A question I am often asked is:
“Won’t the market become saturated if everybody starts selling prints?”
Today I am going to put my money where my mouth is and prove to you that this isn’t an issue by revealing one of my own closely guarded vintage print sources.
I have always kept this information to myself (I don’t even reveal the source publications to my buyers in my auction descriptions) until now!
Firstly I will show you a couple of my own recent print sales then I will show you exactly where to find the very same prints!
Click pictures to enlarge
These prints are from a very famous book entitled “Black Beauty” by Anna Sewell.
This book was first published in 1877 just 5 months before the author’s death. Since then it has been republished in countless different editions and formats and with 50 million copies sold it is one of the best selling books of all time!
The edition that I look out for was published by Jarrolds in 1930 and was illustrated by the famous sporting artist Cecil Aldin.
I have purchased multiple copies of this book over the years on both Addall.com and eBay and Cecil Aldin’s beautiful illustrations of horses are as popular today as they were when I first discovered them back in 2004.
This is a screenshot of the search criteria I run to locate the book on Addall.com:
The best value copy currently listed:
Click pictures to enlarge
The book contains 18 colored plates by Aldin
I always sell these plates matted, my mat kit supplier is Kadinsky.co.uk
(I recommend bux1picturematting.com if you are in the US)
Please note that these are not affiliate links, my recommendations are based purely on my personal experience of purchasing from both companies.
10×8 inch mat kits (mat, back board and cellophane bag) cost me $1.21 each (I buy these in packs of 25) and my only other cost is rigid envelopes which cost me 37 cents each (sold in boxes of 125).
So the full breakdown of my costs are:
| Cost per plate ($20.98 divided by 18) | $1.16 |
| . | |
| Mat kit | $1.21 |
| . | |
| Envelope | $0.37 |
| . | |
| Total cost | $2.74 |
| . | |
| The average sale price is | $23.00 |
| . | |
| Less eBay and PayPal fees | $3.45 |
| . | |
| Total sale proceeds | $19.55 |
| . | |
| Less costs | $2.74 |
| . | |
| Net profit | $16.81 |
which gives a potential profit of $302.58 for the whole book*
*this calculation is based on all 18 plates achieving a similar final value.
Of course there is more to making money with vintage prints than simply sourcing the right books, you also have to list them in the right way.
You need to choose the right category(s), compose a keyword rich title, include eye catching images, write a compelling description.
Then you have to decide the best start price, whether you are going to accept returns and if so on what terms, whether to sell internationally etc.
With so many of these books in circulation obviously there are lots of other sellers selling these very same prints on eBay. The key to successfully outselling the competition is to differentiate your listings from the others and these are the skills I teach in my ebook Prints Make Profits
Using dozens of screenshot examples from eBay and Addall.com I demonstrate how to research and identify your own sought after print niches.
Having learned WHAT to sell you then learn HOW to set your listings apart from those of the competition and sell for maximum profits, there is even a fully illustrated guide to matting your prints to a professional standard!
Prints Make Profits normally retails at $27 but you can get a huge 37% subscriber discount if you buy today through this link:
Prints Make Profits subscriber discount!
As an extra leg up to help you get started in this lucrative and fun eBay biz I will send one lucky reader a selection of prints from Black Beauty plus custom cut mat kits and rigid envelopes, in fact everything you need to start selling them on eBay.
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning the package is to leave a comment or question on this post by clicking the “leave a comment” link at the top or bottom of the page, I will choose one commenter at random and they will receive the package.
This offer is now closed, to be kept in the loop with more great money making ideas sign up to my blog using the opt-in form below!
Best of Luck!
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Stuart
I’m not a regular poster to blogs so I don’t know if you answer old posts such as this one…
I emailed my question already about Black Beauty so I’ll not ask again…
Just want to know if old posts are answered…
Thanks…
Tony Allegretti
Hi Tony
Testing me eh!!
I emailed you to answer your question!
Hi Donald
Thanks for your comments which only just read sorry!
I had some luck on my second week of selling my botanical prints sold 3 to the same buyer as an auction listing. Just listing a few at a time and checking my auction descriptions.
Think Stuarts guide excellent easy to understand with great ideas.
Happy Selling
Thanks
Gill
Hi Stuart,
Just to let you know I sold 2 prints last week. Both going to the same person in Norway. Just checked today and another one has been bid on, 50p, not much but happy with that. This one ends in 14 hours, I’ll be on nightshift when that one finishes. That’ll be 3 gone seven to go.
