I got a brand new treasure for you today.
Are you excited?
Great!
First let me tell you how I stumbled upon this one
(Tip: this is a lesson on its own)
Not sure if you know this, but I am a
fanatical student of marketing and
self improvement.
I buy most of the stuff I can get my hands
on ESPECIALLY older classics and hard to
find material.
I find a lot of this older material on
audio cassettes. (I find them on ebay,
local thrift stores, yard/garage sales etc)
To me, finding a good ol’ marketing course
or a classic book on tape, for a few bucks,
IS in itself a big treasure. (not only
because it is a bargain, but because most
times, I cant even buy those things new
even if I wanted to)
I usually listen to this stuff when I
am driving, when I exercise and and whenever
I can. There are a log of hidden gems
that I discovered on older marketing courses
that I was able to apply to my business
TODAY and make a lot of money as a result.
anyways…
Big problem with these tapes is that I
couldn’treally play them on my ipod.
but I really wanted to…
So I had to find a solution to convert
all these tapes to mp3s EASILY.
and I figured that if I got a tape deck
(cassete deck) player, like the ones that
used to be popular 15 years ago, I could
connect it to my computer and have all
my tapes digitized.
Well, to keep a long story short, I bought
a used tape deck, EVERY SINGLE TIME I saw one.
in total I bought 11 tape players in my
search for a perfect one.
Eventually I found this tape deck that
was actually a 5 TAPE CHANGER (like the
CD changers we have today, but for cassetes)
It allows me to load up 5 tapes, press
play, and a few hours later, all 5 tapes
are turned into MP3 files. (total work done
from my part - a few minutes and a few buttons
to press)
So, since I had all these tape players
laying around, I decided to look them up
on ebay and see if I could sell them.
What I found was literally SHOCKING…
(By the way, the max I paid for ANY of
those players was $15 at thrift stores)
I could sell the crappiest on of all, for
at least $30 - hence doubling my money.
I saw a real opportunity here.
so I looked at it further.
It seems that older cassete decks are
a little hidden treasure on ebay.
Lets take a look at a few items:
This “Sony TC-W97ES” sold for $51.99
(that’s just like the one I got for $12.99 from
the thrift store)
or you may find something like this
“AKAI GX-F91” and sell it for $400
This following one Sold for $76.00:
“ONKYO TA-2026”
this is awesome folks
Lets see what “hammertap” (my analysis tool) has
to say about this opportunity:
Percentage of Listings resulting in a sale: 80.09%
Average price sold: $88.32
Take a look at the screenshot (range $10-$1000)
(click to enlarge in a new window)
Best of all, these are all stuff you can find for under $15
(I know that from experience)
Here is a little tip I learned the hard way.
When you buy one of these guys, make sure
to TEST IT if it works before you get it.
that’s it for today…
Before you run off to do some treasure hunting,
PLEASE POST YOUR COMMENTS BELOW. I d love to
know what you think of my posts and any ideas
and comments you have are welcome here.
Partner to YOUR Success,
-Socrates Socratous
P.S. Go on, Post your comments below…
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89 Responses to 'Old Cassete, Tape Decks Sell on eBay for Good Profits…'
Leave a Reply
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Excellent blog and wonderful idea - love your newsletter. Many thanks!
Another great tip. Vintage audio equipment sells like you would not beleive. I have sold a lot of 45 records. I was floored with the price they brought.
Hi! Thanks I´ve flipped a few recordplayers 33 and 45
but never thougth of those machines. Great advice!
I´ll go hunting emedeately.
…hhhmmm…another ’sleeper’ !! I think you’ve had a FEW great ideas here in the last month or 2…I DO take them ‘in’ !!
You’re right. I am excited. This one’s got me real motivated for my Saturday finding mission.
Thanks.
Truly, the trick is to make sure they work. I have hauled a number to our rural dump. Anther concern is shipping rates since they are heavy. But when they want them, they want them, don’t they. Is there any call for the cassette tapes in the boom box set ups?
~Annie
Great find! Theres got to be a bunch of those lying around.
