With couples who are working together, one person is often more of a free spirit and a risk-taker, and the other is more organized and conservative. Those differences can be a great benefit in general and can be a real asset to your business.
You might be surprised, but in my marriage, I tend to be the free spirit and risk-taker.
Our guest today has a great story to share about those differences. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Please welcome Jenny.
Tell Us A Little Bit About Yourself
My name is Jenny and I have been a part of Flipper University since late 2020.
My loving husband, of nearly 18 years, and I have three amazing children (13, 11, & 6).
We are an adventurous family that loves to laugh, spend time in God’s Creation, and find amazing deals!
My husband and I have both caught the “flipping bug” and run our business, and love working together.
He has a full-time job as a natural resource professional, and he sources items in any free minute he has.
And I stay home and run our eBay business while the kids are in school.
How Did You Get Started With Selling Items?
Up until the birth of our third child, I worked full-time in the human services field.
Though I loved my job, I was exhausted at the end of the day, and my family was getting the left-over crumbs of my time, patience, and energy.
That’s when I decided to quit my job to become a stay-at-home mom.
Though my husband and I were budget-minded, transitioning to a one-income household was challenging.
To make a little money on the side, I started selling items that we no longer needed on local apps like Facebook Marketplace.
During my children’s quiet/nap time, I would scour the attic, closets, and toy chest for items that had long lost their intrigue.
When the kids woke up, we’d walk the neighborhood for free items at the curb. Under the cover of darkness, I even picked free curb items at the home of my husband’s boss! That first year, I made a couple of thousand dollars selling items we already owned or picked for free!
I was content with my small side-hustle and life was good until.…my husband got involved!
How Did You Find Us At Flea Market Flipper?
My little side hustle changed drastically once my husband caught the “flipping bug.”
He was excited about it, and when he gets excited about something—he is all in!
During lunch breaks and after work, he’d “treasure hunt” at second-hand stores with zeal, laser-focus, and drive!
He enthusiastically purchased items with an often marginal return.
Whether I like it or not, my little side-hustle had been scaled-up. I was drowning in inventory & completely overwhelmed!
I knew there had to be a better way, so I started watching reselling videos on the internet and stumbled upon Flea Market Flipper.
I watched every video I could find. I was intrigued by their profits, but reluctant to spend money on Flipper University.
In November of 2020, I participated in their free “Flip it for Christmas” training. And, I was hooked.
I decided to join Flipper University, and it changed the trajectory of my business.
What Kinds Of Items Do You Sell?
My husband and I have completely different styles and source drastically different items.
I search local apps to source typical Flea Market Flipper items (Sleep Number beds, cooktops, exercise equipment).
And, my husband loves going to estate sales and thrift stores to “treasure hunt.” He loves the smalls—the older & odder the better!
We sell a lot of vintage and collectible items. Things like Navajo jewelry, military memorabilia, outdoor collectibles like knives, hand-forged axes, Coleman lanterns, Breweriana, and anything fun or bizarre my husband finds! We also sell aviation parts on a consignment basis.
We do things very differently, but we love working together in our flipping business.
Financial Goals
The flipping money has been a huge blessing! Since the money comes easier than it used to, much of the stress associated with unexpected expenses has been drastically reduced—if not eliminated.
To give an example, we purchased (primarily with flipping money!) a medical-alert service dog for our daughter.
Outside of education and home, this is the single most expensive item we’ve ever purchased, and everything went wrong.
Instead of ONE 1,000+ mile trip to pick up a finished service dog, we needed FOUR trips within five months! We had blown our budget on an item that was already a stretch to afford.
A year ago, unexpected financial burdens, such as this, would have caused significant stress and sacrifices to recoup financially.
Instead of stressing about the money, I sourced high-profit items during the trips to/from the dog trainer and came out ahead financially! It was an empowering feeling and a major shift in mindset.
We have shown ourselves and our kids that by working together, we can accomplish anything.
The extra flipping money helps us make the best decision for our situation–instead of the cheapest.
Flipping money allowed us to purchase a service animal, pay off our mortgage faster than expected, and be a blessing to others.
This year’s financial goals are to build savings and use some of the proceeds for home updates/repairs.
Since Taking Flipper U
Prior to joining Flipper U, the money I made flipping was good.
After joining Flipper U, the money has been incredible! I am working smarter, not harder.
Rob & Melissa’s business model makes perfect sense. Working together, they have worked out the kinks, and it’s replicable!
Since taking the course, I have been able to see the potential in this business.
In the 14 months, I have been in this group, I’ve grossed over $50,000 and achieved 10x profit on most items!! It’s unbelievable.
I’m making good money, providing a good service to my customers, and working 20 hours/week.
Though I pride myself on being adventurous and eager to try new things, I can get stuck in my ways and reluctant to change.
I joined this Flipper University out of desperation. Now that I am in, I am motivated to change through inspiration!
The member Facebook group has been so inspiring. If it wasn’t for the group, I would get stuck overanalyzing things that would hinder my business’s growth.
Hearing other people’s experiences helps me make informed decisions quickly with confidence. Joining Flipper University has been worth its weight in gold!
The Personal Pros And Cons Of Flipping?
There are so many benefits to flipping!
It’s so much fun. My husband and I are working together in the business every day, not because we must but because we want to.
