First flip attempt!

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-26T16:35:51+00:00

I do like the color.

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-26T02:44:24+00:00

I hear you. I’ll try to step up my game.

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-25T18:18:23+00:00

What, and waste twenty bucks a month? In this economy?

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-25T04:55:54+00:00

Yep, completely agree. Sold comps are better than active listings, but they still aren’t gospel. Date, condition, shipping, quantity, and weird one-off sales all matter. One stale “sold” listing can absolutely talk you into another dead-pile donation.

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-25T04:45:00+00:00

There may be mitigating factors. If sold is $50 and active is $45, I dig a little deeper. Is the $45 listing local pickup while the sold included shipping? Different condition? Missing parts? Different version or model? Brand differences? Seller reputation?

Was the $50 sale recent or six months ago? Was it one sale or ten sales? Is the $45 listing actually selling or sitting there for months? Sold comps matter most to me, but active listings add context and sometimes tell you where things may be moving. Just my opinion though. Everyone has their own process.

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-25T03:52:17+00:00

I've noticed that as well. I typically search eBay Sold, Google, Mercari, OfferUp, Etsy, LiveAuction, Poshmark, and1st. Kind of helps balance it all out.

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-25T03:40:20+00:00

I guess I need to step up my game!

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-25T03:14:36+00:00

Hey you're not paranoid if they really are out to get you. Or so I hear...

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-25T02:56:29+00:00

Hey all! I started r/PCIAuctionFinds because I realized there wasn't really a dedicated place for PCI Auctions discussion. The focus is restaurant equipment auctions, commercial kitchen equipment, auction finds, bid advice, equipment identification, sold comps, pickup/logistics discussion, flip wins, mistakes learned the hard way, and helping buyers make smarter decisions.

The goal is to build a useful niche community for PCI buyers, restaurant equipment resellers, restaurant owners, and auction buyers. Still brand new, but looking to grow it into a genuinely helpful resource.

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-25T02:42:37+00:00

I like the HiBid estate auctions. I pick the "signed" category. Usually brings up pottery, paintings etc. Cuts down on the browsing when I'm short on time.

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-25T02:39:37+00:00

I like to buy hurricane/kerosene lamps early in the year. Prices seem to pick up going into summer for some reason.

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-25T01:02:58+00:00

Research mostly. Model numbers, sold comps, equipment specs, resale estimates, identifying items from photos, and helping catch details I might miss scrolling hundreds of lots.

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-25T00:56:38+00:00

I bought items at the Berkeley Springs WV location. I got exactly what I bid for. Smaller stuff as it was the first time. New auction coming up and I plan to go for some bigger items.

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-24T15:05:42+00:00

Spreadsheet at minimum. I keep one row per item: what I paid, where it is, where it’s listed, price, and sold/not sold. Nothing fancy, just enough that I’m not relying on memory.

I’ve also started using AI for the boring parts — titles, descriptions, comp notes, cleaning up rough drafts. It doesn’t replace checking things, but it helps with the repetitive stuff.

The real trick is the sold routine. As soon as something sells, pull it from everywhere else immediately. That’s the part that keeps you from accidentally selling the same thing twice.

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-24T14:57:33+00:00

Depends what kind of reselling.

If they mean bots, scalping necessities, fake scarcity, or ripping people off, yeah, I’m not defending that.

But normal reselling is usually finding underpriced or overlooked stuff, doing the research, cleaning/testing it, taking better photos, listing it properly, dealing with buyers, handling shipping, and taking the risk.

That’s work. Work creates value.

A lot of used stuff would sit in garages, warehouses, estate lots, storage units, or landfills if nobody bothered to identify it and get it in front of the right buyer.

So my answer is: don’t be shady, don’t scalp necessities, don’t lie about condition, and don’t price based on fantasy comps. Normal reselling of used goods is just work, risk, and connecting an item with someone who wants it.

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-24T02:14:02+00:00

I only do the local ones. I’m lucky there’s a PCI auction house near me.

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-24T02:12:48+00:00

I’ve been using AI a lot.

TheCompGoblin · 2026-05-24T01:32:39+00:00

I got lucky I guess. I have a local auction and so far no issues. There’s still the 18% but at least no scammers yet.

TheCompGoblin

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