Posting this from my FREE iPhone 3G S!

[G_Alexander]

In business you must stay creative to get ahead. I love thinking of new ways to do things and implementing them.

When I got an email on Tuesday stating that the new iPhone 3G S was coming out this past Friday, a little light bulb went on in my head. The previous 3g phones still hold their value and can actually bring you more cash than you payed for them with your upgrade. I knew the demand for these new iPhones would be insane, and I had to find a way to cash in.

I walked into an empty office at work and began creating an eBay ad for an iPhone 3g s in my eBay store. It was 2:30pm on Tuesday...so I made the auction 24 hours long with strict payment terms of no later than 12 hours after the end of the auction.

Without contract, the 3g s 16GB cost 599.00 plus tax. I knew if the auction didn't get up to at least 750.00 that it would not be worth my time. 24 hours later, my auction was at $835.00. I had successfully created money out of thin air with just a few pictures of a consumer product any Joe blow can buy.

The winner was a guy from Singapore who payed very promptly through his verified paypal account. I got in line at apple at 2AM Friday morning with my friend. We got in at 7AM, got the man his phone and went and shipped it.

835.00 + 35 shipping = 870.00 to my account.

870.00
-639.85 (cost of phone)
- 27.90 (shipping)
= 202.25 profit.

I had 5 free listing credits with eBay, so the auction cost me nothing to list and took no deduction off the price of my sale. I had 11.70 in my paypal because of previous sales. And because I had an upgrade available on my AT&T contract the phone only cost me $199.

Pretty sweet if you ask me! When the next iPhone comes out, you can all do it to.

Maybe I will try to scale this?

All I know is I found my new love in this new iPhone! I'm officially obsessed!

G_Alexander

 

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[wildambitions]

Nice! Way to go. Perhaps not fastlane with the details of your process, but make it scalable and it could be. Looks like worst case, you have found a way to capitalize on your available resources. Congrats.

 

[G_Alexander]

Thanks WildAmbitions.

I have a lot of executable business ideas, some of them I have pursued and made money, and most of them sit off to the side because I know I can't lose track of my real goals.

I could definitely think of a system to target marketing and sell dozens of new iPhones (or the next iPhone release) to areas like Italy, Singapore, and other countries where their value is much higher.

...But, again, I need to stay focused on my real estate investment plans.

Just wanted to let everyone know how they can get a free phone for the next release!

Or, how you can still get one now if you have an upgrade available. You buy it for $199, and sell it on eBay for roughly $600, then go back and buy yourself another one and net a profit.

G_Alexander

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Very impressive, you have the entrepreneurial spirit - first the show shoveling, now this. You are a master in the making.

 

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[TC2]

Congratulation to G_Alexander!
:yourock:


That's a great example of finding opportunities, taking risk and getting great return. Like MJ said. What an entrepreneur spirit.

Just talked to a neighbor last night. His daughter is selling IKEA furnitures to Europe, south Africa and Middle East on eBay, where IKEA don't dare to do business with and others don't have guts to do so.

She can easily nail a $450 chair deal while it costs her only $99. The buyer pays all the shipping cost. Best part of that is she doesn't have to stock up any inventory. She just put whatever is on sale on eBay. When people buy the products, she will get it at the local IKEA store, drop at FedEx shop and ship directly to the customers. She is now quiting her full time job and focus on expending her business. She is only 17 years old.

I felt shame on myself after talking to my neighbor and reading this post. I could do much better job on this type of business, but I did not. I actually sold quite a bit semi-precious jewelry online that I import from China and sold to buyers from UK and Singapore mostly. My profit margin is 700%.

The only problem is that I did not market it well. I always wanted to sell more in the USA and have failed the big time. This post definitely hit my head hard. :fryingpan:

 

[TC2]

I have to agree with wildambitions.

It doesn't seem to be a fastlane. Even with the great jewelry I sold on the Internet, it probably won't last very long unless I become the wholesale. It's like a business on the passenger side. You are selling stuff for people.

I like what MJ said a while back, we should be the driver and have other people to sell for us.

I am working on it.

 

[Rawr]

5 hours in line plus 1 more for ebay/post office

202/ 6 hours = 33 an hour.

not bad.

 

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[milligan740]

I made money on my first two iPhones as well - the foreign market loves buying these things to unlock them and sell them in other countries where they aren't offered yet. It is amazing how well they hold (or gain?!) value.

 

[G_Alexander]

Thank positive reinforcement!

Terencechang, that is extremely cool what the girl who lives near you is doing. She has a great your entrepreneurial mind, and I wish her all the best!

Hopefully you guys will be able to use this little technique next year (Apple has been on a strict schedule since the release of the iPhone of a new iPhone every summer, usually in June or July).

Or go ahead and buy the phone now if you have an upgrade available. You can get it for 200 and sell it for 600. Then head back over to Apple and get yourself another one and keep some extra coin!

G_Alexander