Full Transcript for Scan, Sell, Repeat: A Writer's Guide to Flipping Books for Cash

town, they're desperate for money. 00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:46.959 So that's why Facebook Marketplace Next Door, Craigslist is a great place to buy, not to sell. 00:05:47.279 --> 00:05:49.839 eBay is a great place to sell. 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:51.920 So that's that's how I do it. 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:59.839 And then if you can, if you can throw a garage sale and you don't have much money, you know, that's the best way to start. 00:06:00.000 --> 00:06:03.120 Get a garage sale, go through your house, top to bottom. 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:07.040 And for you, you're going to go through every book that's behind you. 00:06:07.199 --> 00:06:10.959 You're going to find a ton of books that you don't you don't read anymore. 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:11.920 You don't care about. 00:06:12.000 --> 00:06:13.759 And me, they're meaningless to you. 00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:15.360 And you're going to sell them. 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:17.040 You're going to find tools. 00:06:17.120 --> 00:06:24.800 You're going to go to where your tools are and find your five extra screwdrivers, your seven extra hammers. 00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:28.079 You're going to find, you know, kitchen stuff you don't need. 00:06:28.240 --> 00:06:32.639 You're going to find garden stuff, garden furniture that you want to upgrade. 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:36.720 You're going to find your kids' clothes, like your wonderful, beautiful child behind you. 00:06:36.879 --> 00:06:38.560 I bet he's growing like a weed. 00:06:38.639 --> 00:06:40.240 What are you doing with his old clothes? 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:45.439 Well, you should be selling them because kids' clothes, kids' toys, kids' furniture. 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:49.040 That's some of the top selling items at a garage sale. 00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:50.399 Tools are the next one. 00:06:50.639 --> 00:06:52.240 Antiques are the next one. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:07:03.839 And so you then create a cash role, a stack of cash, and then you go to eBay or go to other garage sales and you go to Facebook Marketplace. 00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:08.319 And then you use that money to start buying more stuff that you can list. 00:07:08.800 --> 00:07:23.759 I guarantee if anybody would read my book, Take the Time, How to Become a Garage Sale Millionaire and Learn Act, you could take$100 and triple it in a day by going to garage sales or Facebook Marketplace. 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:25.439 It is that easy. 00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:31.040 If you want to side hustle and you don't, it's not a get rich quick scheme. 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:40.720 You just take your time, go to these places, buy, be prepared to see what you can repurpose and resell locally. 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:58.240 And the smaller items, if it's small and it could be wrapped up and sold easily, you know, through UPS or FedEx, then you should be shipping, putting it on eBay, have an eBay store, and you're going to make great money every day. 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:18.319 And I, you know, I teach about, you know, if a lot of people like to use a book scanner that you can actually have a book scanner and you can go to garage sales and use this book scanner, and you go to the barcode of the book, and it can tell you what eBay is selling it for it or Amazon is selling for it. 00:08:18.399 --> 00:08:26.720 And every now and then you're going to pop a book that's going to be worth$100,$500, and then you're going to buy those books. 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:34.720 And a lot of times, people, if they can buy it for 50 cents and they can sell it for$30, they're doing that all day long. 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:46.080 So that's something that I like to teach people because it is easy to turn this into a side hustle and then make the leap to a full-time job. 00:09:34.779 --> 00:09:35.259 Wow. 00:09:35.500 --> 00:09:38.139 So what sells the most on eBay? 00:09:38.459 --> 00:09:42.059 You know, the best thing on eBay is collectibles. 00:09:42.219 --> 00:09:53.500 You're, you know, baseball cards, coins, tin toys, small antiques, honograph, like famous, like presidential memorabilia. 00:09:53.740 --> 00:09:59.819 You know, a lot of that stuff will always do very, very well. 00:10:00.059 --> 00:10:01.099 Comic books. 00:10:01.259 --> 00:10:10.219 Uh, the list can go on or what, and you know, you're now going to you you can go to secondhand stores and find clothes. 00:10:10.379 --> 00:10:20.539 You know, sometimes you can find like red bottoms or Louis Vuitton that's real that people give it away and they don't know it's an actual real Louis Vuitton. 00:10:20.859 --> 00:10:23.339 And so, because there's a lot of fakes. 00:10:23.579 --> 00:10:33.099 And so, you know, secondhand stores, I talk about how they're it's valuable to go to secondhand stores at least once or twice a week when they reload. 00:10:33.339 --> 00:10:53.659 Understand, Natasha, so many people are cleaning out their parents' house or their kids' bedroom, and they just load it up in their car and take it to goodwill or those veterans' associations, and they're not looking at anything, they're not trying to price anything out, they're just dumping it. 00:10:53.740 --> 00:11:03.500 They need that room, they need to sell that house, they need to stick a gym in that basement where their kids just moved out of, and they don't care. 00:11:04.059 --> 00:11:09.099 So it's uh that that's those are the things it's a lot easier than people think. 00:11:09.259 --> 00:11:12.139 They just have to take a little time and spend their money properly. 00:11:12.459 --> 00:11:16.939 You did not mention state sales, and I'm curious why didn't you mention state sales? 00:11:17.019 --> 00:11:18.459 Because there's a lot of stuff in there. 00:11:18.699 --> 00:11:29.579 You know, estate sales are great, and estate sales, a lot of people ask me what's the difference between a garage sale and an estate sale, and there is a big difference. 00:11:29.819 --> 00:11:35.579 So a garage sale is stuff and it's held outside a person's

