Working in the reseller space means encountering plenty of garage sales, estate sales, and auctions that turn out to be a bust. However, I recently stumbled upon an estate sale in my niche that was the kind of find most resellers dream about. It was purely by chance that I even made it to this sale. Below, I’ll share the full story of how it happened, how it shifted my perspective on reselling media, and some key takeaways for anyone selling media in the reseller market.
Planning the Trip and Spotting the Perfect Sale
It happened to be the end of the semester for my daughter, and we decided to visit my parents in North Carolina. After picking her up from school, we made the ten-hour drive to Chapel Hill. Knowing I’d be in the area, I took some time to research estate sales scheduled for Saturday and Sunday within a 100-mile radius of where we were staying.
I found about two dozen estate sales that seemed worth checking out, with several located near each other. We arrived in Chapel Hill late Friday night, and I knew Saturday morning would be my best chance to explore. In North Carolina, many estate sales tend to wrap up on Saturdays rather than continuing into Sunday. Although I had a few sales lined up for Sunday, they became unnecessary after the incredible find I came across on Saturday.
The Treasure Trove of Blu-rays
The photos on estatesales.net showed a house packed with music, movies, surround sound systems, and everything you’d expect from an avid fan of audiovisual equipment. Among the images, the shelves stacked with CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays caught my attention immediately. That single photo stood out and became the reason this sale was a must-see for me.
I arrived on the second and final day of the sale, fully aware it would be my last chance to explore. As I approached the shelves, I was surprised to see that most of the items were still there. It wasn’t until I looked at the original pricing that things started to make sense. The day before, Blu-rays were priced at five dollars each, and DVDs were three dollars. Given the high prices, it wasn’t surprising that much of it remained untouched. Fortunately, everything was half-off on the final day, so I was prepared to pay $2.50 per Blu-ray if needed.
The estate sale was bustling with activity, with people coming and going as expected. I managed to carve out a corner for myself near the Blu-rays and began scanning the collection. Despite a few curious glances from others, I stayed focused. My first scan was a hit, then the second, and the third. That’s when I stepped back to take a broader look at the shelves, realizing the incredible collection I was about to sift through.
Closing the Deal and Expanding the Haul
After hitting on 17 out of 20 scans in a row, I decided it was time to find the estate sale owner and make an offer on everything available. Based on a quick estimate, there were around 400 Blu-rays, and I didn’t think most people there understood the resale value. I approached a man who turned out to be the husband of the estate sale organizer. When he asked how much I was willing to pay, I considered offering $400 but decided to aim lower. I said $250, knowing the younger couple likely didn’t grasp the value from a disc media reseller’s perspective. He consulted his wife, who was running the sale, and they agreed to my offer.
With the deal secured, I continued scanning to make sure I didn’t include anything without value in my haul. I wanted to leave behind items that weren’t worth taking, ensuring the collection stayed beneficial for both me and the sellers.
Fun Fact: The box I mentioned is similar to the one I found at the estate sale. It was the perfect size for loading Blu-rays, fitting about 60 per row, and I managed to create four rows in it. On top of that, I filled four banker boxes and several other boxes with Blu-rays.
After loading these into my car, I went back inside and found another 100 items, including books and CDs. I took my time scanning them one by one. Eventually, I had to wrap things up since I was an hour away and still had a long drive ahead. Unfortunately, I had to leave behind four or five large bookshelves unscanned, but considering what I’d already found, I couldn’t complain.
The next day, I reached out to the sale owner and offered to come back to pick up anything they planned to trash or donate. I figured it was worth asking, but unfortunately, she wasn’t able to get approval from the homeowners in time, and I had to head back. Sometimes, a quick call or text can make all the difference, but even without the extra haul, this sale was already a huge success.
Lessons Learned from a Remarkable Find
What made this collection truly remarkable was the type of Blu-rays I was uncovering. Many were from a film noir collection, including several Criterion Collection titles. I came across movies I had never even heard of, and some had no listings on Amazon at all. It turns out as I’m writing this the great David Lynch passed away today. I this collection I found several of his great movies including The Lost Highway and Mulholland Drive. Based on my research, I estimated that I could sell the Blu-rays for an average of $25 each. Of course, not every title would fetch that price, but the potential was incredible. Looking back, I wish I had just bought everything without hesitation.
Unpacking, Cleaning, and Preparing for Sale
Once I returned to where I was staying, I started going through the collection to clean the items and scan them further. As I reviewed everything, it became even clearer that this haul was a game-changer. Without it, I would’ve been scrambling for inventory during the holiday season.
Once I got home, I started uploading all the items to Amazon over the next couple of weeks. Both the Blu-rays and CDs started selling well, though some items are naturally taking longer than others to move. My highest-priced item so far is listed at $135, which speaks to the value of this collection.
This experience gave me the perspective I needed to go beyond simply testing the waters of reselling. It showed me how to identify items truly worth buying. Over time, I’ve encountered plenty of items that were smoky, smelly, dirty, scratched, or worse. This collection was the exact opposite. It was super clean and clearly owned by a serious collector who barely watched the movies. These were the kind of items I could confidently list as “very good” or “like new.” However, I always choose to list everything as “good,” ensuring that when buyers receive their items, they’re pleasantly surprised by the quality.
Navigating the Challenges of Selling Media on Amazon
Selling media on Amazon is an entirely different challenge, one I’ve been navigating since October 2024. I’ve learned a lot along the way, from the benefits to the obstacles that come with selling in this category. For anyone new to reselling or interested in selling on Amazon, be prepared, it’s far from easy. There are plenty of hurdles to overcome and ongoing requirements to keep your account in good standing.
As the year progresses, I’ll continue searching estate sales, garage sales, and auctions for standout collections. Finds like this are rare, and sometimes they don’t come around at all. If you ever stumble upon a collection like this, I highly recommend acting on it immediately. Here’s to hoping I keep making sales and uncovering more valuable items in the future!