On my nightshift last night, after doing my chores and some SVQ, I was reading PMP3. It’s amazing the things I noticed to make the title a wee bit better. Going to edit the rest of the listings when this one finishes.
So, if anyone reads this, it will happen. This the the third time I have listed these prints and tomorrow the rest go on after this listing ends, they go back on. In Stuarts books there is plenty help which I noticed. Thanks mate. Will keep you posted on the rest of these prints.
Regards
Donald
Hi Stuart,
I’ve been looking at Prints Make Profits and Prints Sorcery for a while and was just about ready to purchase them when you and Deb came out with the workshop in a box.
So I purchased it the second time it was offered and I am still waiting for it’s arrival can’t wait to get started. The Black Beauty plates would make a nice addition to the workshop.
Would you suggest selling internationally when first starting to sell prints.
Mike
I believe selling internationally is a must if you want to maximize your final values, Mike.
My experience from my own print sales is that around 30% of my buyers are from overseas.
Excluding these buyers would have a big adverse impact on my profits.
Also bear in mind that overseas bidders can help bid up your final values even if they don’t win the auction.
There really is no reason to exclude them.
Hi again. Also,can you buy someone elses prints and make copies of those same prints to sell? Thanks,Doni
Thanks for your questions Doni!
To clarify, my business model is primarily about removing plates (prints) from old books and selling them on eBay. I sell the original book plates, I don’t sell copies of the plates.
It is a perfectly viable business model to sell copies of images but you must ensure that the image is public domain material before you do this.
How to establish whether an image is in the public domain or not is beyond the scope of this blog post, I recommend Debra Conrad’s free report: Public Domain Questions Answered if you’d like to explore this idea further.
Hi Stuart. I bought the info,”Prints Make Profits.” Its an outstanding book. I do have a question. If the print direct from the book is say 5×7 do you have it printed larger to make it more attractive or leave as is?
Thanks, Doni
Hi Stuart – Thank you so much for sharing this information – that actually sounds realistic. So many other people that publish information – sell all these rare, or one of a kind items – it just cannot apply to the majority of us. I have purchased all your e-books – and was so happy your last one actually included “how-to” videos.
Have you ever purchased vintage fashion magazines – the French ones? I know I go to the antique shop near us – and they charge quite a bit (one picture was $75!).
I hope to put your great advice to work soon – I would love to narrow down what I sell to just one nich.
I look forward to any e-mail or e-books you will be publishing in the future.
I hope you received my email of the crayon pictures – unbelievable weren’t they?
I will be waiting, with anticipation, to see who wins your great offer
Thanks again
Thanks for the amazing crayon pics, Sue!
I know from my eBay research that vintage French fashion plates are extremely popular, they usually receive multiple bids and high final values, if you can source them at the right price you will be onto a winner!
Hi Stuart,
Do book prints have to be a certain age for us to be able to use them as matted sales items?
Pat
Not at all Pat!
The deciding factor on what you can mat and sell is whether anybody wants to buy it (I guess this applies to everything!)
If your research shows a market for plates from more modern books there is nothing to stop you buying those books and selling the plates.
The great thing about sourcing more recent books is the lower prices (compared to antique books) so this is definitely an area worth exploring.
Hi Stuart,
I have been reading your tips for a few years now and I want to say thank you. It is so helpful to see your view point. It seems we all need several views of what we do as this all helps in selling more products. I live on a farm and have horses so this newsletter is right up my alley. I have purchased severl of the books you have suggested and have had mixed results. I will continue to learn and polish my skills through reading your helpful comments.
Happy Sourcing,
Pat
Hi Stuart
I look forward to your emails and what new tips for researching prints.
I have bought Prints Make Profits and Print Sorcery which are both great helpful guides.
Love your step by step training especially found so many guides do not offer this.
Planning to list some Botanical Prints by Edward Hulme this weekend after following your guide.
Do you have any tips on Ebay do you use selling manager pro to automate things such as invoices, sending email to customer etc and is it necessary at first?
Thanks
Gill
My advice is to keep things simple to start with, Gill.
When your business takes off and you are selling high volumes then you may need to consider time saving features like this.
It is important to keep your costs as low as possible until your business is established
Hi Gill,
Just to let you know I am selling botanical prints and have sold 2 with another on the way.. Good luck. I would recommend putting Botanical Print in the title. I’m going to edit the remaining prints to add that to the title. Reading Stuart’s book I saw a picture of a completed listing with botanical in the title. Went for nearly 30 with a few bids. Can’t remember if £ or $.
Let me know how you get on.
Regards
Donald