Posts Tagged ‘knowledge’

Garage Sale Season

Posted by: Jeff Leget, Director of Operations

This past weekend, my family and I had a neighborhood garage sale. We made about $85 in 3 hours. For my family it was a moderate success. It’s not that we don’t have enough stuff to sell;  the problem is that times and technology have changed. My only real goal on the morning of our half-hearted garage sale was to drag stuff out of the basement and into the morning sunshine so I could take pictures and post items on Craigslist or eBay. If a consumer happened by and wanted to purchase something, all the better. They saved me the upload and posting time.

Compared to online portals, garage sales are so limited. You store your stuff and wait patiently all year for the single marketing opportunity when the whole neighborhood comes out to sell their dusty relics. The garage sale definitely favors the buyer. The buyers are usually looking for something specific. They usually know the real value. And experienced garage sale speculators know how to negotiate to a bargain. Sellers like me simply want to make some extra cash and not have to drag all of that stuff back into the house.

However, the Internet and its classified and auction portals have changed all of that. These days, I can sell my used snowboard right at the start of ski season, and not in the middle of June. I can research the going rate for my used cell phone and accept only fair offers. I can also see what other people are selling, and how what I have compares. The buyer also gets an improved experience. At a single glance, the buyer can view all of the items that match his or her requirements and make informed offers. Best of all, they don’t need to drive around random neighborhoods on Saturday mornings.

ClickBank is trying to do for your knowledge capital what classified and auction sites have done for your garage. Did you finish your basement recently? Did you successfully flip some real estate? Did you have to plan a family reunion or wedding? Are you into photography or video editing? Do you have experiences to share on home schooling? Gardening? Genealogy? Saving energy? Starting a business?

The fact is that most people have life experiences or knowledge capital that can benefit others.  With over 300 million people in the U.S., the chances are high that someone else is facing a similar problem that you have already solved. With a little time and talent, you can clean out your mental basement or attic, let your ideas face the light of day, and profit from your experience.