Who would have thought? Thanks for the tip!
Appreciated & enjoyed your post Socrates..thank you. This is my first time here to your blog, and am looking forward to returning here. Thank you for all.
Richard
shocking to think that these types of items are getting more valuable despite the fact that they are of no obvious use. great finds! thanks!
Nice Go Socrates…
Who would have ever
thought of it right?
You Da Man as Usual!
Roy Fielding
The Free Tools Newsletter..
P.S. I’ll be back goin to
the the thrift store OK?
LOL
YOU MAKE MY HEART GO PITTA PATTA, YE KNOW..
BTW I think both the “hidden treasures” that you have written thus far, are great.
Thanks,
Joyce
Really look forward to all your good news. The way you write about everything makes it exciting! Happy to read all the info on your web-site.
Keep up the good work! Thanks for taking the time to let us in on these SECRETS!!
What an excellent idea. Can’t wait to start looking. Keep the ideas coming - really appreciated!!!
THANK YOU! Love the ideas you pass along…we can never have enough information and you make it so easy!
You just gave me a spinoff idea for some marketing cassette tapes that I have - “How to Reach the Key Decision Maker” which is to convert these cassette tapes to MP3s. As a thank you, I would be happy to mail you the 2-set tape series.
Great Idea! I will be looking for those at the weekly yard sale runs!!
Ah yes the old tape deck. I see them all over and never thought to pick them up.
To heavy and useless. But there is always something for someone.
I still don’t think I will mess around with them yet.
Barbara
Thanks for another great idea! I always look forward to seeing the latest treasure you find and thanks for sharing it with your readers. Can’t wait to see the next treasure!
Many Blessings,
Jeanette
As a “fanatical student of marketing and
self improvement” I feel you are overlooking a gold mine. Why not do a video course (or ebook) on how to convert cassette to MP3. I’d buy it and feel others would as well. How say you all?
I agree with Michael. When reading your tip, I was wondering the same thing. Now, how is that done? I’ve got lots of cassettes I’d like to transfer to MP3’s. Great tip!!
I have really enjoyed your newsletters. They contain a lot of useful information. I did sell a Real to Real tape player that was given to me for a $100. I am always looking for unusual items to sell. Jane
Enjoy the newsletter…and thanks for taking over so seamlessly Socrates! Fascinating…I will now give them more than my usual cursory glance. On another note: can you explain about your research tool ‘hammertap’, costs etc and if you think it is a worthwhile added expense even if you are a small part-time seller?
Thanks for all the great info! Being a consignment service, I never know what will come in. I, too, find selling vintage tape decks are very lucrative! Same with vintage band equipment.
I look forward to these emails. Get excited when they’re there. Your hidden treasures are great. Thanks for the ideas. Loving it.
Thank you for the great tips - I have passed by a few of these at garage sales, thinking they weren’t worth it - I won’t pass by any more!
Thank you for the time and effort you put into informing us of the little known treasures that could bring big profits.
Socrates, nice job on the newsletter. I use hammertap as well and really like it. I don’t know of any other tool that gives all the info that H T does. It would be much more difficult to research items to sell without it.
John L
Great tips! Always enjoy your email updates!
LOVE IT! Thanks so much for keeping us posted. It helps when I go to estate sales and thrift stores. What bugs me is I’ve found tons of these and never thought to buy one :-(. Well, my truck will be full of them after this weekend :-). THANKS AGAIN! Hilary
Great idea - they almost give these away at local auctions and I’ve never bid on one. I will next time. Thanks for the great idea.
Thanks for the heads up! I appreciate you sharing these “pearls” with us. Lisa
Excellent, I am giving this information to my eBay Basics of Selling Class . I will suggest they subscribe.
Love all the great ideas!
Where were you six months ago. I sold a lot of 12 of those on eBay for $25.00. The lesson for me is to do more research. Thanks for the reminder.
Hey,
Thanks for another great “hidden” tip. I like the suggestion Michael made about making “a video course (or ebook) on how to convert cassette to MP3″. Now that would be helpful!
