Buy

5 Top Tips When You Buy and Sell Antiques

If you’re the type that likes to buy and sell antiques, then you’re in the right place.

If you’re in the antique industry you know that this isn’t an easy market. There’s a very specific type of population that purchases antiques, and operating a profitable business requires a real depth of industry knowledge.

For solid antique buying and selling tips, look no further than these five.

1. Get Your Antiques Appraised

The first thing that you should do when buying or selling an antique item is to get it appraised. Unless you have a very significant amount of experience valuing antiques, chances are that you won’t be able to assign it a value with just a single glance.

Remember that the money that you invest in a professional appraisal will come back to you in the form of you knowing how much to charge for it. Make sure that you only get a USPAP appraisal done.

2. Consult With Other Buyers and Sellers

You don’t have to do buying and selling antiques alone! You should focus on building your network in this industry. One of the best ways to do that is by consulting with other buyers and sellers whenever you need some advice on how to price, sell, or buy an item.

Don’t think of your network as competition for your business. Instead, think of them as potential buyers and sellers that you might want to deal with. Given that perspective, you’ll be able to sell your antiques for them at a margin and vice versa.

3. Stage Your Antiques

Just like with home staging, antique staging is crucial to get your stuff sold as soon as possible. By staging your antiques in the right setting, you can help prospective buyers envision how they would use the item or decorate their home with it.

And any time that you can do that, you bring a whole new level of a personal touch to your shop. Before you know it, you’ll be selling more antiques than ever before. 

4. Operate in Bulk

When you operate in bulk, it doesn’t matter if you have low margins. You’ll still be able to make very decent money because of the volume that you buy and sell.

By transitioning your antique business to a volume-based one, you can buy and sell your merchandise faster. Even though you won’t make as good of a deal on each one, the sales will add up to a significant profit margin for you in the long run.

5. Be Willing to Walk Away from a Deal

Last but not least, be willing to walk away from a deal. Whenever you go into a negotiation, whether you’re buying or selling you need to have a number in mind that you won’t go below or above. 

If the other party can’t agree on that number, then walk away. It’s not worth sacrificing your margin.

Buy and Sell Antiques the Right Way

There you have it — how to buy and sell antiques the right way. 

For more business advice, be sure to check out the rest of the articles on the website!

The Ultimate Guide on How to Buy a Shipping Container

Getting things from Point A to Point B isn’t always as simple as it sounds. If you’re a business owner of any sort, you’re probably familiar with this line of thinking. Running a business of almost any size requires moving goods over long distances, and the unfortunate truth is this can get complicated– and expensive.

That’s the reason a lot of business owners decide to buy a shipping container. These large, metal cases are incredibly resistant against wind, rain, and other elements. They last forever and retain their value over years and years of use. Most importantly, they are cheaper to ship and send off around the country. 

But how do you purchase one (or more) for your business? If you’ve never looked into the topic before, it might feel difficult to figure out. Read on, and we’ll walk you through what you need to know about buying a shipping container.

Decide On Your Personal Needs

Before you start looking outward, it’s important to look inward. What needs are you trying to fill by purchasing a shipping container? Make sure you have a really solid answer lined up to this. 

Answering this question will require you to look into what kind of goods you’re hoping to pack into the container. How large are they, and what quantity are you planning on sending out per shipment? 

Metal shipping containers come in a variety of sizes and in a wide range. That being said, most standard shipping containers are either 20 or 40 feet long. If you can go with one of these common-sized shipping containers, it should make your search a lot easier. 

These containers are quite strong and are capable of carrying a great deal of weight. That being said, it’s still a good idea to have a sense of the total weight you’ll be planning on shipping.

It’s also recommended that you decide on a budget ahead of time too. The last thing you want to do is spend all your money on getting a shipping container and then have no money left over to actually send it out. 

Last but not least, you’ll need to know what grade of shipping container you’ll want to purchase. This will depend on your budget. Containers usually come in one of four grades: brand new, certified, WTW (wind-and-water tight), and as-is. 

An as-is container is heavily used and might not be sealed against weather or the elements. If you’re on a budget, you’ll still likely want to go for a WTW graded container. It’s best to learn more about shipping containers ahead of your purchase.

Who Can Sell You A Shipping Container? 

Now that you have a rough sense of what you’re looking for, you can start to search for who will be willing to sell it to you. Finding a seller with a deal that will work for you can be a long and involved process. You need to square your shoulders and keep yourself committed to the end goal. 

The easiest place to start may be with a cursory google search. Look around and see who has listed themselves as shipping container sellers in your area. These local dealers usually have large inventories, which means finding a container that you like might be easy. 

Unfortunately, these dealers also tend to charge the most as compared to any other kind of seller. Depending on your budget you may be forced to look elsewhere. 

If you’re looking for a bargain, it might be more worth it to go through an auction process. That can mean in-person somewhere, but more often these days it can mean online on a website like eBay or Shipped. It’s much easier to get an amazing price on a shipping container this way, though you might not always win. 

Getting The Shipping Container To You

Once you’ve made the purchase on your new shipping container, you’ll need to make one more hurdle: you’ll need to get your new shipping container home. Given the size and weight of your average container, this is easier said than done.