To us, this business is fun, exciting, and rejuvenating. I love the flexibility. I decide when I want to work, not the other way around.
I try to work when the kids are at school or in bed. If the kids are around, I do my best to teach them different aspects of the business. From taking pictures to shipping to sourcing their own items.
I have never had so much fun working, had this flexible of a schedule, and made this much money!
What’s not to like? Well…. there is the clutter! Since sourcing is more fun than posting, it’s easy for me to put off posting, which allows the inventory to pile up.
Purchasing shelving for my basement has helped with the inventory clutter until a storage unit can be justified.
Tell Us Some Crazy Things You Have Sold!
My husband loves the “thrill of the hunt.”
When estate sales are disorganized, cluttered, and jammed-packed with junk, he is in his element.
He can spot the “treasure” from across the room. And, he never uses his phone to verify it’s a “treasure”.
That drives me crazy! He loves the unique, strange, and downright odd items. Here are some of his best items.
Best Flip Ever…
One day my husband came home with a 5’ model of a traditional Native American birch-bark canoe he picked for $5.
The craftsmanship led my husband to suspect it was special. At that time, we weren’t Flea Market Flippers and didn’t know how to ship large items.
I suggested selling it locally (for cheap), but my husband refused. Unsure of what to do, we forgot about the canoe for a time.
Fast forward to the Flip it for Christmas Challenge. Throughout the challenge, Rob and Melissa encouraged people to find items around their house to flip, and I kept coming back to our canoe.
Once my husband gave his consent to sell, I set out to research what we had.
Turns out my husband was right all along
This canoe was special!
It was made in the 1960s by Bill Hafeman, who had learned the skills from Ojibway Indians several decades prior.
He became rather famous for his canoes. And, he had a canoe presented to First Lady Birdi Johnson while her husband was President.
One canoe was displayed at the Smithsonian, and another of his canoes was on my basement shelf!!! We were ecstatic!
With the information on what we had, we wrote a long description of the canoe and posted it. It sold three weeks later for $2,300!
At that time in our flipping journey, I had only sold a couple of items on eBay.
This canoe became our fifth eBay feedback! I only had experience shipping small packages thru the Post Office and had a lot to learn FAST!
I didn’t expect the canoe to sell so quickly and hadn’t had time to go through the Flipper U modules!
My husband and I were in over-our-heads in terms of shipping. As God would have it, Rob called me personally to welcome me to the Flea Market Flipper.
I took the opportunity to pick his brain on how to ship this. He walked me through how to package it, what boxes to buy, and where to buy them.
My husband and I followed his advice, and working together, it worked flawlessly!
Another Fun Flip…
At an estate sale, my husband picked a full-length men’s fur coat for $10.
The former owner wore this crazy-looking coat to Green Bay Packer football games in hopes to get on TV!
The coat was in rough shape with large patches of missing fur, tears in the lining, and dirty tissues in the pockets.
When my husband showed me his pick, I thought he was off-his-rocker, and I didn’t even want to touch this mangy-looking thing.
Turns out this was an 1880 American Indians War military-issued buffalo robe.
He had seen an episode of American Pickers featuring a buffalo robe, and he was confident of what he had.
Now, he just had to prove it.
He ended up finding a museum in Illinois that had a near-identical buffalo robe on display with a detailed description, comprehensive measurements, and military provenance.
We thoroughly compared our coat to theirs–it was a match. Posted it on eBay. Sold within days to a frontier collector for $650!
What Was Your Reason For Taking Flipper U?
When I joined Flipper U, I already knew that flipping was a good fit for my personality and lifestyle.
Though my husband and I were having a blast working together with our business, we were inefficient and needed to source with discernment.
I wanted to grow the business, but I wanted to be smart about it.
I recognized that Rob & Melissa’s knowledge and experience could drastically reduce my learning curve, help avoid pitfalls, and teach me new things.
If I continued reselling, it would only be a matter of time before I experienced a return, damage claim, or bad review.
Having a group to walk me through pitfalls saves me time, reduces my stress when issues arise, and likely provides better outcomes.
The last reason I joined Flipper U was to learn about freight shipping. Rob & Melissa are correct that it is not hard, and it’s where the money is!
What Are Some Challenges You Have Had Getting Started Flipping?
My biggest obstacle in flipping was carving out time.
When I started Flipper U, my children were virtual schooled, and I would get pulled in a million different directions.
During the weekdays, I would only have a few minutes here and there to dedicate to the business.
It was difficult to gain traction, and the lack of consistency impacted my sales.
This school year, my children are attending school in person, which allows me to have a chunk of time to dedicate to my business.
My productivity and sales have increased significantly!
Thank you so much for sharing Jenny
What a great story! The stories about the canoe and the fur jacket are so interesting.
We just never know what we will find when we are sourcing items.
It is so awesome that flipping money allowed Jenny’s family to purchase a service animal, pay off their mortgage faster than expected, and be a blessing to others.
The differences in sourcing between Jenny and her husband are like night and day. Working together, the results have been amazing and exciting.
What are some interesting things that you have sourced?
FURTHER RESOURCES
Download These 47 Household Items To Resell TODAY!
FREE Workshop How To Turn Your Passion of Flipping Items Into A Profitable Reselling Business
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