home or apartment. 00:11:35.740 --> 00:11:42.219 An estate sale is where you go into the house and everything in the house is available for sale. 00:11:42.379 --> 00:11:46.939 Somebody just died, or they live leaving the country. 00:11:47.019 --> 00:11:55.659 And estate sales are great because good chance the house has already been sold or already been released and they need it moved. 00:11:55.819 --> 00:12:12.459 But with those things, you need to show up right away, first thing that they open, and be prepared that your every when they people see the word estate sale on a banner or a board outside on the corner, there people are going to flock to it. 00:12:12.539 --> 00:12:14.699 So you need to show up first thing in the morning. 00:12:14.859 --> 00:12:17.659 And I'll Natasha, I'll tell you a little tip. 00:12:17.899 --> 00:12:20.939 I've had this done to me and I've done it to other people. 00:12:21.099 --> 00:12:31.019 I will go the day before and hand whoever answers the door$20 if I can just look around and get a first shot at it. 00:12:31.259 --> 00:12:32.699 They keep my$20. 00:12:33.339 --> 00:12:34.939 That's just an entries fee. 00:12:35.019 --> 00:12:35.899 Please let me in. 00:12:36.059 --> 00:12:36.859 Here's$20. 00:12:37.500 --> 00:12:38.139 You keep it. 00:12:38.299 --> 00:12:40.539 If I don't buy anything, you still keep it. 00:12:40.699 --> 00:12:44.139 But I'll come and you can I'm going to make you offers. 00:12:44.299 --> 00:12:48.139 I know I'm the first person, so I I'm not going to haggle. 00:12:48.219 --> 00:12:50.379 I'm going to make you offers and it's going to be great. 00:12:50.539 --> 00:12:54.779 That is a tip that works over and over for people. 00:12:55.099 --> 00:13:00.219 Because if I know that I have, I need, I believe there's going to be something in there. 00:13:00.379 --> 00:13:06.939 Not only will I give them 20 bucks, I'll show them my stack of hundreds that I'm prepared to spend. 00:13:07.179 --> 00:13:09.179 And not many people say no to me. 00:13:09.259 --> 00:13:13.979 I I guess I have that look about me that I'm not a no kind of guy. 00:13:14.059 --> 00:13:15.899 I'm a yes kind of guy. 00:13:16.219 --> 00:13:18.299 So in on the state sales. 00:13:18.379 --> 00:13:20.379 I think they're great, but there's always competition. 00:13:20.620 --> 00:13:21.099 I love this. 00:13:21.259 --> 00:13:21.579 Okay. 00:13:21.740 --> 00:13:28.779 So in my neighborhood, especially when it gets warmer, I'm in in Maryland, so it's pretty cold now and lots of snow outside. 00:13:29.099 --> 00:13:35.500 But in, you know, in the spring and the fall, there's a lot and the summer is a lot of yard sales, garages around this. 00:13:35.659 --> 00:13:36.779 So I go to one. 00:13:36.939 --> 00:13:37.899 What shall I look for? 00:13:37.979 --> 00:13:41.819 I want to find something, buy it, and sell it on eBay. 00:13:41.899 --> 00:13:42.859 What shall I look for? 00:13:43.179 --> 00:13:48.699 Okay, so Natasha, you're going to have

the eBay app already downloaded on your phone. 00:13:48.939 --> 00:13:49.579 I have it. 00:13:49.819 --> 00:13:54.379 So you're going to go there and you're going to look for first edition books. 00:13:55.259 --> 00:13:58.620 You're going to look for old tin toys. 00:13:58.779 --> 00:14:05.419 You're going to look for old fishing rods, old fishing poles, bamboo fishing poles. 00:14:05.579 --> 00:14:11.899 You're going to look for things that are brand spanking new in the box that you that they want$5. 00:14:12.620 --> 00:14:14.699 It's a blender they never use. 00:14:15.259 --> 00:14:16.939 You just Googled it on eBay. 00:14:17.019 --> 00:14:19.659 It's going for$150 brand new. 00:14:19.819 --> 00:14:23.419 You're going to send it, sell it for$120 in the box. 00:14:23.659 --> 00:14:25.579 Things have a box. 00:14:25.899 --> 00:14:31.740 You already know that's going to be more valuable because you can sell it with the original box. 00:14:31.899 --> 00:14:41.419 With collectibles, the original box is very important because if it came with an original box and it does not have it, you just devalue that item for by 50%. 00:14:42.059 --> 00:14:44.299 So those are the things you're going to look for. 00:14:44.459 --> 00:14:47.659 Not big things that are going to be hard to transport. 00:14:47.899 --> 00:14:55.579 Smaller things that you can put on eBay and see what it last sold for on the completed section on eBay. 00:14:55.740 --> 00:14:57.899 So that's how you're going to turn around. 00:14:58.059 --> 00:15:04.459 So say, Natasha, you get really, really good at let's just say comic books. 00:15:04.699 --> 00:15:06.299 You don't see any comic books. 00:15:06.379 --> 00:15:07.579 This goes for anything. 00:15:07.819 --> 00:15:11.979 But you are an you you become an expert on buying and selling comic books. 00:15:12.139 --> 00:15:17.819 You don't see it, you're going to ask that person, hey, I love your garage sale, having so much fun at it. 00:15:17.979 --> 00:15:19.740 But these are the things I'm looking for. 00:15:19.899 --> 00:15:25.579 By any chance, do you have any comic books or do you know anybody that has comic book collections? 00:15:25.819 --> 00:15:34.699 You start the dialogue, and then suddenly you find, oh, oh, shoot, I forgot to bring out my comic book collection. 00:15:35.179 --> 00:15:38.139 Or my mother has my comic book collection. 00:15:38.299 --> 00:15:39.740 I didn't even think about it. 00:15:39.899 --> 00:15:40.859 Are you interested? 00:15:41.019 --> 00:15:41.419 Yes. 00:15:41.579 --> 00:15:42.620 Here's my phone number. 00:15:42.779 --> 00:15:44.139 Can I get your phone number? 00:15:44.299 --> 00:15:46.859 Always get their phone number because people will forget. 00:15:47.019 --> 00:15:48.620 And then you'll follow up. 00:15:48.779 --> 00:15:50.699 And then they'll have you over. 00:15:50.859 --> 00:15:54.939 You'll look at it and say, here, you're now not being, there's no competition. 00:15:55.019 --> 00:15:57.419 You make

