Making some extra dosh!

[falling rain]

I thought it would be an idea to have a chat about making a bit of extra money.
Times are hard in the recession and Chrimbo is just around the corner.

I've been making a few quid recently by various methods (all legal I may add) so I thought I'd share my triumphs to inspire others and hopefully folks will chip in with a few ideas themselves for making a bit of pocket money or to pay for Chrimbo.

Vintage Ladybird books - I got this idea from money magpie http://www.moneymagpie.com/ Which is a good website with loads of ideas on making and saving money. Try money saving expert too. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/
I've been spending time trawling car booters and charity shops for these old books. They go for good money depending on condition, age and issue. I've sold quite a few but my best so far was an old Cinderella ladybird book which I picked up for 50p from a charity shop and sold for £8.00 - £7.50 profit. I've sold loads of vintage ladybird books and always make money on them. Make sure they are old editions.
I've been buying and selling other books and after a while you 'get your eye in' as to what's worth money. Buy from car booters and charity shops (not Oxfam, they have specialists who value the books they have for sale so you won't make much)

School table top sales - Schools are happy just to make a few bob. - I bought 96 books job lot of a 1970's series from Blackwells of Oxford called 'young persons education series' or something like that. They wanted 20p each for each book. I offered them £7 for all 96 books which they bit off my hand for, and sold them online and at a car booter for a total of £82.

Carbooter - I made £300 + at my last car booter. I had a long hard look at what stuff I had, and do I really need it! I was ruthless and got rid of some old fishing rods and reels which I never use. Excess camping and bushy kit. Lamps and stoves, sleeping bags etc. Over the summer I've made several £100 pounds.

Buy to sell - I bought a digital camera from a car booter for £35 and sold it on ebay for £80
I bought a complete set of inspector Morse books (13 volumes) for £2 - sold for £13 to a local Independant book shop, and made a contact. The guy is interested in the classics and will pay me for any books I bring in. Sherlock Holmes, Dickens, Agatha Christie, Edgar Allen Poe, etc, etc. I've also been boning up a bit on antiques and sold a brass 'Pill box' For £20 which I paid £1 for. I bought an antique wooden match case for £5 and sold it for £30.

I'm doing the old 'red paper clip' syndrome thing at the moment where I sell something and make a profit, re-invest any money I make to buy a bargain and sell that item again for profit, use the profit to buy a more expensive item and again sell for profit etc, etc. I's not overnight riches, but it's interesting to keep a log of what you buy something for and sell it for and re-invest the money to buy and sell.

Anyway that's enough from me. Has anyone got any pocket money making tips. It could go as big as you wish, and is very satisfying when you buy something and make a profit on it. My landlady's son in law makes a living from it, which is where I got the idea in the first place..............It sure beats the daily droll of the office and trapse in traffic or on the bus.........and no annoying work colleagues, bull5hit meetings or deadlines. Sounds good to me, and if my landlady's son in law can do it so can we. He has 3 girls and 1 boy and a mortgage, before anyone mentions responsibilities.

C,mon lets be having you with the ideas. Jobs are for losers.

 

[bushwacker bob]

We used to let our dogs have a litter when I was unemployed 25 years ago, a Parson Jack and a westie.Our jack Russel brought 2 New Forest foals.
I now have 2 gay Basset hounds ( a bitch that thinks she should do the work and a dog that is dumb enough to agree),8 horses and no job.

 

[FGYT]

Been using my Knife making stuff to offer the old ladies round here a sharpening service for kitchen knifes and garden equipt
pizzza wheels are fun to sharpen

oh and making a few knifes to sell though i seem to just buy more stuff with the return

ATB

Duncan

 

[falling rain]

Been using my Knife making stuff to offer the old ladies round here a sharpening service for kitchen knifes and garden equipt
pizzza wheels are fun to sharpen

oh and making a few knifes to sell though i seem to just buy more stuff with the return

ATB

Duncan

That's the type of thing I'm talking about FGYT. Knife sharpening service. Good idea.

