> and then they list it on eBay and turn a bit of a profit with a local pickup option available
Sort of wondering why nobody did this already. I know that the better charity shops do this with rare and unusual books/records. The UK equivalent CeX has an online offering through webuy.com, which appears to be a Chinese owned multinational.
This is called consignment and is an industry unto itself, usually for antiques since you need a lot of space. You give them your goods and they sell them. You get a cut if they actually sell.
Obviously they're going to need to liquidate a lot of this stuff. It can be quite lucrative if done right. You're basically getting inventory for free.
Consignment doesn't offer the seller a very good monetary deal, though. They're essentially a junk hauler that might pay you a few bucks. We all have that pile of old computer components that we could probably sell piece by piece for $400 on eBay, $200 on Craigslist/FB Marketplace, $100 at a yard sale, and maybe if you're lucky a consignment place will give you a $40 for it all.
The only missing bit is the meme-stock side of business where emoji-slinging, HODL'ng bag-holder, retail investors with no actual investment strategy fund the whole operation. The amount of misinformation pumping $GME on social media is staggering.
I mean $40 if you are lucky or goodwill. You could get more selling it “proper” but the transaction cost of it is super not worth it (for me). When I want something out of my house, I want it out of my fucking house. Listing it on Craigslist means I have to babysit it, handle questions, but worse… the fucking thing is still in my house!. And I was over that, whatever the fuck it was, like… a week ago. Now it’s just sitting there in my life cluttering it up. Better take to the garbage or goodwill. Then it’s gone!
At least with a consignment shop I will hopefully get something out of the deal.
> Obviously they're going to need to liquidate a lot of this stuff.
If you read online employees have talked about how they donated it or threw it all out, presumably there is very little of that stuff left at this point (and probably nothing left of any real value).
Sort of wondering why nobody did this already. I know that the better charity shops do this with rare and unusual books/records. The UK equivalent CeX has an online offering through webuy.com, which appears to be a Chinese owned multinational.