last year I was around 12 towards the end of the year, and I checked after I had the nearly $10,000 month and I think I was 7. Goal is to eventually get into the top 5!

    • @biffboffo
      @biffboffo ปีที่แล้ว

      @@mailseum Thanks for sharing. I hover around 24, but peaked at 9 in February on a fluke month. I've noticed my ranking has held steady as sales have dropped since April, so I'm just trying to connect with other sellers who deal in volume. I'm trying to understand if it's the category, the economy or eBay glitches that have made things so difficult lately.

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      My answer, might be unpopular, is none of the above. People are spending a ton of money on travel right now so I don’t think the economy can be hurting too bad. I really just think it’s the classic summer slowdown.

    • @biffboffo
      @biffboffo ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@mailseum Yes, that's another good possibility and perhaps the simplest explanation. My metrics that are based upon percentages have held steady (0.5% clickthru and 3.3% conversion). These numbers almost never budge, so it probably is just a function of traffic.

  • @saadkiani
    @saadkiani 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Hi I have a lot of post cards for addresses of "hitchin" england, various are from same addresses and family members, would they worth any money?

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  9 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Of course! Depending on scarcity and desirability, they could be worth anywhere from $1 each to much more.

  • @adriatic123
    @adriatic123 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

    You haven't mentioned the best publisher, Kruger

  • @memphisblazer2476
    @memphisblazer2476 ปีที่แล้ว

    Do you use any other sites for research besides metro postcards?

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว

      I use newspapers.com a fair bit, both for unidentified real photos and postcards with no information or with not much info. I sell mainly view cards, probably 95%+, so I don’t have to lookup artists much at all. I occasionally use the TuckDB website and the Sundry Collectibles Disney checklist.

    • @memphisblazer2476
      @memphisblazer2476 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@mailseum sorry I wasn’t specific. I was referring to researching publishers

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@memphisblazer2476 ah gotcha! Unfortunately I’ve found resources for publishers are scant. Really the only checklists I’ve found are for Disney & Tuck’s. Even newspapers from back then don’t contain much publisher information. In the future, I would love to do more videos and research about publishers since that seems to be a pretty big gap in the postcard world.

  • @heidimariebee
    @heidimariebee ปีที่แล้ว

    Have your postcard sales declined in spring 2023?

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +1

      They have - in future what sold videos I’ll give my gross and net sales for the month so you can see how they change from month to month.

  • @Kane6676
    @Kane6676 ปีที่แล้ว

    Wish you wouldn’t tell people about this. We are getting way to many new postcard sellers and flooding the market. Also people that refuse to educate themselves on value and are literally de valuing postcards

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I understand the concern, and it’s something I think all resellers with TH-cam channels think about - “how much do I share?” and “what should I NOT share?”
      I truly believe that a rising tide lifts all boats. I don’t think there are a fixed number of buyers; and I’m going to create content not just for sellers, but for buyers and people interested in history.
      There are always going to be sellers out there that price low and do $0.99 auctions, etc. I used to be one when I first started! They do their thing and I’ll do mine. They sell a card for $0.99 in a week, and I’ll sell the same card for $5, but maybe it will take 6 months instead.

    • @lindataylor8302
      @lindataylor8302 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thank you

    • @TK-431
      @TK-431 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I disagree. This content is GREAT, because he's showing the potential for postcards sales to be higher. Most other content creators show blowing them out for 4-5 dollars each, and that sets the precedence for people dumping a bunch of low priced cards on the market. Like it or not, the boomer generation is passing away, and their kids and grandkids don't collect like they did, so they're inheriting these lifetime collections and are looking to liquidate them fast and easy.

    • @ninersnation3298
      @ninersnation3298 ปีที่แล้ว

      bro, it's alright. it is a fair game. I quit my $140K cpa job to get into the vintage postcard business. Over the years, i would go to estate sale in the bay area and just buy 100 years old postcards. I have been getting a decent hits and getting decent sales. I'm trying to post 100 listings a day. I got very low hits when i used mini ipad for the photos. Ever since i switched to epson scanner, the photos look great, i got more hits on my listings. I'd like to increase to 5,000 listings then 10,000 listings. My cost for those 100 years cards are usually about .25 cent a piece.

  • @common_c3nts
    @common_c3nts ปีที่แล้ว

    None of this makes sense. No one is buying postcards in 2023.
    If this is real then I would be concerned that these buyers have some kind of mental illness and access to money that they should not have access to.

    • @mailseum
      @mailseum  ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Very real! Most buyers are middle-aged or retired with lots of disposable income, but there are plenty who are younger. I sell to individual collectors, libraries, museums, historians, and the one-off buyer looking for something from their hometown or a unique gift for someone else.