 

[Eric_Methven]

A few years ago, before my back got bad, I used to provide a "Flat pack assembly sevice".
I made up a bunch of cards and put them on windscreens in the car parks of B&Q, Homebase and IKEA.

I got quite a lot of work from people wanting me to assemble their flat pack furniture, and after a while, I could zip them together without even needing to read the instructions.

I charged an hourly rate, and as I got faster, the price became cheaper, so they told their friends and I got more work that way too.

Eric

 

[falling rain]

A few years ago, before my back got bad, I used to provide a "Flat pack assembly sevice".
I made up a bunch of cards and put them on windscreens in the car parks of B&Q, Homebase and IKEA.

I got quite a lot of work from people wanting me to assemble their flat pack furniture, and after a while, I could zip them together without even needing to read the instructions.

I charged an hourly rate, and as I got faster, the price became cheaper, so they told their friends and I got more work that way too.

Eric

Nice one Eric. Great ideas keep them coming.
When I had a garden where I used to live and therefore space, I made planters, bird tables, bird nesting boxes, pub style garden table/benches, rabbit and guinea pig hutches. I'm no chippy but they're all fairly easy to make. I used to go round garden centres to get design ideas.My friend worked at a builders merchants as a manager so I got some discount on materils - Nails - Screws - paint etc. I used to sell them at car booters and made 2 picnic benches for my works smoking/lunch area outside.
All the stuff was bolted together and sturdy and made to last, unlike the B&Q flimsy stuff. I passed my old place of work the other day and the benches were still there 8 years on. One chap at a carbooter asked me to make him a massive planter for a fir tree. Lots of family and friends also asked me to make them bird tables etc. I used to do fairly well out of it. I'm still planning on returning to Devon at some stage, and I'l look for a place with a garden so I'll have space to do it again.
All my little fingers in different pies makes a reasonable living. and MUCH better than going to the office.

 

[scrogger]

Sounds like you have it sorted falling rain. I work from home but to be honest I find my work a real drag and it can be quite stressful. I need to find a few little niches to maybe have a go at I am thinking of starting a gardening type service in the village where I live.
I want to do something in the outdoors. I even thought about offering a dog walking service.

I will watch this thread with interest.

 

[falling rain]

Sounds like you have it sorted falling rain. I work from home but to be honest I find my work a real drag and it can be quite stressful. I need to find a few little niches to maybe have a go at I am thinking of starting a gardening type service in the village where I live.
I want to do something in the outdoors. I even thought about offering a dog walking service.

I will watch this thread with interest.

It's definately better than having a mundane job and having to work with people you have nothing in common with or don't even particularly like.
I get up when I want (which is usually about 7 - 7:30) check to see if anyone's ordered any books and post them off if they have. Go fo a gentle walk to town spend some time looking about the charity shops and have a coffee and sit outside watching everybody rushing about with serious faces
I go to the woods when I want to, I go fishing when I want to, I drink beer when I want to, In fact I do pretty much as I please and it's very satisfying making it on your own and not being a slave of a company. I'm not rich................ but I'm free
You go for it with the gardening Scrogger. Be careful with the dog walking service though, if one of the mutts bites someone you may find yourself getting sued. What if one dog runs off? The owners not going to be happy. I'd say you'd need some sort of insurance, but don't know for sure. What about gardening and offer a shed and fence erection service? (no rude jokes at the back please) Let your mind run riot there's loads of ways to make money, but think about any drawbacks too.
The mum of a friend of my sons uses an ironing service because she hates ironing. I actually don't mind ironing and am fairly good at it too having been in the army. I Don't think I'd fancy doing lots of it though.

 

[wanderingblade]

Good for you Falling Rain - getting off your bum and getting out there, learning and taking a punt - excellent idea.

I followed a similar line myself several years ago - bought a job lot of bits on eBay, sold them for a profit, re-invested the profit and 7 years later ended up with an international import / export business (and 'till Feb this year was the 4th largest knife retailer on eBay )

Also turned practical experience and a shed full of tools into a thriving property maintenance business which is now my full time business.