John R. Cumbow
http://www.MisspelledBargains.com
Find the misspelled eBay auction
bargains that other bidders miss!
This is a great idea!I appreciate the updated tips and great information you provide.The best thing about the information you provide is that it is relevant,hip and trendy.It is also easy for anyone to use your ideas and is very cost effective!Kudos!
Thanks for the tip!
Look forward to seeing what exciting thing you will present next time. Thanks so much.
Information is really appreciated. Just starting out on ebay. Thanks so much!
Awesome “gems” (as usual)
I’d appreciate it if you’d contact me asap as I am getting ready to launch an online magazine to the classic travel trailer crowd and would like you to have a “presence” in it. There are quite a few people
that I know who are Ebay fiends! Hope to hear from you soon. Lisa
P.S. I live in Perris, Cal so maybe we could get together to chat.
Great ideas!! Looks like I’m hitting some Garage Sales this spring!
The Craftsman tools section is a very good idea. There are many little items that are good sellers. Also, there are many items that sell seasonally. Tools will sell cheaper typically in the fall according to what I have seen.
Fabulous idea. I found a lot of self improvement tapes and you are right, they have some great timeless information. Thanks for the tip.
I aggree. This is a wonderful idea !! I’ll put it to work fairly soon !
Thanks !
I’m always amazed by what people are buying! Things I would never think of. Great information, it’s almost impossible to know what to look at or when, there’s so much out there!
Thank you for the great advice!
Patti
Your ideas and insights are absolutely WONDERFUL!! I truly appreciate all the tips you’ve shared. I’m hitting some garage sales and pawn shops this weekend! Thanks
!
You have great ideas and your enthusiasm is awesome. Keep up the good work as it looks like everybody enjoys your ‘gems’.
SCOTT YOU BE THE MAN WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY!HOW DO YOU KEEP FINDING STUFF, THAT GIVE US POOR BOYS HOPE, TO KEEP ON KEEPING ON.AND I MEAN THE LADIES TOO THAT ARE HAVING A RUFF TIME OR JUST WANT TO MAKE SOME EXTRA BUCKS
I like the idea’s you come up with
Who would’ve thought. I’ve seen them for sale in a country consignment store close to where I live. I’ve always passed them up, but now…
Thanks!
Thanks Socrates - appreciate your blog so much - yours and Scott’s get opened first in all my email - gets loads of it too.
Keep up the good work - it is truely appreciated.
Judy
Hi Socrates,
Thanks for the great tips on old tape desks. I’ve also found great gems on tapes from Denis Waitley & The Psychology of Winning for Women by Dayna & Deborah Waitley was ‘brilliant’ …These were tape sets in their box set covers…all for a song.
Congratulations on taking over ‘Overlooked Treasure’. Love the screenshots…really makes such a difference being visual.
this something for me to think about and I am shure to test it. but since I m just starting I am going to approach with coution as money is tight for now. Your emails show a lot of promise in the future to find hidden jems. Thankyou
Thanks Socrates. I’m just getting back into ebay & need items I know will sell.
Thanks for all the info… I am looking forward ro starting to sell on Ebay…
Blessings,
David
Wow, I would have never thought of that. Thanx for the tip, and the great newsletter.
Renate
Thank you for sharing! So many people are so selfish today. Your kind gestures are greatly appreciated.
Nice catch. I’ve got a few myself. There have got to be a ton of Sony Walkmans out there, too.
Hi Socrates,
Thanks for the great tips. I’v been passing these up but not anymore.
Larry
Thanks for another great lead on a lucrative item! I have a couple decks in storage, waiting for that garage sale that never seems to happen. Time to dig them out and sell, plus keep my eyes peeled for more. Love your tips; you rock!
Good for you Socrates! It is hard to figure what people want and it seems that just about anything will sell, just some better than others. Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing your finds.
Another great tip on what to keep our eyes open for when out hitting the flea markets and swap meets.
Rhonda
I’ve lots of those cassette decks at flea market. I have one myself. Thanks for the tip. I get the dust off mine and see what happens with it.
Thanks! Also, could you please explain more how HammerTap works? Thanks again!
