Issue #69

What’s up guys, Mat here and this weeks newsletter is bangin’.

I could barely carry everything to the post office on Monday after a wild weekend of sales. Why? Because I found some absolute gold at the thrift and they flew out the door in only a few hours.

In this issue:

• You’ll hate me when you see what a 7cm piece of metal sold for

• A random Disney Pixar Cars item pulled a shocking price

• Perfectly timed innuendo for Issue #69

• Plus, some sneaky tips you can use this weekend at the thrift or garage sales

All that and more, but first...

In This Issue

• What I Bought

• What I Sold

• Secondhand Opinions

• Win a Free $200 Mystery Box

• Podcast

• Social Media

• 100% Free Resources to Help You

What I Bought

I’m going to warn you now, you’ll hate me after seeing this first find.

This is what appears to be a little metal statue figure of some sort of futuristic soldier. It’s priced at $3, stands maybe what… 7cm tall, looks pretty ordinary and could easily be mistaken for something like a chess piece. Incorrect, it’s actually a character from a video game called Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 and it came with the Collector’s Edition game when it was released back in the year 2000 - only 10,000 copies were produced. Prepare to have your mind blown:

Red Alert 2 is a game that is still popular in 2025 so the collectors market is hot. Those comps are crazy however $3 into $100 isn’t what’s going to make you mad at me. Now it wouldn’t be Issue #69 if I didn’t mention the tip. Yes, look at the tip of the gun in the comps above, and then scroll up a bit further and look at mine. You can see it? The $100 comps are for the figure with part of the gun missing. Apparently the end part just sat on the gun and was easily lost. So… if you have that part, it sells for a bit more…

This isn’t some one off sale either. If we look at the Command & Conquer subreddit we can see users actively talking about this exact figure.

It’s pretty insane to think about finding such a rare piece of gaming history in a thrift store for $3 and its worth hundreds. I didn’t want this figure sitting around forever, mostly because my luck I’d either lose it or break it so I priced it at $299.95. $3 into $300 is the type of return I can only dream of after this.

Next up… the Thrustmaster.

This is a TCA Quadrant Airbus Edition by the company Thrustmaster. Basically, it’s an accessory people can plug into their computers to play flight simulator games. I blame the original Microsoft Flight Simulator as the sole reason why games like Bee Simulator and Farming Simulator exist today. This Thrustmaster accessory was priced at $12 and brand new sells for around $200, a bit less for pre-owned.

I opened it up in the store to have a look and everything appeared to be inside, however once I got it home I noticed that it was meant to come with 4 tiny black screws but only had 3. It could easily be replaced, but I wont be doing it, I’ll be listing it up for $100 and have the buyer pay the postage.

If you see any sort of car/plane looking controls for computers or consoles in a thrift store, I’d recommend picking them up as this is an expensive hobby and people are ready and willing to pay high prices to complete their setups.

Here’s a piece of media to keep an eye out for, we have Twilight Forever: The Complete Saga.

We’ve had some success with Twilight in the past, the franchise is still popular and fans love the collectors items. This special edition set was released 5 years after the first movie was released and features all the movies, a host of special features plus the discs come enclosed in a Twilight photo album - basically what everyone is buying this for.

I didn’t realise until I got home that this isn’t the DVD version, it’s the Blu-Ray and the comps for that are really good.

One of the reasons why I decided to bring it home with me is that there isn’t a single other listing within Australia for this box set. I love having the only item available within Australia, it gives me the tiniest bit of power to list it for whatever I chose. I opt for $99.95 and despite paying up for it ($15) I should still make a decent profit after the buyer pasts postage.

If you’re a regular reader who pays attention, you’ll know exactly why I bought something from my most despised category.

The puzzle was sealed, it’s by a company called New York Puzzle Company and the series showcases covers of The New Yorker throughout the years. Looking around the internet, it’s quite a collectible series as the artwork is well loved. That isn’t the reason why this caught my eye though - it caught my eye because the Twin Towers were still standing.

Go back to Issue #22 titled “Look For These Buildings In Puzzles, Ornaments & Decorative Items To Triple Your Money” and you would see I made a lot of money selling a pre-9/11 snow globe. Because of that, I knew this puzzle would do well. I listed it up for $99.95, guaranteed profit from an $8 purchase.

A few other items I purchased this week:

Cars is one of the more popular Disney Pixar films when it comes to toys and this set goes hard. The thrift had it priced at $55 and with no other listings available, I looked at sold comps and couldn’t believe the sale prices.

This particular set comes with 1 toy car, but if it came with all 4, let me tell you the pricing is insane.

Nevertheless, I’ve listed it on eBay for $250 + post and $200 on Marketplace. Keep an eye out for toys from the Cars series and if you want a shock… look out for the Cars movie on video cassette. It was the very last Disney film released on VHS and wasn’t available to the general public, you had to be a Disney Movie Member and order it. The average sale price over the past 2 months? About $1,550!

This jersey felt like another rite of passage and something to tick off the bucket list. This AFL jersey had the GPS pouch in it which means it was actually issued to a player on the team. Donated to a Vinnies and priced at $8, I snatched it up knowing it’s guaranteed to find a buyer. I’ll post a video on social media showing off the pouch so you can see what it looks like.

It was really cool to see this huge bundle of older scale models. These to me can go into the puzzle territory whereby the item is virtually worthless if you’re missing a piece or two. The trick for these is to open them up and see if the pieces are still in the original plastic. That, or check if any of the boxes are still factory sealed. There was a few for me that were brand new but after looking up comps this Escadrille N.3 Double Kit was the only one worth buying for $14. Essentially it’s 2 kits in 1 so I’ll list it for $99.95. All the other kits were just singles and hovered between $30-$60.

