Shopping at yard, estate, and garage sales are perfect opportunities to pick items for resale. Collectible items can be resold to antique shops or sold on eBay. Here are some solid tips in picking for profit:

Deciding on items to purchase is an important component of buying for resale. Depending on where you live, items of value vary. Items made of metal, wood, and durable products are smart choices. If an item is plastic or is cheaply constructed, don’t waste your time and keep looking for older items. Condition is of extreme importance. If a piece doesn’t work, needs repair, is split, or stained, forget it. Do not purchase collectibles with such flaws. Their value has been destroyed.

Hummel figurines are collectible. These porcelain figurines depict children. Research “Hummel figurine” on the Internet and familiarize yourself with what they look like. Sites dedicated to their hallmarks can help you date pieces. Fine china made in England is another sought-after collectible. English china is found easily and is usually a magnificent bargain. Under the plates, teapots, and cups you can find the maker’s mark. Look for coveted makers such as Royal Doulton, Johnson Brothers, Wedgwood, Spode, Minton and Worcester.

Salt and pepper shakers and head vases are finds worth buying, especially figural items. Salt and pepper shakers in the figural form of cartoon characters, chefs, children and cars are most desirable. Head vases are ceramic planters that are formed to resemble a head of a woman. They were used as planters decades ago. Disney-related items are also in high demand, like their music boxes, figures of porcelain, and old card games. Disney has dated many items and often creates new figures annually. This ensures a collectible value because the same mold is seldom used for more than a year or two.

Old and complete board games that are based on vintage  television shows and movies are a hit for collectors.  Think Mork and Mindy, Star Wars, Star Trek and other successful shows. Metal lunch boxes with famous television stars, shows, and musical artists command high prices. Kid toys are always a good bet, if they are old enough and in good condition. Barbie and Ken dolls and accessories and Madam Alexander dolls (which usually have jointed heads and arms with rubber bands) are extremely collectible.

Old kitchenware has a unique market. Griswold iron pans and baking molds for corn bread are popular. Vintage juicers, mixers, meat grinders and Fire King cookware are prized items. Even vintage drinking glasses and milk bottles and racks bring profit.

Advertising items are desired memorabilia. Examples include ashtrays, matchbook covers, and empty containers of old bath or perfume bottles.  Advertising posters, premiums that were in cereal boxes, airline and railroad china, Joe Camel items and jackets are sought after because the  Camel cigarette company was forced to get rid of their Joe Camel character. As a result anything with Joe Camel is collectible. Surprisingly, old paper Coca-Cola printed ads from magazines have buyers. Advertising is easy to find and antique stores are always looking to replenish their supply.

Old postcards, which depict places and people of long ago, are hot topics. Letters and pictures from World War I or World War II are gems. Calendars, medals, uniforms, books, and many other items from wartime are sought after prizes. Don’t forget to look for unusual postage stamps on old letters. You could find a rare one among the bunch. LIFE and Playboy magazines are always in style.

Vintage clothing, especially jackets, have found high resale value on Etsy’s online marketplace. The fancy embroidery and beading of vintage clothing cannot be found in today’s mass-manufactured varieties. Bakelite jewelry and old rhinestone costume jewelry, brooches, necklaces and rings are hot items to buy for profit. (Avoid the clip-on earrings as they are too uncomfortable and do not resell well.)  Look for old hairbrush sets, art prints, most books, Avon bottles, Jim Beam bottles, children’s clothing, shoes, and new children’s toys. Start small and keep track of the items you have collected. Record what you paid for them and what you need to sell them for to secure a profit.

Shopping and picking collectibles for profit is an easy method of earning extra cash. Shop yard and estate sales early. Knowing what to buy as well as items to avoid will start you earning supplemental income.

There may come a time when you’ve just had enough of working outside of the home. It may be due to the stress of a nine-to-five office job, dealing with unsympathetic bosses, the daily commute or just wanting to spend more time at home with the kids; no matter what the reason, online businesses are beginning to see a huge surge in popularity across the world.

Deciding what kind of online business to engage in can be somewhat tricky if you have always been in the same sector before starting out on your own. There are a multitude of different online businesses to choose from, but deciding which one you will go for should take careful deliberation and planning.

Writing:

Writing articles has become an increasingly popular method of earning money online. You can write on a variety of different topics in the comfort of your own home – you don’t even have to get out of your pajamas! Find a nice and quiet corner of a room in your home and type away to your heart’s content. There are many different websites which offer writing projects, such as Freelancer, and article directories such as Dragon Articles, which allow you to earn ad revenue on your articles. If you hold a university degree, you can make a lot of money helping write essays and theses. Travel writing is another popular choice.

Website Development:

If you are savvy with a computer, you could always go into developing websites. With so many people going into online business, website development is a big business itself. You may need to purchase certain software to help you create bigger and flashier websites, but you could charge a bundle for your time and expertise. If you are just starting out, good places to learn web design are Lynda and Codecademy.

Translation:

If you are lucky enough to know a second or even a third language, you could offer your services as a translator. There are numerous translation companies across the world looking for online translators. The office will send the documents to your email address; you translate them and send them back. Easy as that. You can charge either an hourly rate or per word.

Online Store:

With so many people preferring to shop online (no queues, no rushing around to find a parking spot and no incompetent or rude staff to deal with), an online store can be a lucrative business opportunity. Try to sell a unique range of items – you can choose from clothes, food, drink, music, DVDs – the possibilities are endless as are the potential profits. Some of the most popular places to check out are eBay, Etsy and Shopify.

These are just a few of the online businesses that are out there. However, before you hand in your resignation at your nine-to-five job, it is vital that you research your next chosen career. Working from home has its benefits, but it also has its cons.

Starting a new business involves a lot of research into businesses similar to the one you are thinking about going into, and a lot of time will be needed to help market your business. Remember to create a business plan – not only could this help you obtain funds to set up your business, but it could also help guide and remind you what you need to do and, once established several months later, help remind you of where you wanted to be.

Leaving the rat race behind and starting on your own road is something that many of us dream about doing. No matter what your reasons are for creating your own online business, you can achieve your goal with careful planning and research.