them an offer that's fair for you and them. 00:15:57.579 --> 00:16:02.779 And then boom, you got a comic book collection that's probably worth a lot more than you pay. 00:16:03.019 --> 00:16:06.939 I'm excited because I've done similar stuff, but I used AI. 00:16:07.019 --> 00:16:08.539 So I'm gonna tell you what I did. 00:16:08.859 --> 00:16:18.139 Which is, which is which is I like sometimes people stuff put stuff outside and they say, take, take it, or I don't want it, or whatever. 00:16:18.459 --> 00:16:26.379 And I saw like a really nice bench in good shape, and I grabbed it and I was like, huh. 00:16:26.539 --> 00:16:33.979 So I just took a picture of the bench, put it on Chat GPT, and I said, write me the description and give me a price. 00:16:34.219 --> 00:16:43.579 It it put it and in two minutes, less than two minutes, I had everything ready, posted it on Facebook Marketplace. 00:16:43.899 --> 00:16:47.979 I made$150 in two minutes. 00:16:48.539 --> 00:17:00.779 And it did not, and that's the reason I mentioned that is because AI reduced the time massively for all the hustlers out there. 00:17:01.019 --> 00:17:06.380 And I was uh the reason I'm asking you is like have you experimented with AI when it comes to selling? 00:17:06.620 --> 00:17:33.339 You know, I just have started to dabble in that, and you're cutting edge by using AI, you know, and there is another trick that you didn't mention is taking a picture, and and it's the same thing, but a reverse description where you take in Google or in eBay, you can actually take a picture of something and it will come up what it is and what it's valued because a lot of times people don't know what they're looking at. 00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:39.660 They take a picture, they get a reverse description, they find, wow, this is something pretty amazing. 00:17:39.900 --> 00:17:41.420 So that's something else. 00:17:41.579 --> 00:17:47.660 And AI is really helpful when you're ready to relist something on Facebook Marketplace or eBay. 00:17:47.819 --> 00:17:49.180 It makes it very easy. 00:17:49.339 --> 00:17:54.779 A lot of people are scared of AI, but more and more it's becoming easier and easier to use it. 00:17:54.859 --> 00:17:56.299 And I'm glad you brought it up. 00:17:56.619 --> 00:18:11.579 And the reason is because people might complain that it takes a lot of time to do this kind of gig, especially if you have a lot of other stuff going on, you know, full-time job, kids, whatever. 00:18:11.899 --> 00:18:19.579 And they would rather just give stuff away rather than just go through the hassle of selling it online. 00:18:20.299 --> 00:18:30.220 And I think that's where the opportunity for the hustlers like you to find the people who are busy, take the stuff and make income of it. 00:18:30.539 --> 00:18:41.899 Yeah, and and using AI can like now for me, because I sold stuff in the past, but now with AI, I think I went down from two hours to two minutes. 00:18:42.059 --> 00:18:45.579 So that is

massive investment in your time. 00:18:46.220 --> 00:18:47.419 100% agree. 00:18:47.579 --> 00:19:05.259 Anything that can make it quicker, like I say, that the barcode reader can literally read it, and then you can actually instantly if you have an Amazon account or an eBay account, you can just a couple clicks and suddenly that book is on Amazon or eBay. 00:19:05.500 --> 00:19:07.259 So it's all depends. 00:19:07.419 --> 00:19:16.700 And Natasha, one thing people need to know about what you do and what I do on reselling is what your time is worth. 00:19:17.019 --> 00:19:23.259 Some people will buy a book and say, oh my God, I'm getting it for 50 cents. 00:19:23.419 --> 00:19:24.940 I can sell it for$12. 00:19:26.059 --> 00:19:29.819 What a great and what a great return. 00:19:30.059 --> 00:19:34.220 Well, you have to incorporate that you're buying it. 00:19:34.460 --> 00:19:38.700 Now you're listing it, now you're wrapping up and selling it. 00:19:38.940 --> 00:19:40.139 How long did that take you? 00:19:40.299 --> 00:19:41.579 Did it take you a half an hour? 00:19:41.659 --> 00:19:43.339 Did it take you 45 minutes? 00:19:43.579 --> 00:19:45.579 You know, what is your time worth? 00:19:45.819 --> 00:19:53.099 If you're not going for$75 to$125 an hour, you're shooting too low. 00:19:53.180 --> 00:19:59.019 And when you're getting really good, you should be doing it, you should be making$200 an hour. 00:19:59.339 --> 00:20:09.419 And and anybody who thinks making, you know, you know,$10,$15 an hour is good, no, that's a waste of my time. 00:20:09.659 --> 00:20:14.539 I don't wake up in the morning for less than, you know, a couple, two, three hundred dollars. 00:20:14.779 --> 00:20:38.619 And it and it's it sounds funny, but when you get as good as I am, and and people can do that really rapidly now because of all the information out there and how easy it is, you need to make sure your time is valuable and that you the best thing, Natasha, I can give anybody my job, my friends, my family is my time. 00:20:38.940 --> 00:20:59.259 And if any of those do not appreciate it, my family, my friends, my job, my time, then I am doing something wrong because my time is valuable, and that's how people have to treat this job as it your time is valuable, and you have to incorporate that when you're trying to make money. 00:20:59.500 --> 00:21:01.579 So you mentioned a book scanner. 00:21:01.740 --> 00:21:05.659 Are you uh talking about an unphysical scanner that you buy? 00:21:05.899 --> 00:21:08.220 Because some of the apps No, it's an app. 00:21:08.379 --> 00:21:08.940 It's an app. 00:21:09.259 --> 00:21:09.740 It's an app. 00:21:09.819 --> 00:21:12.220 It's called Book Scouter is one of them. 00:21:12.379 --> 00:21:19.019 You can buy that, or you can just go on eBay and there's like a little camera that you just hit the barcode and boom. 00:21:19.180 --> 00:21:29.180 You can use that on toys, you can use anything that has a barcode reader, and it will instantly tell you what that item is going for on eBay. 00:21:29.339 --> 00:21:30.379 It is powerful. 00:21:30.539 --> 00:21:39.740 You can do the exact same thing on Amazon, and Amazon is really known more for books, but they are selling literally everything. 00:21:39.899 --> 00:21:41.740 People are having Amazon stores. 00:21:41.819 --> 00:21:50.940 So if you have several of the same thing, the same book, you have a hundred of them, well, that's a great thing to put on Amazon too. 00:21:51.099 --> 00:21:58.299 So you should have an Amazon store and an eBay store, especially if you have multiples of that item. 00:21:58.619 --> 00:21:58.940 Okay. 00:21:59.339 --> 00:22:04.220 So I want to go back to the the name of your book. 00:22:04.299 --> 00:22:08.539 It's it's a great name, by the way, and the garage sale millionaire. 00:22:08.859 --> 00:22:12.299 And it's, you know, like the idea of the American dream as well, right? 00:22:12.379 --> 00:22:15.419 I'm an immigrant myself, I guess you can tell from my accent. 00:22:15.980 --> 00:22:18.460 20 years here, and I still have that accent. 