I MAKE BIG PROFITS BUYING AND SELLING USED FURNITURE

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Flea markets and swap meets are probably among the best ways to "move" your merchandise, simply because of the huge number of people who shop in this manner. Booth space at these open-air markets (which are usually held at drive-in theaters and shopping centers) costs from $1.50 to $5.00 per space assignment per day ... which is more than reasonable, when you consider that as many as 5,000 to 50,000 shoppers may see your goods in a day's time.

If you decide to go this route, try to arrive early (7:00 or 8:00 a.m.) and stake out a good spot. (Sometimes, you'll be required to make advance reservations. Check it out.) Bring along a folding card table (more than one, if necessary) to set your smaller items on. If nothing else, throw a nice blanket on the ground ... it'll make a passable and effective display.

Organize your wares so that your customers will find it easy to browse, and so people won't knock your breakables over or step on your magazines to get a better look at that painting way in the back. And set your prices a good 10 or 20% higher than what you actually expect to get for each piece of merchandise. This way, the shopper has a chance to "dicker" on the price (as is customary at swap meets).

Then again — rather than go to a swap meet — you may want to run a classified ad under the appropriate heading of your local newspaper. Advertise your most interesting items only, and keep the ad itself short. (This will prompt interested parties to call for more information.) Include the price in your advertisement only if you consider it to be an especially low one.

If you prefer to hold your own garage, porch, yard, or living room sale, that's easy too. Run a short ad in the paper or just put up signs on strategic street corners. If you live on a particularly busy thorough — fare, you won't have to advertise at all ... just set your inventory in plain view, and customers will begin to gravitate to your house. Before you go this route, however, be sure to check local ordinances. (Some municipalities have restrictions on the number of sales you may hold per year others issue special licenses.)

THE PROFIT PICTURE

By now you're probably wondering how much money a person can expect to make buying and selling pre-owned household goods. It's hard to give a definite, dollars-and-cents answer, since the profit on your investment can range from zero to several hundred percent, and since you can approach this business either full time or (as I do) part time. Roughly speaking, though — if you hustle and if you have a good eye for items that will sell — you can count on grossing between $200 and $400 a week on an investment of $50 to $100 ... working only 15 to 20 hours! (That's on the average . As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I've made as much as $90 a day — and more — in this lucrative field.)

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