Desperately attempting to fund a road trip, I find hundreds of documentary VHS tapes behind a college library.
My 3 favorite things: Amazon selling, dumpster diving, & road trips
I have more than a few obsessions, but two of them are: Road trips, and making the road trips pay for themselves via Amazon sourcing on the road. This is a story about both.
Twice a month or so, my girlfriend and I have the same conversation: What new weird town should we drive to for a few days? Lately, our road trip options have been running thin. We are pretty much out of towns within a six-hour radius to drive to.
Last week, we chose the bottom of the regional barrel. It was a town with a reputation of being so dull that, in our dozen-plus road trips together, it had never even been proposed as an option – despite being under two hours away.
All the experts agreed this town was really boring. As evidence, I present a screenshot from a text conversation with a friend who grew up there. I asked her for hotel recommendations on our drive down. Here’s the relevant part of the conversation:
Well maybe the food would be good…
Recapping my “traveling for free with FBA” road trip formula
I travel a lot. And I make 80% of my trips pay for themselves via FBA. Even the expensive ones, involving planes and hotels. It’s not hard when you get a formula down.
And I had pretty much mastered my FBA road trip formula: Bring the right tools, create an airtight sourcing list of the highest-profit / lowest risk sources, then pack and ship everything to Amazon from the road using a combination of hotel printers and wifi.
All of this means I literally get paid to travel. If I do it right.
My expensive road trip that wasn’t paying for itself
But this trip, I was totally dropping the ball.
The “boring” town turned out to be not so boring. And my girlfriend and I stayed so busy during our three-day visit, I made no time for sourcing. Which isn’t how I like to operate.
Between hotels and gas, we were down $250 for this trip. On the last day, I finally came to my senses and announced that we needed to do some inventory sourcing. Something, somewhere, fast, to recoup costs.
One big problem: I made this declaration at midnight, on our last night.
Where can one someone find cheap, used media that can be resold on Amazon, in a town they’ve never been to before, at midnight?
There was only one source open at that hour. And it happened to be something that never closed: Dumpsters.
The dumpster diving hunt for profitable trash
Its extremely improbable to find a profitable dumpster source on short notice.
For one, even dumpsters that are fruitful aren’t fruitful all (or even most) of the time.
Two, there is no single place that consistently throws away books (or other things that can be sold on Amazon for a profit) that exists in every single town. Even building up a small roster of consistent dumpsters doesn’t happen until I’ve lived in a town for months and months. There’s no checklist you can follow.
It was late and I was desperate, so I defaulted to the closest place to our hotel that might have books in their trash: The university library.
The college library dumpster
This is what we saw when we peered into their trash:
Hundreds of VHS tapes. A bittersweet find.
Good because VHS tapes can be valuable, and they do still sell on Amazon. When you consider that the majority of VHS releases never made it to DVD, there’s a higher demand for VHS than you’d think.
Bad because 1) I would have preferred books. I always prefer books. 2) VHS can be slow to sell. 3) The tapes had no sleeves. Can you sell VHS tapes without covers? I had no idea.
This dumpster was a minor goldmine
The closer I looked, the more I liked this dumpster.
If I had to pick a mix of VHS tapes to find in the trash, it would probably look close to what I found in this dumpster. Niche educational / documentary titles on weird subjects like hypnotherapy and the train system in Siberia. I suspected few of these ever made it to DVD. Which is a recipe for resale value on Amazon.
The problem was: There were no covers on any of the tapes.
It didn’t take any genius math to surmise that where there are cover-less VHS tapes, there are covers not far away. Naturally, I found the covers in the recycling dumpster a few feet away. Problem solved.
I keyed a few of the tapes into my phone on the loading dock, and there was some serious value here.
So I turned to my girlfriend and said, “Let’s get the car…”
Sidebar: A video my girlfriend made me film
I really don’t like doing videos. But my girlfriend pulled out her phone and insisted I say a few words from next to the dumpster.
Here’s the (mostly redundant) video:
Taking stock of the college library dumpster haul
Back at the hotel, I started the laborious process of looking up each video manually on Amazon. Even with the sleeves, almost none of them had barcodes.