00:22:18.619 --> 00:22:20.859 But, anyways, all right. 00:22:21.259 --> 00:22:28.940 So you're doing this actually full time, or you stopped doing it, or you you got your first million and you stopped. 00:22:29.019 --> 00:22:30.779 Like, where are you in this journey? 00:22:31.180 --> 00:22:34.299 So I started it when I was nine years old. 00:22:34.619 --> 00:22:41.659 My claim to fame is I did so well when I was a teenager, flipping things and buying and selling and doing it all. 00:22:41.899 --> 00:22:44.940 By 21 or 22, I was a millionaire. 00:22:45.819 --> 00:22:47.980 So the name is a real real term. 00:22:48.779 --> 00:22:52.059 It's not one of those names that sounded cool, so I used it. 00:22:52.139 --> 00:22:54.779 I became a millionaire in my early 20s. 00:22:55.019 --> 00:23:00.139 I became a multi-millionaire by 30, and I'm still definitely there. 00:23:00.299 --> 00:23:09.419 But I have to tell you, it's not I got there because of buying and selling and garage sales and estate sales and online auctions. 00:23:09.659 --> 00:23:16.059 But then I took all that money and I started one of the top 5% of all art galleries in the United States. 00:23:16.299 --> 00:23:17.980 Fascination Street Final. 00:23:18.859 --> 00:23:28.220 And then that took me to a level that I opened up, I started a real estate company and I bought and sold real estate. 00:23:28.379 --> 00:23:33.579 And that's where I everything started exponentially increasing. 00:23:33.819 --> 00:23:37.659 And now for fun, you know, I I wrote the two books. 00:23:37.899 --> 00:23:39.980 The first book was a bestseller. 00:23:40.539 --> 00:23:47.019 I was spent eight years on national PBS and wrote for the Denver Post my own column. 00:23:47.259 --> 00:23:49.740 And now I love just helping people. 00:23:49.899 --> 00:23:53.980 I'm at that level that I got to by hard work. 00:23:54.220 -->

00:23:57.819 It took me a lot longer than I know people doing it now. 00:23:58.139 --> 00:24:00.460 But, you know, I got in a really good place. 00:24:00.539 --> 00:24:03.099 And it was because I was a hustler. 00:24:03.180 --> 00:24:07.579 I knew about buying and selling, and I took that to my life. 00:24:07.659 --> 00:24:13.740 You know, if you be can negotiate and you're a good salesperson, your life is your oyster. 00:24:13.819 --> 00:24:20.220 You know, you can do everything if you can become a great salesperson and a great negotiator. 00:24:20.379 --> 00:24:23.980 And that's, you know, kids can start doing this. 00:24:24.139 --> 00:24:31.099 You know, I'm all about teaching your children the value of money and helping you at a garage sale. 00:24:31.180 --> 00:24:35.099 And Natasha, when you have, I'm I know I'm getting you excited to have one. 00:24:35.259 --> 00:24:41.899 You know, you're going to have that wonderful child of yours that loves the the being on the big screen. 00:24:42.059 --> 00:24:46.859 You're going to teach them about money by having a lemonade stand when you have a garage sale. 00:24:46.940 --> 00:25:10.779 And you're going to teach them about the overhead and and what how much to spend on the lemonade and what they should price it out and when to sell it and all those things, because this is a chance that you can include your children on learning about money, because this is where our school system fails, because they do not teach our kids about money and how to take care of it and how to watch over it. 00:25:10.940 --> 00:25:16.139 And that's why a lot of them don't have good jobs or they lose it because of scams. 00:25:16.379 --> 00:25:19.259 And once again, there are a lot of scams out here. 00:25:19.500 --> 00:25:28.700 And I believe teaching our kids at an early age about money and how to buy and sell at garage sales, God, what a beautiful lesson it is. 00:25:28.779 --> 00:25:30.940 And it's something you can do with your children too. 00:25:31.259 --> 00:25:32.539 So, okay. 00:25:32.859 --> 00:25:46.059 My question now is have you ever thought about monetizing your knowledge in other formats, not only books, for example, selling online courses or webinars or stuff like that? 00:25:46.220 --> 00:25:46.859 I'm just curious. 00:25:47.180 --> 00:25:49.659 You know, and Natasha, that's funny that you brought that up. 00:25:49.819 --> 00:25:53.500 About five years ago, somebody approached me to set that all up. 00:25:53.819 --> 00:26:01.740 And I was in the throes of my gallery, it was a multi-million dollar art gallery, and my real estate business was exploding. 00:26:01.980 --> 00:26:04.460 And it was a wonderful idea. 00:26:04.700 --> 00:26:10.379 And I think now that I'm in semi-retirement, I sold my art gallery a year and a half ago. 00:26:10.700 --> 00:26:14.059 And now I have people run my real estate. 00:26:14.460 --> 00:26:16.700 I am now thinking that is a good thing. 00:26:16.859 --> 00:26:26.299 Just have to find the right person to help me with that because I am so not good in IT and knowing how to do that. 00:26:26.539 --> 00:26:35.019 But I think it would be great because it with this little lesson, with the lessons that I've learned over the years, anybody can do it. 00:26:35.180 --> 00:26:39.019 And, you know, these days, sometimes it's really hard to make a living. 00:26:39.180 --> 00:26:41.740 And I think I could teach people how to make a good living. 00:26:42.059 --> 00:26:46.220 Do you think the nine to five job is becoming obsolete? 00:26:46.460 --> 00:26:47.259 Oh, 100%. 00:26:47.819 --> 00:26:57.579 You know, our young people here, there's not a lot of them, but these young people are learning how to hustle and using social media as a way to do that. 00:26:57.740 --> 00:27:02.779 And I think a lot of people realize nine to five is not going to make them wealthy. 00:27:02.940 --> 00:27:07.099 It can pay the bills, but why work for somebody else? 00:27:07.259 --> 00:27:11.659 You know, I like that everybody has a job working for somebody else. 00:27:11.819 --> 00:27:21.419 If you want to learn, you go into that field and you have a job and you work for them for a year or two, you learn how the ins and outs of that job are. 00:27:21.579 --> 00:27:24.220 And then you start your own company. 00:27:24.379 --> 00:27:30.700 Maybe you work in a coffee house as a barista and you learn all the ins and outs on coffee. 00:27:30.859 --> 00:27:45.659 And then second, then after a year, when you learn everything you can learn about that job, you open up your own coffee house in a in an up-and-coming neighborhood and you do it yourself and learn how to franchise that company and open up other stores. 