If vintage marketing oourses sell well on ebay, why not old motivation courses? Most of them are on cassette.
Great information. Looking forward to the garage sales.Thanks.
Thanks for this information. I have walked past 20 or more of these things over the past few months. Now, I’ll have to stop and check them out. Who knows… they may be an overlooked treasure. 8~)
Fabulous tip I never would have thought of this one. I have an old tape player setting on a shelf somewhere.
You are right about tapes. My old tapes auctions move quickly. Thanks
Hi Socrates
I gotta say THIS I AM IMMPRESSED as i have about 30 45s and was wondering the other day what am i going to do with them as well as quite a few taperecorders well thanks to you i now know great tips man THANKS SO MUCH
Keep it up Mate
Cheers ….
Tabio F
Thank you for the GREAT idea. I have walked by so many at garage sales thinking what would anyone do with that??
Oh well, that’s why I so enjoy your newsletter, it makes me think outside the box and take another look.
Thank you,
Linda
Not just the player but the tapes! I’m not talking about everyday old music cassettes, but off-the-wall cassettes: old seminars, instructions, other mundane & boring tapes. List them and you’ll be surprised.
Hmm…I think you have to be more careful with this one than it sounds. The trick here is condition and brand. Literally millions of these things are floating around out there and very few people have a big use for them other than books on tape and transferring music. Most books on tape people use a walkman or listen in their car, which leaves a smaller market. In my experience with the tape decks the only ones that sell are very specialized brands an then certain models inside of these brands. Most “common” brands don’t sell for squat. In addition, be careful when it comes to making sure it works. Just because it turns on and spins doesn’t mean it is functioning. The material used in the tape heads wears down and becomes magnetized which will make the sound quality suffer. So, in short, be careful with vintage audio stuff. High end audio equipment that is 20 years old may very well be worth something now, but low end audio stuff that is 20 years old is worth about what you’d pay for it at a garage sale (zippo)
Great Blog and you are right, these types of items sell very well. Thanks
Yikes, I think I have one of those sitting on a shelf in my garage. Duh… Thanks for the advice!
Great! I’ll have to do more research. I have old records, old stereo equipment, even piano rolls and old sheet music. What I don’t have is room for all this stuff! Money is so nice and compact!
Who would think that stuff I have in the basement would be worth anything. You have opened my eyes to a new martket and I will be checking out the local fleamarkets this summer. Thanks for the blog..:-)
Walt
I’ll be sure to comb the yard/garage sales for these! Keep the money-making ideas coming! Thanks for all you do!
I really appreciate this information from you and, as usual, I’m surprised by what people want! I also enjoy the posts, especially those with additional advice/hints.
I think you are doing a great service for those of us who need help thinking of things to sell. I have already started looking for everything you’ve mentioned over the past month or two. Keep up the great work. I really enjoy reading your newsletters!
Thanks for this update. These are great idea’s as are your past emails. I appreciate the time you take to share with others ways to increase income on the side. All are great idea’s that are worth additional researching and listing. Thanks again for your newsletters!!
thanks for the idea. how very odd… do tapes sell well as well, or just the players, i wonder…
Thanks for another great idea.
Thankyou for sharing.
Hi,
Thanks for all the great ideas.
I didn’t know how else to reach you regarding your
“Greek Easter Special”. Please email me and let me know how I can receive it. It has been paid for.
Thanks and continued success.
As always with anything breakable, remember the USPS THREE-FOOT DROP Rule. And pack your item accordingly.
Regards,
Rod
Great idea. I know what I’ll be looking for now when I got yard saling this summer. Thanks.
Hi, I’ve been reading your Overlooked Treasure webiste for some time now. Thanks for the last tip on Dual Cassette Decks. I found a nice Yamaha Dual Deck with manual and cords and everything at a yard sale for $10, it was in mint condition. I just got $70 for it on ebay. Nice tidy profit! Thanks again, looking forward to your next overlooked treasure.
Lynn
Thanks for the tip. I’ve got a couple I can put up soon.
http://officialsafetyandsecurity.com