I separated the tapes into three piles:
- Had an Amazon payout of $3 or more.
- Did not have an Amazon payout of $3 or more OR had no Amazon product page, but no one on Amazon will ever buy it.
- No Amazon product page but people will possibly people on Amazon will buy it.
Here’s what the “worth money on Amazon” pile looked like when it was all sorted:
And here were the final stats:
- Total tapes listed and shipped to Amazon: 51
- Total listing price: $1,329
- Average listing price: $26.05
- Total Amazon net payout, eventually, maybe: $902.61
Oh and the average Amazon sales rank: 398,982 (not great).
Dumpster diving heist notes
- I didn’t factor in a 5-tape set containing raw courtroom footage of a notorious celebrity trial. This footage was not available on the internet, anywhere. As the only person in the universe selling this footage online, I expect a documentary filmmaker or rabid fan will pay a pretty penny for it, one day. I listed it for $499. (And I did not include this one in the above figures).
- I accidentally left a couple-dozen tapes in the hotel room when we left. So the maid scored.
- I still have 50+ VHS tapes with no product pages on Amazon, that my Amazon value-radar tells me will have a small but determined demand. I intend to make product pages for each of them and list at $99 each.
Will this dumpster haul pay for my road trip?
The VHS just hit the FBA warehouse as of the time I’m writing this, so no sales stats to report yet.
With such low-demand items, can I be sure this $250 road trip paid for itself?
No. But pretty good for scrambling for an Amazon inventory source at midnight on a Saturday night in a weird town.
-Peter Valley
PS: Weirdest VHS tape of the score award
The award goes to this anti-skateboarding 70’s propaganda video (which I’m keeping):
Hi,
Could you please let us know how these sell.
Thanks for the info,
Judy
I’ll plan on posting an update in 3 to 6 months, definitely.
Any chance you release the training materiel you gave to your V.A. For repricing?
Between you and me, that’s coming. Soon.
Perter
The tapes that require you set up a new a listing for . You will have to buy and supply your own UCP code for each listing correct ? Please let me know if that is how it works or is there another way ?
Thanks
Pat G
Yes, that’s how it works.
How do you not get arrested by campus police??
I use the word “heist” tongue-in-cheek. Taking trash is not a crime. Trespassing at worst.
Very cool find!
I started seriously sourcing VHS tapes after reading your book on sourcing sources, and it’s been a steady and reliable source of income (thanks!)
As I started recently researching the websites and messageboards devoted to hardcore VHS collectors, I found most of them tend to buy on eBay. I’m going to experiment with putting the ones they seem to favor (horror, SF, exploitation) on eBay (or at least store with Amazon and do a cross-platform sale through eBay), and leave the weirder niche VHS tapes (strange documentaries, odd instructionals, etc.) on Amazon.
I think that’s a solid plan. I think the “collectible” tapes will sell faster on eBay. I find prices often can be higher on Amazon however, with the catch that you have to wait longer for a sale.
hi, can you also write off the trip on your taxes? just curious as i can see a lot of travel for me in 2016! lol
“Consult a professional” and all that, but I think the rule is that the primary purpose of the trip must be business. Interpret that as you will. But I definitely make many trips with the primary purpose of Amazon sourcing, that I’m able to write off.
Peter, when you sell VHS tapes, do you worry about whether or not they are working? Has anyone purchased one and said it didn’t work? Do they hold up well over time? That’s my only hesitation when sourcing is being worried it will not be watchable and it would take too long to check each one, especially with the amount you just found.
I get the concern. A certain percentage may not work. They’ll get returned. It’s part of the business. I don’t sweat those details very much don’t don’t consider it a huge issue.
I’m curious about this as well. As of now I only sell vhs new in plastic for this reason. I take it you don’t watch them, but what condition /notes to u list and describe them?
I make sure the tape is the same as the label and that’s it. Never had a serious issue with complaints over VHS (CDs are another story). I’ll list as Good or Very Good depending on sleeve condition.
Caution is needed here.
A certain percentage of any haul of VHS tapes will not work, regardless of where they originated. Sometimes as much as 30% of the total will have flaws of one kind or another. There will be blips, static lines, mangles, warbles, and mold. The percentage low quality tapes may be even higher for ex-library, since those are the kind that have likely been checked out and played multiple times.