00:27:45.980 --> 00:27:52.220 I believe we're the greatest country in the world and we're the best country in making money. 00:27:52.460 --> 00:27:54.220 Anybody wants to work hard. 00:27:54.379 --> 00:28:03.899 I don't care if man, woman, whatever color you are, whatever you love to do, you can make money in this world. 00:28:04.139 --> 00:28:05.419 And it is easy. 00:28:05.579 --> 00:28:07.099 You just have to have a passion for it. 00:28:07.339 --> 00:28:10.379 You remind me of the book Which Dad Poor Dad. 00:28:11.180 --> 00:28:15.980 And I'm sure he's hopefully I'm a little better looking and a lot younger. 00:28:16.379 --> 00:28:16.859 Exactly. 00:28:17.500 --> 00:28:25.740 But he has like similar ideas, which is that you cannot make money by just or you cannot become wealthy by just doing a nine to five. 00:28:25.899 --> 00:28:31.259 And uh, and you know, the author also went into real estate and and other stuff. 00:28:31.419 --> 00:28:34.700 But I, you know, I I see where you're going with this. 00:28:34.859 --> 00:28:38.940 And so I I I want to ask a bit about your publishing journey. 00:28:39.099 --> 00:28:41.899 So you mentioned the first book was a bestseller. 00:28:42.299 --> 00:28:44.619 Did you self-publish or did you have a publisher?

00:28:44.940 --> 00:28:47.419 So I and Natasha, this is a kind of funny story. 00:28:47.579 --> 00:28:54.460 So my first book, The Garage Sale Millionaire, was the very first edition bombed. 00:28:54.619 --> 00:29:01.980 It it didn't bomb, so to speak, as it was the person that edited it, it did a very, very poor job. 00:29:02.139 --> 00:29:05.579 Like, and I was not good. 00:29:06.059 --> 00:29:07.980 I I was trying to rush it. 00:29:08.139 --> 00:29:15.579 And the editor and person that was working with me just did not do a good job, and I allowed it to not be great. 00:29:15.740 --> 00:29:19.819 So I took the School of Hard Knocks on doing a book. 00:29:20.059 --> 00:29:24.539 What I was lucky enough was that I did not give up. 00:29:24.940 --> 00:29:38.059 And I was introduced to somebody to help me market it, and they brought in front of me Wiley Publishing, which is one of the number one or two business book publishers. 00:29:38.460 --> 00:29:46.139 And I they re-edited the book, we redid the cover of it, we we really put some effort into it. 00:29:46.220 --> 00:29:53.659 And the second edition of the garage sale millionaire went bestseller, and that was, I don't know, 12 years ago. 00:29:53.899 --> 00:29:59.259 And I got a residual check from that book about six months ago. 00:29:59.419 --> 00:30:06.220 And I couldn't believe I still got because I got a big advance and everything like that, things that they really don't do now. 00:30:06.460 --> 00:30:09.579 But that book just caught people off guard. 00:30:09.659 --> 00:30:15.500 And it was just, God, I can, I was teaching people things that people weren't able to learn back then. 00:30:15.740 --> 00:30:19.659 And so now everything, you cannot get book deals. 00:30:19.819 --> 00:30:21.180 It's very, very hard. 00:30:21.419 --> 00:30:26.059 My new how to become a garage sale millionaire, I am self-publishing. 00:30:26.220 --> 00:30:29.180 I have it on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble. 00:30:29.339 --> 00:30:34.379 You can buy it almost everywhere, including my website, thegaragealemillionaire.com. 00:30:34.619 --> 00:30:46.539 But unfortunately, the big days of getting big advances and having a big publisher behind you are kind of gone unless you have a big social media following. 00:30:46.779 --> 00:30:50.539 And even then, they don't want to risk their money. 00:30:50.619 --> 00:30:55.180 And if they do, getting a big advance is not going to happen. 00:30:55.419 --> 00:30:58.299 And you're stuck with making pennies on every book. 00:30:58.460 --> 00:31:15.899 So at the end of the day, if you have you feel really good about it, you should self-publish it and spend some money on good marketing and having a consultant, which I do have, on advising me on how the book looks and how the cover looks and invest in it. 00:31:16.059 --> 00:31:23.819 And if your book's good enough, Amazon will do a good job on getting it out there, and then you too can be a bestseller. 00:31:24.220 --> 00:31:25.740 Do

you have an audio version of it? 00:31:25.980 --> 00:31:26.619 It is coming. 00:31:26.779 --> 00:31:39.180 We you know, the interesting thing, Natasha, where when you have not got gone so with Amazon and Ingram Sparks, they two areas to get your book out on. 00:31:39.500 --> 00:31:45.819 When you do not go hard copy yet, you can book by demand, print on demand. 00:31:46.139 --> 00:31:48.460 You can still make changes to the book. 00:31:48.700 --> 00:31:49.099 Yeah. 00:31:49.419 --> 00:31:53.659 So interesting thing is you can buy my book now. 00:31:53.819 --> 00:31:59.099 It is awesome, but I am making real-time changes. 00:31:59.500 --> 00:32:08.940 And because I see things, I notice trends, and I'm doing something that most authors want to do, is I'm not done with my book. 00:32:09.019 --> 00:32:16.539 My book is a living, breathing thing, and so I'm still making some changes to the book, and I want it to be perfect. 00:32:16.619 --> 00:32:22.539 I want people to love the book and kind of consider it their side hustle Bible. 00:32:22.619 --> 00:32:25.019 And that's why I'm not going to stop updating. 00:32:25.419 --> 00:32:27.740 What's the difference between the first book and the second book? 00:32:28.059 --> 00:32:29.259 Night and day. 00:32:29.500 --> 00:32:34.619 Understand, 12 years ago, there was no Facebook marketplace. 00:32:34.779 --> 00:32:36.220 There was no next door. 00:32:36.700 --> 00:32:43.500 There was no social media, putting it on your social media, buying stuff through social media. 00:32:43.740 --> 00:32:47.579 Garage sales have changed on how you market it. 00:32:47.740 --> 00:32:50.379 There was no Zell or Venmo. 00:32:50.859 --> 00:32:55.740 Using PayPal to exchange money was you weren't doing that either. 00:32:55.980 --> 00:33:01.740 Everything, collectibles on what is collectible and what wasn't collectible has changed. 00:33:02.539 --> 00:33:06.539 Literally everything in that my book has changed. 00:33:06.700 --> 00:33:14.460 How you know, back 12 years ago, I told everybody to buy a high-end digital camera with 4K in it. 00:33:14.700 --> 00:33:16.619 Now people don't need to buy a camera. 00:33:16.779 --> 00:33:18.460 The camera is in their phone. 00:33:18.700 --> 00:33:23.579 And, you know, by having apps that can do all upload everything. 00:33:23.819 --> 00:33:26.379 Literally, that is a question I get. 00:33:26.619 --> 00:33:30.220 What why don't I just buy your first book or keep your first book, Aaron? 00:33:30.299 --> 00:33:31.579 Should that answer everything? 00:33:31.819 --> 00:33:38.539 Literally, you would be going backwards if you read my first book, because so much has changed. 00:33:38.779 --> 00:33:47.419 And that's why instead of just the garage sale millionaire, I wanted I wanted people just to not learn about me. 00:33:47.740 --> 00:33:51.659 I want now people to emulate me and be better than me. 00:33:51.819 --> 00:33:55.819 And that's why I came out with a second one, how to become the garage

