Inventory storage
I started a store to sell off the excess stuff I have. When I started a year ago, that wasn't much. Then a big auction happened, and another, and another... now I have boxes and totes everywhere. After taking pictures and listing stuff, I put it in a glassine and write the auction number on it and put it in a shoe box so that it is easy to find if/when it sells. I have too much now, and my current storage system will become unmanageable soon. What is everyone else doing to keep track of things? Anything different? Bigger shoe box?
Comments
Shoe boxes are great storage media for FDCs. I use binders with appropriate stock pages or sheet protectors for sheets, oversized plate blocks, souvenir sheets, etc. 102 or 104 dealer cards stored in red boxes suffice for the rest. Binders and boxes can be labeled and organized in whatever fashion your space allows. The red box solution works great because the boxes are a uniform size and stack well in a deep shelf bookcase. Dealer cards also fit nicely in a standard envelope should you choose to use them as protectors when you mail your lots.
Im guessing that closet and/or bookcase space will become your biggest challenge over time.
Or enough extra rooms after 35 years !!!
Admittedly, 1/2 my stamp den is piled up floor-to-ceiling (mostly boxes with covers). I've been considering investing in a bunch of those rolling organizers that have large baskets stacked in a frame. This way I wouldn't have to un-pile boxes to get something out of a stack's middle which gets kinda tiresome. With the baskets, it would just be a question of sliding the basket out from its frame to pull what's needed.
I'm thinking I should seriously write a series of articles (or a book) on how to be an online stamp dealer.
It's different than if you're going to shows all the time. The most important thing you can do is stop buying stuff just because it looks cool (that you're going to resell) and sell off the accumulation first.
You can make the occasional exception when something big falls in your lap, but focus first on selling off the mass of material you have already.
Amen.
I set up Red Boxes for 102 cards - numbered them RB1-10 to start (RB=Red Box - clever???). Found some tubs at office depot that covers fit into nicely and numbered them CB (Cover Box!) 1-, I even found a custom made file set of 12 drawers that was perfect for covers too - I kept the CB for them. Then an old fashioned 3x5 index card drawer (like libraries used to use) for small glassines (Labeled them DA-DM (Drawer). Finally repurposed some of the cover bins for large Glassines (labelled them GW - I have no idea why. Finally a flat drawer set on wheels for extra large items (sheets etc) - Label RC. I then put all my stuff in a separate database that also held the scans of each item. I use the DB record number for a Private ID along with the location of the item. 32765/RB6 is in Red Box 5 where all the items are in numerical order with no regard for scott number or country. Two consecutive numbers may well be in completely separate locations. A label on each item identifies the Private ID along with a description. At one point I had over 15,000 items in a space only 7' x 2' along one wall including space to fill orders. Add to that an excel sheet for large orders that lists everything in order by location and number and filling orders becomes a breeze.
It took years for me to break out of the Scott numbers are gospel mind set and find a better way. An article on Amazon got me going - they just put stuff on the the first available shelf space and tie the location to their own stock number for quick retrieval and the best use of space.
Bob
I respectfully disagree with some of what you wrote. I think the biggest problem most sellers have is answering the question of what are their short term and long goals? If the sellers long term goals are to have the most listings on the site and they don't care what the selling price is, how is that a mistake for that seller, because that's their goal? That is not your goal. You may be able to question the wisdom of what they are doing, but you can not claim it's a mistake if they are making their goals.
Now as far as some sellers having a larger store, having a very large inventory that is listed can be become a problem if the listed inventory becomes too large for that seller to handle it. Part of that is being able to set up the inventory in a way that a person can list it, pull, pack it and ship quickly and easily. Part of it is what are the long terms goals that the seller is looking at. Now as far as the number of copies per item listed, it's a whole different story when you do have some sellers listing 100's to 1,000's of the same stamp as opposed to sellers that are trying to list 10 or less of each.
Having a 1,000,000 stamps is NOT the problem, the problem is what the seller is planning on doing with them and trying to reach that goal. If the sellers goal is to sell box lots or packets or poundage, they will not last as long you think.
