| Often overlooked is the second hand store ability | | | | the old musky environments with disorganized |
| to produce a sensible income with a small | | | | clutter spread all over, newer, hipper, stores that |
| investment and very little risk. Many people | | | | show organized goods, well lit floors, and possess |
| across the United States buy items extremely | | | | proper management and staff to keep the store |
| cheap and mark up the prices to 100% or more. | | | | fully operational. In some instances people have |
| The interesting thing is, people will actually buy | | | | trouble distinguishing a secondhand store from |
| these resold goods at such prices. In fact, it is | | | | another. Another strategy that accommodates |
| coming into great style to wear vintage clothes or | | | | these new secondhand shops is the focus on |
| decorate with older styles. Even for those who | | | | particular niche markets. For example, the Buffalo |
| do not seek resold goods for these reasons, the | | | | Exchange is a resale shop the buys and sells old |
| mark up still makes the items cheaper than if | | | | clothing. The managers and staff decide what |
| they were new, and though new things are very | | | | clothing is fit to be bought or sold, and generally |
| attractive, many shoppers' pocketbooks cannot | | | | the clothes are targeting the younger retro style |
| support buying items new. These are reasons | | | | crowd. As a result, these youth are pouring into |
| why secondhand sales are a stirring opportunity | | | | these stores in several locations around the |
| for the hard working entrepreneur. | | | | country, finding the clothes that are right for |
| Resale has not always been so profitable. | | | | them. Cars are another niche market that is |
| Secondhand stores of the past consisted only of | | | | extremely popular because the mark up can be |
| Goodwill and Salvation Army, and often were | | | | great. A smart way to approach this kind of |
| associated to provide only for the extremely | | | | resale is to sell cars on consignment rather than |
| poor. Now, secondhand is not at all considered to | | | | actually buying the cars before selling them. If you |
| be for the poorest social classes. Finding a | | | | advertise correctly and use those sales |
| secondhand treasure has become quite a fad in | | | | techniques, you can reap a large cut from the |
| newer social values. People are becoming more | | | | final sale. |
| practical in their shopping ventures, trying to really | | | | In the last year of resale revenues, the numbers |
| get a great deal, but they are also more | | | | grew by 10%. Goodwill Industries increased their |
| accustomed to reusing products as recycling has | | | | sales from $359 million to $513 million in 1995, and |
| begun to play a crucial part in every day living. If | | | | that was over ten years ago. Today Goodwill is |
| you can recycle glass, plastics, and paper, why | | | | bringing in a 2.65 billion dollar revenue. That should |
| not tables, clothes, and bowling balls. | | | | give entrepreneurs a hint. Secondhand stores can |
| Not only have people changed socially, but retail | | | | be a diamond in the rough and should not be |
| stores have changed aesthetically. Rather than | | | | overlooked. |