>Going Once, Going Twice, SOLD Online

Garage sales are a common practice in American culture. It is a chance for someone to try and get rid of their junk so that someone else can have more junk. However, as the saying goes; “one persons trash, another persons treasure”.

Often a savvy garage sale veteran or maybe even a lucky newbie can come across something of value. But what to do with it?

Ten years ago this problem would be nearly unsolvable—other than holding a garage sale of your own. Today there is another solution that many are pursuing, including a number of Topekans.

The World Wide Web has opened the doors to many online sales and auction businesses. Online companies such as E-Bay, Amazon, Yahoo, and Overstock cater to both the private citizen and the large company helping to sell knick-knacks, collectables, treasures, or even everyday items.

Robert Doole, a Shawnee Heights High School music teacher, found his niche in the “e-biz” industry three years ago. Doole and his wife Sheryl had been shopping at garage sales for fun when the couple had noticed the wide variety of books they found at each sale. Inspired by the sheer volume of tomes they discovered, Doole began buying books at garage sales and sells them online through Amazon.com
The big drawback is that most often, the books he buys aren’t worth much and don’t sell, and Doole is stuck with mountains of books with no potential.

“It’s how someone ends up with a garage full of books,” Doole said

Other times, though, Doole scores a real find. Awhile back, Doole found an antique collection of Sante Fe books dating back to the early 1900’s. These books are a fairly rare find and many collectors spend countless hours searching for them to complete their personal collections. This series delivered the largest profit in a single transaction than any other book or collection.

The internet has opened many new doors for commerce and will probably continue to grow as more and more people use companies like Amazon, or even businesses like the recently launched EurekaTopeka.com.

Before you throw out that box of hodgepodge junk in your basement, remember that out there somewhere on the World Wide Web is someone who may just find your junk as an irresistible treasure.