sale millionaire. 00:33:56.059 --> 00:34:00.779 So the first one is about you, and the second one is how to become you. 00:34:00.940 --> 00:34:01.819 Is that the difference? 00:34:02.220 --> 00:34:07.259 The first one was really how I did it, but how I did it a long time ago. 00:34:07.579 --> 00:34:17.340 The second one is how I'm doing it now and all the new technical aspects of how you can make yourself make money quicker, faster, better. 00:34:17.579 --> 00:34:19.340 What are you working on next? 00:34:19.500 --> 00:34:21.180 Now you finished your second book. 00:34:21.260 --> 00:34:22.539 What does the future hold? 00:34:22.860 --> 00:34:29.740 You know, I'm I sold my art gallery, and so I'm supposed to be in somewhat semi-retirement. 00:34:30.059 --> 00:34:45.820 And, you know, I in my older age, not saying I'm super old, but older age, I really believe I have been very luckyslash blessed, whatever you want to call it, in my life. 00:34:46.059 --> 00:34:48.059 I have a wonderful family. 00:34:48.300 --> 00:34:51.099 I am very comfortable in my living status. 00:34:51.340 --> 00:34:52.539 I like to help out. 00:34:52.700 --> 00:34:54.860 So I have two charities. 00:34:55.019 --> 00:35:01.100 One is a chair, I have there's several charities in Colorado on helping out autism. 00:35:01.820 --> 00:35:05.019 And I think it's an epidemic in our country. 00:35:05.340 --> 00:35:10.620 One in 48 boys has it, one in 56 girls have it. 00:35:10.780 --> 00:35:13.500 And I don't think the country knows what's coming. 00:35:13.740 --> 00:35:30.460 And a lot of them can be their course of their life can be changed if it's if it's discovered by age three and they get diagnosed and they can get into counseling and proper medication, they can be a community asset and not a detriment. 00:35:30.940 --> 00:35:32.700 And I think it's very important. 00:35:32.780 --> 00:35:40.380 And so I have chosen to give money and time to different charities that help out the autism world. 00:35:40.620 --> 00:35:47.900 And then I believe in I help out the Denver Police Department because they've gotten a bad rap. 00:35:47.980 --> 00:35:51.500 And if we do not have our police, we have anarchy. 00:35:51.740 --> 00:35:55.980 And I believe any every police organization can improve. 00:35:56.140 --> 00:36:01.019 Instead of being ridiculed, I'm out there trying to help them be better. 00:36:01.260 --> 00:36:08.060 And that's the only way you can change the community around you is playing a role and not pointing fingers. 00:36:08.220 --> 00:36:13.260 And so those are the two charities, two organizations that I like to help out. 00:36:13.660 --> 00:36:14.060 Great. 00:36:14.300 --> 00:36:23.580 So I want to ask about what made you you at the age of nine, because it takes a certain mindset to do what you did. 00:36:23.900 --> 00:36:27.260 I mean, was it nurture versus nature? 00:36:27.500 --> 00:36:30.060 Was it your parents, was where you grew up? 00:36:30.539 --> 00:36:40.780 Because most of people's successes really boils down to their mindset, their growth mindset, believing in themselves, not playing the victim, taking responsibility. 00:36:41.019 --> 00:36:49.180 And read having that mindset is is uh I believe is a result of many factors that made you have that mindset. 00:36:49.260 --> 00:36:56.780 So, what made you have that mindset of of hustling and believing in yourself and wanting to do that? 00:36:56.940 --> 00:36:59.019 And not playing the victim and all of that. 00:36:59.260 --> 00:37:01.340 And Natasha, a wonderful question. 00:37:01.580 --> 00:37:08.700 I can honestly say nobody has asked me that in over a thousand interviews, which is a great question. 00:37:08.860 --> 00:37:12.620 And um, I am so different than my parents. 00:37:12.780 --> 00:37:15.660 I actually, for the longest time, thought I was adopted. 00:37:18.380 --> 00:37:25.740 My father was worked for the federal government and he was way up the food chain with the federal government health and human services. 00:37:26.140 --> 00:37:34.620 And my mom was a stay-at-home mom, a wonderful mother that really pushed me to be the, you know, the best in school that I could be. 00:37:35.180 --> 00:37:37.500 But none of them understood money. 00:37:37.740 --> 00:37:41.980 They did not understand money, they did not understand me. 00:37:42.300 --> 00:37:46.060 I started wanting to make money even before nine. 00:37:46.220 --> 00:37:52.460 I was doing lemonade stands and doing lots of different things when I was six. 00:37:52.700 --> 00:38:03.500 And it wasn't until my mother came up with the idea if I wanted more toys, I was going to have to find the way to make money to buy more toys, hence the garage sale. 00:38:03.580 --> 00:38:05.340 That it was her idea. 00:38:05.820 --> 00:38:19.900 And when I was buying and selling coins when I was 12 or 13, and my dad had to take me to these restaurant parking lots because nobody wanted to exchange money at people's houses. 00:38:20.060 --> 00:38:28.220 You know, my dad was there with me, not understanding why I had$5,000 in my pocket buying silver, silver dollars. 00:38:28.780 --> 00:38:30.860 He did not get that at all. 00:38:31.500 --> 00:38:35.260 And I don't know where I got the hustle in me. 00:38:35.580 --> 00:38:38.220 I I'm very lucky to have it. 00:38:38.460 --> 00:38:40.539 My parents didn't understand it. 00:38:40.860 --> 00:38:45.019 Some people like me, I believe, are born with it. 00:38:45.340 --> 00:38:53.820 And it was, you're going to there are people through time that you're going to see that are we're different. 00:38:54.140 --> 00:38:56.220 We understand things different. 00:38:56.380 --> 00:38:58.060 We look outside the box. 00:38:58.380 --> 00:39:03.900 Everything to people that like to make money, they see things that others don't. 00:39:04.060 --> 00:39:14.060 Not to say people, other people can learn from us, but there is a whole genuine thing about being born with the hustle in you.