Living by the sea I also used driftwood I used to collect to craft a variety of homewares / gifts and made £200 - £300 a time at craft fairs (posted some pics of a few bits I made here a little while ago) Still got a basement full of the stuff Will be eBaying that soon.

Still do a bit of buying and selling at boot sales.

I've lost count of the number of people I have given advice and help to over the years who have taken an interest, turned that interest into a hobby, turned that hobby into a part time moneyspinner then made that part time moneyspinner their full time business.

Good on you - keep it up, keep learning, keep diversifying and give 'ole Branson a run for his money (you've got one up on him already - your doing it all legally )

 

[bushwacker bob]

My local jewelry shop sells a very nice line of penknives and SAKs with exotic wood,mammoth ivory and stirling silver handles

Who said that

 

[Tengu]

Food delivery, not the pizza places where you will work too hard, but chinese or Indian where theres little work and lots to eat.

 

[Bushwhacker]

Crikey, I've got a shed load of old Ladybird books. What makes them so pricey?

Just getting a land share project up and running at the moment, it's more to save money by growing our own than making any though.

 

[firecrest]

make some connections with cake shops ,caterers and childrens entertainers . Just pick up their cards, then post flyers advertising yourself as a party organizer. Its a small business venture that works well if you can organise yourself.

 

[falling rain]

Good for you Falling Rain - getting off your bum and getting out there, learning and taking a punt - excellent idea.

I followed a similar line myself several years ago - bought a job lot of bits on eBay, sold them for a profit, re-invested the profit and 7 years later ended up with an international import / export business (and 'till Feb this year was the 4th largest knife retailer on eBay )

Also turned practical experience and a shed full of tools into a thriving property maintenance business which is now my full time business.

Living by the sea I also used driftwood I used to collect to craft a variety of homewares / gifts and made £200 - £300 a time at craft fairs (posted some pics of a few bits I made here a little while ago) Still got a basement full of the stuff Will be eBaying that soon.

Still do a bit of buying and selling at boot sales.

I've lost count of the number of people I have given advice and help to over the years who have taken an interest, turned that interest into a hobby, turned that hobby into a part time moneyspinner then made that part time moneyspinner their full time business.

Good on you - keep it up, keep learning, keep diversifying and give 'ole Branson a run for his money (you've got one up on him already - your doing it all legally )

Good for you too Wanderingblade. I think above anything I get a buzz from getting along using my own nouse and not having a 'got to be at the office' time. You do need to be self motivated though.

Crikey, I've got a shed load of old Ladybird books. What makes them so pricey?

Just getting a land share project up and running at the moment, it's more to save money by growing our own than making any though.

Take a look on ebay, search under 'Vintage ladybird books' some go for more than others. It could earn you a few bob.

 

[TeeDee]

I liked this thread so thought i would bump it! after all the hard times look like they may be here for a little longer.

 

[Pandabean]

Hmmm don't bump up the value of the old old books , im a sucker for the old leather bound science & history books.

But thanks for the tips, I certinaley will keep a lookout next time i'm at a boot sale.


One thing I thought about for making extra cash was doing some Scottish geneaology for people, but the idea never took off due to time and other things.

 

[leaf man]

Whilst chopping up trees for fire wood in a furniture and cabinet makers yard i started scrounging bits of offcuts. I machined and glued them into boards and then made quality jewellry boxes to sell at craft fairs. I also did some turnery from spalted and burred wood i found as i was chopping (10 quid for every 1 ton bag i filled, by hand with a bouble bit). Made and carved walking sticks, did some leather work too.
Thought it would all be a hit just in time for crimbo, did a load of craft fairs and lost big time! Spent more money on the table for weekend craft fairs than i made.
Most of it ended up beiong xmas prezzies so saved some dosh in a way. Was totally gutte in the end, it took me over a month to make enough stock to fill a table. Live and learn
good luck though guys

 

[Doc]

When I was 14, I wrote an article for 'Airgun World' - I was rather pleased when they published it and sent me a cheque for £50.
I didn't tell them I was 14, mind.