I watched the new show on Spike TV with the Thrifting with the Boys characters. Yes, they are quite the characters. I enjoyed it although I can imagine it will get old after awhile. I enjoyed American Pickers for a while too but grew tired of it. What I liked about this show was that they are looking in thrift stores and picking up some of the exact same things I would pick up. Mugs!? Yes. Puzzles? Yes. Nothing too expensive or complicated in this episode. Their work room was immaculate. I wonder if that is their real work room or a studio set up for the show. I envied it big time. The show kept me engaged for the entire episode especially because I know that they are actual ebay sellers who seem to be doing it the way we are...not just pretty faces. From the little I know of them they seem to have built a good business from the ground up. I had to laugh when they showed how they package a mug to ship using a flat rate priority mailer. I'd always shook my head at that method. But they took one such package outside and wacked it with some sort of hockey stick or something and the stick broke and the mug flew down the street and survived. No damage.
Did you see the show? What did you think? Will you continue to watch?
I was wondering if that was a plastic golf club, especially when it went flying. I enjoyed the show. I had wished they showed more of their work and storage area. On their website, they actually have the items listed that they purchased, for how much and what they sold for. I was wondering if that was a good idea. I also worry that shows like this will hurt what we do and make it harder to find goods at low prices. That said, I liked watching it and I didn't find them annoying like some of the people on similar shows. It didn't seem too terribly staged either. When I found out that American Pickers was totally pre-planned (they came to my town in PA), I lost all respect for the show.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that American Pickers was pre planned. Like they already know which items they are going to 'find'?
DeleteI think really doing ebay full time like you and I are doing is A LOT of work. The show made it look easy but I think if you aren't dedicated to it watching shows like this won't turn you into a true picker. There are about 100 mugs at my Goodwill at any time, maybe more and it takes knowing which mugs will sell to go through them and make a profit. Disney may be obvious but there are so many other obscure mugs to look for. And if people who watch are already employed how much time can they spend on this 'easy' way to make some extra money on top of a job? I think the people this could really help, like the unemployed or underemployed could become some competition but again they have to be willing to do the work. At my thrifts there are always sales and/or they are removing old merch from the racks so there is more 'stuff' out there than people buying it. I used to watch a reality show about flipping houses and I thought I should do that...it looks so easy and fun. Easy way to make more money. I was working full time at the time and although I had the thought in my head for at least one season of that show I NEVER made a concrete step in that direction. I'm hoping the same is true for the show Thrift Hunters.
Nancy, you're probably right. I was going through golf shirts at GW trying to find some good ones. There were lots of them, but I was the only one looking. I only had a certain amount of money to spend, otherwise I would have bought more so I was choosy. But the goods are there for anyone to take advantage of.
DeleteAs for Am Pickers...well, first there was a huge ad in the local paper that they were coming saying they were looking for people who had barns or garages full of stuff. Then they sent out scouts to check out all the possible locations. They picked one and it was just 2 miles up the road from me. I didn't go to see, but a lot of people did and they said Frank wasn't too friendly. No big surprise there. Anyway, it made me realize that the whole thing with Danielle finding them places to go is all BS so I couldn't watch it anymore after that.
For what it's worth, I heard one YouTube rant saying that the RAD jacket was planted just so they would have a big sale for the first show, much like the storage-wars type shows have been accused of. It wouldn't surprise me because without that big ticket item, the show wasn't very exciting.
DeleteWow. They visited a town near my parents too. I never talked to anyone there to see how it went but I wonder. I wonder if they even actually go picking anymore outside the show or if they make enough money just being tv stars.
DeleteThanks for reading and commenting Scott. That would be very disappointing to hear that is true.
DeleteI agree with you Nancy. I think that people who think selling on ebay full time is easy peasy will find out that it is actual WORK. You just don't wander into a thrift shop and find something that will resell for big bucks. You have to know stuff! And most people will give up when they don't get big bucks for everything they find. I guess we just have to wait for them to find out what it is like on their own. And if they sell everything at auction they will learn really quick that they don't make a huge profit on everything, sometimes it can cost you money to sell at auction.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment Annabel. It's a daily grind. A fun daily grind but it's not easy peasy as you say.
Deletethe Rad jacket wasnt planted - who anyway would know about that? These guys are the real deal.
ReplyDeleteI love the show because it's exactly what I do :) I sell almost exclusively clothes and I'm not too worried about others doing the same thing. As you all mentioned above, it is a TON of work and extremely difficult to make a living doing it.
ReplyDeletehttp://stores.ebay.com/Best-Deals-On-Clothes-and-Plushes
ReplyDeleteAfter watching this show for the 1st time this morn. What a joke.. This has got to be the stupidest show I have ever seen. These 2 clowns have absolutely no clue as to what they are doing.. And they are lucky they are being paid to do the show.. how did they ever get on tv to begin with?.. And get a 2nd season? and what is it about this dumb fad of unkempt hillbilly beards? It's like everyone is trying to emulate those ridiculous duck dynasty people... Give me a freaking break.. I've been in the business for more than 30 yrs. And if I did biss. like these 2 clowns I'd go broke.. At least that auction hunters show even while being fake and scripted has been a little entertaining... DO NOT.... AND I REALLY MEAN... DO NOT TRY TO EMULATE THESE 2 IDIOTS... YOU WILL GO BROKE IF YOU DO.. This is not a get rich quick business. Yes every once in a while you might find a real treasure. And and make a really good profit.. but those items are few and far between... I am really getting tired of all these stupid reality shows and their raising of peoples expectations.. unrealistically.. That they have on tv today...
So Sorry to have burst anyones bubble... I will be so happy when this reality show bullshit ends... Have a nice day..