Not a big deal unless you like dealing with more returns, pissed-off customers, and negative feedback.
I sell a fair bit of VHS, and I can’t say I’ve seen the 30% returns you’re seeing. These kind of risks are inherent in any used merchandise, but I wouldn’t stay out of any category entirely because of these kind of “What if’s.” My feedback has held steady at 98%, so I feel if there was an issue with VHS it would have been reflected in negative feedback. I’ve noticed CDs have been a problem for me however.
Peter, Great info! Thank you. I’m curious do you sell a lot of used merchandise on Amazon? I just started selling a ton of used merchandise and I haven’t seen a lot of returns yet. I sell everything from VHS, CD’s Electronics ect. ect.
I sell used items almost exclusively. Mostly used media.
Peter, I have read all your stuff and I know you suggest not to ignore items that have no listing, if you think they have value. I have have a closet full now, but I just hate to slow down regular sourcing and listing. I guess I will stick them in a plastic bin soon, and save them in the garage for the future. Do you have a minimum dollar limit that you expect these to sell for, before you would even bring them home?
I agree it’s a big time train. I’ll let my no-listings items pile up for months before doing them all in one marathon. Most of my books & DVDs I’ll list for at least $99, VHS for $49 and up.
I sell a fair amount of VHS as well, so I won’t be staying out of the VHS category either. A certain percentage of all kinds of media items will have flaws, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be snapping them up if I see a bin full of them for little or no money.
I like to spot check VHS tapes for flaws before I put them up for sale. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea to sit and watch VHS tapes of “How to Rid Benji of Worms,” but that’s what I do.
Dude, I think too many people underestimate the goldmines that await in a dumpster dive near them. I took up the sport purely by accident last year when I needed a large box for an eBay shipment. Went to my local Office Max that was adjoining a strip mall near by. None of their boxes were big enough, and the largest one they did have was like 9 bucks! So upon leaving I happen to notice the big blue Dumpster in back that said “Cardboard Only”, Bingo! Not only did I grab several sturdy boxes but I also grabbed about 50 ft of that 1/2″ Bubble wrap we’ve been paying $20+ a roll for (like new, bubbles un-popped). Since then I have gotten all my boxes and packing material primary from dumpsters. Not to mention, books from many businesses, new and used video games, DVDs and VCR tapes from Game & Video store dumpsters, Brand new inkjet and laser print cartridges from banks and medical businesses. The list goes on and on, and all the stuff i pick always sells great on eBay. I have been approached by store proprietors a time or two but their main concern is with the people dropping off their garbage and filling their dumpster before pickup is due. They pay a hefty monthly fee and get charged extra when more pickups are needed. When I explain that I’m taking things out like a box I need to mail something, they usually invite me to help myself. By the way, I do avoid the Dumpsters that contain disregarded food and produce. ISN’T RECYCLING GREAT!
You’re one of the few people who gets it. So much gold in those dumpsters.
When it comes to VHS tapes does sales rank mean anything? Or is it really more about looking for niche obscure titles? I know there are no guarantees, but I feel that I have a pretty good handle when it comes to books what is likely to sell within the next few months. With VHS I’m totally clueless. Say you find a VHS that’s worth $10. What’s a sales rank that would put it in the “next few months” category? Particularly when you’re paying for inventory you always have to weigh the outlay of capital to potential reward and how long that will take.
There’s not really a “bad” sales rank in the video category. However one thing I do look for is: Are there other editions of this same title in the same format? Some films have many editions, and the more poorly ranked ones may never sell.
What do you do with VHS tapes without covers? Can those be sold on Amazon FBA and if so, can they be placed in a poly bag?
I ordered a set of blue cardboard sleeves on eBay and listed a few that way. Unsure about Amazon’s policy on this, but a Google search should answer this question.
I agree that VHS tends to sell better on Ebay as opposed to Amazon. But you mentioned that these VHS had an average rank of over 300 on Amazon “not great”. What preferred rank would you think would be best for 30-60 day sales (or less).
Probably 150k or better.