Ideally, the place you’re purchasing from will have included delivery in their asking price. But more often than not, sellers will leave that up to you to handle yourself.

You’ll need to rent or hire a flatbed trailer to bring that shipping container to where it needs to go. The cost of moving will likely depend on the current cost of gas and fuel since that’s the biggest expense that trucking companies have to make.

Currently, gas prices are fairly low, so it’s a good time to need a container moved.

The distance between you and the shipping container you purchased will also pay into the price of moving it. If you got a great deal on a shipping container three states over but it will cost you an arm and a leg to ship it home… it might not have been so great a deal after all.

It’s key to keep this in mind when searching and purchasing. 

How To Buy A Shipping Container

If you’re unfamiliar with how to buy a shipping container the above information should help you get oriented.

Shipping containers can be hugely helpful to businesses and corporations looking to move large quantities (or just large products) across the country and world. Buying one isn’t always simple, but it can be well worth the trouble.

Need more business advice? Check out our blog for more. 

Why Do Companies Do a Stock Buy Back?

Following the stock market isn’t always easy. There are a lot of things that you need to know that can affect the price of a company’s stock.

One of those terms is when a company buys back its stock. It can make owning shares a little more complicated than you’d like. Stock buybacks happen almost every day. Google’s parent company Alphabet just announced it will buy back about $25 billion in stock.

Do you want to know how a stock buy back works and how it can impact your stock shares? Read to learn what stock buy back is and why companies do it.

What Is a Stock Buy Back?

A stock buy back is also called a company repurchase or a share repurchase program. It’s when a company buys back its own stock.

This is often seen as a sign that the company is healthy. It means that they have a lot of cash on hand to spend at that moment. Think about it, there are a lot of things that smart companies would do with a lot of cash. They can payout dividends, invest in product development, purchase a larger property to fuel growth, hire employees, pay off debts, and more.

Companies that buy back stock already have already made the critical investments in company growth. When a company buys its own stock back, they often do so out of optimism. They believe that the stock that they have is undervalued.

The Problem with Too Much Cash

Companies can often be a victim of their own success. Investors will have much higher expectations of company earnings each and every quarter. One missed estimate could throw a company stock into turmoil.

A stock repurchase can pay off investors rather than pay dividends. This can be a better option.

The reason why companies go public is to raise money. They exchange a certain amount of money for a piece of ownership in the organization. In reality, a company like Google can have thousands of owners in the form of shareholders.

These shareholders have a say in the direction of the company. They can use their shareholdings to have a right to vote on the overall direction of the company. Too many owners can get in the way of company growth, so companies will often buy back stock to lower the number of actual owners in the company.

For businesses that own their respective industries, they may find that they are close to hitting the ceiling for growth. That means that they’ll have to figure out a way to continue to grow. If they have too much unused cash lying around, it won’t look good to stockholders.

How to Find Companies That Buy Back Shares

This year seems to be the year of the stock buy back. If you want to find out how to make money as an investor, you need to do your homework.

First, you’ll have to find companies that announced a buyback of shares. These companies will usually announce it publicly and file the appropriate paperwork with the SEC.

There is something called a Buyback blackout period, which is an official period from a few weeks at the end of the quarter to 48 hours after the quarterly earnings report.

During this period, company leadership will not announce a share repurchase. After the blackout period, though, it’s fair game.

Investors keep a watchful eye on this blackout period to try to time the buying and selling of stock. They want to take advantage of the stock repurchase. This type of investing can lead to market volatility that you may have to ride out.

What to Watch Out for as an Investor

If you’ve invested in a company that just announced a stock buy back, you should celebrate. You’ll see a nice bump in the stock price as investors try to hop on the bandwagon.

A stock buyback will also create more demand for the stock in the long run. This is the basic law of supply and demand. The more stock that’s available for purchase, the lower the demand.

A stock buyback limits the number of stocks available for public purchase, which will increase the demand for the stock. With increased demand comes higher prices.

While that’s all excellent news for investors, you have to see how the company is financing the stock buyback.

In some cases, companies will finance with cash on hand. This usually isn’t an issue with stock buybacks.

Where you have to keep a close watch is when companies finance their stock repurchases. This financing could hurt the company’s credit rating. It can be a tax-advantage because the interest on the loan can be deducted come tax time.

At the same time, this could be a negative for the company if it carries debt and the stock market tanks or there’s an economic recession.

Companies Can Leverage a Stock Buy Back

Overall, a stock buy back can be a very positive thing in the life of a public company. It can be a great thing for you as an investor, too.

If you invest in the right companies, you can reap the benefits of stock ownership and make a profit. That’s a great way to make your money work for you.

Not all stock buy backs are golden parachutes, though. You have to look at the details of the transaction. You want to make sure that the company is in good health overall and isn’t hiding potential growth issues by repurchasing stock.

As always, you want to do your due diligence before getting too happy about the transaction.

Do you want more tips to better manage your finances? Check out the Business and Finance section for more great articles.