00:39:14.780 --> 00:39:19.340 And people around me get the bug to have the hustle. 00:39:19.500 --> 00:39:24.220 And, you know, they have to work a little bit harder to, but for me, it's natural. 00:39:24.460 --> 00:39:28.940 You know, I I wake up in the middle of the night and I think about ways of making money. 00:39:29.100 --> 00:39:34.380 You know, people, other people think in the middle of the night they forgot to turn off the porch light. 00:39:34.539 --> 00:39:37.340 You know, it's it's totally different. 00:39:37.660 --> 00:39:40.860 Um it's one of those things. 00:39:41.019 --> 00:39:43.820 One of my books, my children's books. 00:39:43.980 --> 00:39:49.340 I wrote during an hour and a half in my mind, hour and a half worth of insomnia. 00:39:49.500 --> 00:39:51.740 I laid it all out in my head. 00:39:51.900 --> 00:40:02.700 And then the next day I worked with my illustrator, and we came up with my second book, A Boy Named Penguin, The Mystery of the Albino Calf. 00:40:02.860 --> 00:40:12.380 And I did all that in one night, thinking it out, because I use my insomnia to better myself, I guess to say. 00:40:12.539 --> 00:40:15.260 A lot of people go against the grain. 00:40:15.500 --> 00:40:18.140 If something bad happens, it's bad. 00:40:18.380 --> 00:40:25.100 For me, an entrepreneur and hustler, something bad happens, I figure out how I can make money from it. 00:40:26.380 --> 00:40:28.620 And how not to do it again. 00:40:29.100 --> 00:40:33.340 So do you think the American dream is still alive and you know, kicking? 00:40:33.660 --> 00:40:38.300 Oh, I think it's uh the American dream is turning into it's getting bigger and better. 00:40:38.460 --> 00:41:01.260 I think people, this, you know, it's not the sky's the limit, it's you know, what's beyond the sky, space and everything, everything out there because of AI, because of social media, because you can touch somebody all the way around the world, you our young people, there is no excuse why they can't be millionaires. 00:41:01.740 --> 00:41:02.860 No excuse. 00:41:03.180 --> 00:41:08.060 And you know, some of them will say, I don't want the stress of being a million, being a millionaire. 00:41:08.300 --> 00:41:12.380 Well, you've become a millionaire, you can now help out. 00:41:12.700 --> 00:41:15.580 If your thing is not money, then give it away. 00:41:16.060 --> 00:41:17.180 That's what I believe in. 00:41:17.260 --> 00:41:21.580 I, you know, I'm not giving away all my money, but I do help out charities. 00:41:21.740 --> 00:41:30.380 I love to be that guy that can help out a charity or help out a friend and give my family what they deserve. 00:41:30.539 --> 00:41:34.140 And now I don't work that hard to make a lot of money. 00:41:34.380 --> 00:41:39.019 Yes, I busted my butt in the first part of my life. 00:41:39.260 --> 00:41:42.940 Hard working 60, 70 hours a week. 00:41:43.180 --> 00:41:45.740 And I I paid for it with my life, basically. 00:41:45.820 --> 00:41:49.180 I had

a massive heart attack when I was 43, almost done. 00:41:49.420 --> 00:41:49.980 Oh, sorry to. 00:41:50.300 --> 00:41:52.060 Yeah, it was the widowmaker. 00:41:52.140 --> 00:41:54.380 It's the one that usually takes you out. 00:41:54.620 --> 00:42:01.820 And matter of fact, this week uh marks the 16th year anniversary of my massive heart attack. 00:42:01.980 --> 00:42:12.300 So it's a it's a very important time for me to make me realize that you know, money's great, but family and friends are the most important. 00:42:12.460 --> 00:42:15.980 And so I got caught up in business. 00:42:16.140 --> 00:42:22.380 And, you know, it dials me down knowing that, you know, life's more important than making every dollar. 00:42:22.620 --> 00:42:30.380 But back to the American dream, it is still and your people's future is still as bright as you can imagine. 00:42:30.539 --> 00:42:33.260 And I and I just think people have to work a little harder. 00:42:33.340 --> 00:42:36.300 A lot of our young people think it's going to be handed to them. 00:42:36.380 --> 00:42:38.780 And no, you're not going to get it handed to. 00:42:38.860 --> 00:42:42.620 But if you want to work a little bit, you will, you will get what you want. 00:42:42.860 --> 00:42:44.220 Does money bring happiness? 00:42:44.460 --> 00:42:46.220 Actually, no, it does not. 00:42:46.460 --> 00:42:48.860 And it makes things easier. 00:42:49.100 --> 00:42:55.580 But if you get caught up in money, you're going to find out you're going to go down a very dark rabbit hole. 00:42:55.820 --> 00:43:10.940 You have to do things for your heart and your soul to make you happy and make sure you're happy with what you're doing because money doesn't solve everything, it makes it easier, but you have to make sure what you're doing in life makes you happy. 00:43:11.260 --> 00:43:13.100 But does lack of money make you miserable? 