While what you are saying has some truisms for YOUR goals doesn't mean they are not viable for another sellers goals. Unless the seller states one way or another how do you know for a fact that some of those sellers aren't doing shows or have a brick and mortar or the fact they may be transitioning from that? And you also some sellers that all they are trying to do is customer service to help other collectors fill in holes with some listings that many sellers will not list for various reasons. Really what difference does it make to anyone when those sellers are trying to fill the niche that they have decided to fill, and they are happy with it?
A number of those type of sellers that sell the high price lower sales volume, forget that if it wasn't for the time and effort of the sellers who list that type of material, they themselves would have a harder time selling their material as the vast majority of most people DO NOT start collecting $50 stamps right away. They benefit from the fact that many of those don't carry much or a lot of higher priced material and once the customers reach that who do those sellers think are going to go to for the customers to fill in those holes?
Some dealers made money both when the Zepps were rocketing into the stratosphere, as well as when they were falling like a stone.
They did not do that by holding onto inventory.
Which reminds me, I have a few bankers boxes of "stuff" hanging around since the 80's.......................................
Perhaps you should have stated this differently if your point was NOT the size of the store or having a million stamps on hand in which it very highly implies that having that many is a mistake.
The biggest mistake I see most sellers/dealers make is inventory control. Sure you're a collector too, but having 1,000,000 items is an impossible management feat for 1 person. (Even 2 or 3). You need to buy when you need the inventory, and not keep a million stamps on hand especially when 99% of those are "worth" less than $3.
And I know for a FACT that you can move over 1,000,000 stamps in less than a year if you are selling box lots and packets. (Been there, done that, in fact that is how I got started on Ebay and I sold thousands of those packets on Ebay before they started the stores) Like I said in my reply you do have some truisms in there BUT it doesn't mean that everyone has to do your way.
I do not disagree with you here.
If you have the manpower to list 1,000,000 good for you, but what's the point of having 1,000,000 listings that sit for years and years, and don't sell?
That becomes more of a problem when a seller lists a higher percentage of slower moving items or when a seller puts up an excessive amount of the exact same item and if it takes 20 years to get rid of it that seller has a problem. A sellers turn over rate is part of what is going determine if that seller is going to make it or not. On this point I don't disagree.
Just because I am stating the fact that the seller has the right to do some things does not mean I think what some of the sellers are doing is the smartest idea and some of what and how is NOT how I am going to do it. Some of it is going to make more difficult to be able to say be able to handle a fee increase because their sales volume is lower.
Thanx
If you don't mind can I ask you a couple of questions? The answer to those questions will determine what your short and long terms goals are and what you may need for storage will be.
First questions you need to answer for yourself is are you planning on the the type of seller you are trying to be.
Are you looking at being a part seller that is selling off duplication of your collection, are looking at being a part seller to supplement your income, or becoming a full time seller? The second question is what type of material are you trying sell? The third is what is the average price point of what you are trying to sell?
Now the main questions that need to be answered in this, which are often the questions that a number of sellers never ask, but that are the most critical to get answered. I won't deal with the sellers that are just trying to sell some of their excess material that's somewhat different than if you are trying to sell part time to supplement your income or to be a full time dealer. The critical questions that need to be answered are these what are your 6 month, 1, 5 and 10 year goals to make the bear minimum of what you need to do financially including a margin should there be a downturn in the economy. The dynamics are going to change on these things what you need to gross and net per month. That's all dependent on your cost of goods, and your other expenses. If you have a general idea of your longer term goals it's much easier to pre plan what you are going to need for storage and if need some help with it you can ask ahead of time other sellers that are in that same size and type of material. That is going to depend on your mix of stock to meet your monetary goals.
" I won't deal with the sellers that are just trying to sell some of their excess material..."
As a collector I tried to sell some of my seconds on Ebay, to see if I could. Then use the funds to buy more stamps.
Except I would hope to get $5 wholesale for $10 retail stamp.
But I would get fifty cents.
With fifty-eight cents worth of free first class shipping.
Now I put those unwanted red headed step kids in my book next to their better looking siblings.
The heirs to my estate can deal with them.