The Sneakerhead’s Secret: The Best Place to Buy Sneakers Online

If you like being in style, then you probably like a nice pair of sneakers. But, finding the best places to buy sneakers can be a bit overwhelming if you don’t know where to shop. 

The key to finding the best place to buy sneakers is to shop online. That’s why we’re outlining this comprehensive list of online shoe stores. Keep reading to learn more. 

These Are the Best Places to Buy Sneakers Online

There are literally hundreds of shoe stores around the world that advertise their products online. Don’t be fooled by cheap products and expensive shipping rates. These are the best places to buy sneakers online:

Sneakerboy.com

Sneakerboy is based in Australia and they’re known for carrying the world’s most wanted sneakers. You can find everything from Nike and Reebok to Alexander McQueen and Raf Simons. 

Sneakersnstuff

If you’re looking for Nike Dames sneakers, you can surely find them at Sneakersnstuff. This store originated as a sporting goods store and gradually became a top seller for shoes and related products. Find Adidas, New Balance, Puma, FILA, and more, all here. 

Baitme.com

Baitme actually has brick and mortar stores along the Pacific West Coast offering a diverse and eccentric range of shoes and shoe products. If you don’t live on the West coast, you can always check them out online.

Kith.com

Kith.com has quickly become a powerhouse seller for sneakers online. Last year, they launched the Kith app to make your online shopping experience that much easier. This year, they plan to improve the overall digital shopping experience across all platforms.

Footpatrol

Footpatrol is best known for carrying products that can be used for the gym. Look for Adidas, New Balance, Asics, Reebok, and Nike shoes at this online retailer from Australia to the UK. 

Shoepalace.com

Another West Coast brand, Shoepalace.com offers a strong presence of West Coast styles. If you’re looking for something unique to add to your shoe collection, this is definitely the place to start. You’ll find performance-based brands, too, like Anta and Brooks and Mizuno.

Sneakerpolitics.com

If you want to think outside the box a little bit when it comes to where you usually buy your sneakers, consider Sneakerpolitics.com. They have brick and mortar stores based out of Louisiana with a strong web presence. The regular store and online store sell today’s top brands like Adidas, Nike, and Jordan, as well as some niche labels.

Solebox

Based out of Germany, Solebox sells various brands with international shipping available. Not only do they carry the major name brands like Nike, Adidas, and Puma, but they also have a few specialty names like Diadora and Saucony.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know all the best places to buy sneakers online, you can stock up your closet with all your favorite kicks. The options are literally endless and at your fingertips. You’ll be the most in style and pure envy among your friends.

We hope you enjoyed this post and look forward to bringing you detailed articles about things you need to know most. For further reading, check out this post about the internet and relationships. 

How to Safely Buy Marijuana Online

Ever wish you had access to a wider choice of weed than you can get at the local dispensary? Or, do you get tired of having to travel to pick up your bud?

Buying marijuana online could be the solution to all your problems.

While it might sound a little sketchy, it’s completely possible to buy weed safely and legally online – you just need to know what you’re doing.

If you’re a newbie to shopping for your weed online, you’re in the right place.

We’ve put together this simple guide to ordering marijuana through the mail. Just keep reading for everything you need to know!

Only Buy from Certified Dispensaries

In Canada, it’s completely legal for medical marijuana patients to buy weed from certified online dispensaries, like Dope Mail.

So, if you’re already a medical marijuana patient, it’s as simple as finding a legitimate site to buy from. If you’re not a medical patient, you’ll need to wait until mid-2018, when a bill to legalize weed will likely be passed.

Unfortunately, a large black market still exists and not every site you see is the real thing. Avoid links on forums and social media, and steer clear of sites that look unprofessional or contain little information.

Buying from one of these sites isn’t just illegal. You also risk purchasing a dangerous substance that isn’t the same as what’s described on the web page.

Always do your research before purchasing from a site. It’s far better to be safe than sorry.

Check Reviews Before Purchasing

There are plenty of online dispensaries to choose from, and they’re not all created equal.

Some sites have more choices, more detailed information, faster shipping costs, and better customer service than others.

Before you make your first purchase, be sure to check plenty of reviews from other buyers. Don’t look only at reviews on the site itself, but check comments from outside sources, too.

If you’re unsure about a site, start by making a small order to see how things go.

Choose the Right Strain for Your Needs

Choosing the right strain is a huge part of safe marijuana use.

While certain strains may help symptoms like physical pain, anxiety, and insomnia, others could make them worse.

If you’re used to a particular strain and know that it works well for you, it’s wise to stick to something similar.

If you’re still experimenting, you’ll want to consider whether you need an Indica or a Sativa. You can also look at options like edibles, concentrates, and oils, and consider the time of day you’ll be using the drug.

Since there’s nobody there to guide you like there is in a physical dispensary, it’s important to choose a site that displays plenty of information on each of its strains.

Are You Ready to Buy Marijuana Online?

Buying marijuana online is a convenient alternative to visiting a dispensary and gives you access to a wider range of strains.

To stay safe, choose a reputable online dispensary, avoid buying from forums, check reviews before purchasing, and choose the right strain for your needs.

Want to do some reading while you wait for your delivery? Check out our top ten cannabis books!