00:43:13.340 --> 00:43:19.660 You know, I know a lot of people that don't have much money, but they're very happy with what they have. 00:43:19.900 --> 00:43:30.860 And you have to have keep, you know, remember back in Natasha, back in when you were younger, maybe in your 20s or late teens, that was a great time for me. 00:43:31.100 --> 00:43:38.700 It was a wonderful time when I was going to college and and I had all those friends and I was doing everything. 00:43:38.940 --> 00:43:40.539 And I didn't have much money. 00:43:40.700 --> 00:43:42.380 Yes, I I had a lot. 00:43:42.539 --> 00:43:49.180 I was a millionaire, but my million was all in the safe with coins and assets and stuff like that. 00:43:49.340 --> 00:43:55.260 I lived kind of humbly, but I loved that time of my life. 00:43:55.660 --> 00:43:59.100 And you don't need money to make you happy. 00:43:59.260 --> 00:44:15.420 You just have to never forget from where you came from and keep that happiness from when you were in your teens or your 20s and not change because a lot of people get a little money and then they change and they become

too good for their friends or their family. 00:44:15.900 --> 00:44:25.180 And they're going, then they're chasing what their neighbors have, and then they suddenly find themselves in a very vicious circle, and then they're not happy. 00:44:25.420 --> 00:44:26.620 Yeah, yeah. 00:44:26.940 --> 00:44:31.019 Well, so do you still go to garage sales and look for stuff? 00:44:31.260 --> 00:44:31.500 I do. 00:44:31.740 --> 00:44:32.060 You do? 00:44:32.300 --> 00:44:32.940 Oh, I do. 00:44:33.180 --> 00:44:36.140 I sell them garage sales and secondhand stores. 00:44:36.300 --> 00:44:38.300 It drives my wife insane. 00:44:39.340 --> 00:44:40.700 Because I still sell stuff. 00:44:40.860 --> 00:44:48.140 I I'll hell, if I can find something for five dollars or ten dollars and think I can make a hundred bucks off of it, you know. 00:44:48.220 --> 00:44:52.220 I I I bought it and then I have my assistant throw it on eBay. 00:44:52.300 --> 00:44:54.780 It makes no sense, but I still love doing it. 00:44:55.019 --> 00:44:56.220 So you still do it. 00:44:56.780 --> 00:44:57.100 Okay. 00:44:58.060 --> 00:45:01.980 Yeah, I thought so because once you have the bug, you want stuff. 00:45:02.300 --> 00:45:04.380 You can't that bug stays with you. 00:45:04.539 --> 00:45:08.140 And I I love I just matter of fact, you just reminded me. 00:45:08.300 --> 00:45:14.539 I have I bought stuff, stuff in a in an online auction that I have to go and pick up. 00:45:22.060 --> 00:45:25.900 So yeah, that's actually after this interview, that's what I'll be doing. 00:45:26.140 --> 00:45:29.900 All right, and then that note, I'll keep it short. 00:45:30.140 --> 00:45:36.620 And so how where can people find your book and get in touch with you, you know, for anyone who's who's listening or or watching? 00:45:36.940 --> 00:45:39.740 Well, Natasha, thank you for asking that question. 00:45:39.980 --> 00:45:43.019 You can go to Amazon.com and get my book. 00:45:43.180 --> 00:45:51.580 You can also go to the garage salemillionaire.com and see all the wonderful podcasts and tips that I provide. 00:45:51.740 --> 00:45:54.060 You can buy it from my website. 00:45:54.220 --> 00:46:09.900 And if people want to learn what I buy and sell and how I do my descriptions and my photos, they can go on eBay and go to the garage sale millionaire on eBay and I lay it all out so you can actually see what I am actually doing and learn from it. 00:46:09.980 --> 00:46:14.780 They can take all the ideas for free and just mimic them and do it themselves. 00:46:14.940 --> 00:46:16.539 So those are the ways, you know. 00:46:16.620 --> 00:46:19.500 I'm uh there's the garage sale millionaire on Facebook. 00:46:19.660 --> 00:46:21.660 It is very easy to get a hold of me. 00:46:21.740 --> 00:46:28.780 You can friend me on Facebook, and I'd love to stay in contact with anybody who's interested in talking to me. 00:46:29.019 --> 00:46:29.260 Sure. 00:46:29.340 --> 00:46:31.740 So every time I see anything, I'm gonna text you. 00:46:33.340 --> 00:46:35.180 Please do, please do. 00:46:36.060 --> 00:46:39.260 And so next time you see me, I'm gonna be a millionaire. 00:46:40.060 --> 00:46:40.539 Well, great. 00:46:40.620 --> 00:46:44.940 And if you lose my book, I only take five percent of everything you make. 00:46:45.820 --> 00:46:46.860 Okay, dude. 00:46:47.340 --> 00:46:48.539 Well, thank thank you very much. 00:46:48.620 --> 00:46:50.460 Uh this been this has been fun. 00:46:50.539 --> 00:46:57.500 And I'll I'll let you go to buy or sell your stuff, and I'm gonna go make my my millions after this. 00:46:57.740 --> 00:47:08.539 And for for anyone who's listening or watching, thank you for joining us for another episode of Read and Write Again, and until we meet again. 00:47:11.900 --> 00:47:15.660 Thank you for tuning in to Read and Write with Natasha. 00:47:15.740 --> 00:47:17.740 I'm your host, Natasha Tony. 00:47:18.380 --> 00:47:25.740 If today's episode inspired you in any way, please take the time to review the podcast. 00:47:25.900 --> 00:47:31.260 Remember to subscribe and share this podcast with fellow book lovers. 00:47:31.740 --> 00:47:36.220 Until next time, happy reading, happy writing.