What I Sold

Who would have guessed that a couple of figures from Ice Age 4 could sell for $200 on eBay? I paid $14 for these guys, and I was as surprised as you when I looked up comps. At the time the comps were not equal, each figure sold for a different amount, ranging from $30 - $60ish however I couldn’t find a single comp for Scrat. Given we have a bundle of rare-ish figures, I listed all 4 up together for $200 and it didn’t take long for somebody to pounce. Not only that, the buyer is from the US so they had to pay international shipping which brings the order value up to a ridiculous $278.88.

Resellers are thinking the money for action figures is 1970’s Star Wars or 80’s Transformers that we completely overlook 2012 Ice Age. Not anymore!

The Thrustmaster was priced to sell given you can’t get it in stores for anything less than $150. Gone in 5 hours, not even enough time for me to play with it.

Like I said, Cars is extremely popular and this set was hard to find. A user on Marketplace hit me up and offered $180 + post and I couldn’t say no. The buyer was also very chill, I usually ask buyers with these bigger items if they want the item placed inside a bigger box or if they’re happy with just a bunch of bubble wrap and he opted for the latter. Super easy and means not having to create my own box. Too easy!

I could have waited this sale out, but a best offer of $80 came in late at night and I had a huge post run the next day so I figured sure, let’s get rid of the puzzle in 9 hours. I’m telling you… anything with the Twin Towers still standing is going to sell well.

This is a Pokémon plush, Pikachu in a kimono. It's barely 10cm tall, it’s a keychain, and yes, it just sold for nearly $100. I paid $3.

Weird? A little. Worth it? Absolutely.

You might be thinking: “Mat, who on earth is dropping $75+ on a tiny stuffed toy?” Fair question but it’s also a perfect example of where the market is heading.

I'll fill you in. Ever heard of Labubu or Pop Mart?

These are designer toys that people (adults) line up for at 3am. Pop Mart has taken off thanks to “blind boxes”, sealed packaging where you don’t know what toy you’re getting. It’s essentially legalized gambling for collectors, and it’s working. The company is now valued at over $50 billion.

$250 for a plush that some say is ugly? Sold out. And selling out fast.

And this isn’t just a niche. These toys are in vending machines and storefronts across Aussie malls right now.

Don’t let your personal taste limit your pricing.

Just because you wouldn’t buy it doesn’t mean they won’t. The resale market is increasingly driven by collectors, trends, nostalgia, and hype and plush toys are right in the middle of it all.

Next time you find an unusual plush at a thrift store, don’t dismiss it.

Sports jerseys are one of my favourite things to find because I’m a huge sports fan and they sell so quickly. The thing that’s different about this GWS Giants AFL jersey is the fact that it has a little GPS pouch up near the tag. Take a look:

Players in professional sporting leagues are consistently monitored with technology for health and performance, analytics and tracking data. In this pouch the team puts in a GPS device that tracks the players movements. If you see this pouch it means the jersey was issued to a player for that team. These are commonly referred to a “Player Issued Jerseys“ and there’s a huge market for them. If you’re able to work out the year the jersey is from, you can then cross reference the players on the team with the number on the back to determine who the jersey belonged to.

This particular jersey belonged to a rookie player who isn’t a household name. That said, if you find an old vintage jersey and it belonged to somebody well known in the sport, that’s a jackpot. This jersey sold within 48 hours turning $8 into $100.

Okay, let this be a warning to you… this sale is a bit morbid. On Thursday night we had a $39.95 sale for a signed book. The book was Magda Szubanski’s, a famous Australia comedian and actresses autobiography. It had been sitting for a while, since January of 2024(!!) so I was curious why it suddenly sold. In the past I’ve seen autographed books sell when entertainers are in the country or they make the news for one reason or another.

On that exact same Thursday night ABC published a news story that Magda Szubanski had stage 4 blood cancer. Magda is an Aussie icon, her characters are infinitely quotable and she’s a genuinely good person. Here’s hoping she defies the odds, beats the cancer and is around long enough to write and sign more books in the future.

Secondhand Opinions

The concept is simple, we’ll throw up a controversial, or at least spicy reselling topic, I’ll present my argument whether it’s poorly thought out or not and you’ll provide your own.

Last week I asked you “Do thrift stores have a responsibility to keep prices low?” and here are the results:

I’m not too surprised about the results of last weeks question. I do disagree with the result, I don’t think thrift stores have any responsibility of keeping prices low, but we’re all entitled to our opinion.

This weeks topic is: Would You Still Thrift If There Was No Money in It?

This week’s question isn’t controversial, just one I find genuinely interesting and would love to hear your thoughts on.

Before starting Flip Weekly, the last time I stepped into a thrift store was as a kid. My single mum was raising three hungry kids on very little and thrift stores helped us out with food and grocery vouchers. Back then, I had no idea people actually resold items from those stores.

These days, I’m in a thrift store at least once a week, making decent side hustle money and keeping myself fed. But it got me thinking, would I still thrift if I wasn’t making any income from it? Honestly, probably not.

I’m not someone who buys much for myself. In the past 18 months of garage sales and thrifting, I’ve bought maybe one thing just because I liked it, a t-shirt. I’d like to thrift for clothes or shoes, but I’m picky, and the odds of finding something I like and in my size are slim.

So without the money side, what’s the point? Sure, I enjoy finding rare or interesting items but that thrill doesn’t happen often enough to justify the time. If I wanted to see cool stuff, I’d be better off at a museum or collector con where I know I’ll find it.

That said, I wouldn’t write off thrifting completely. After 18 months of regular visits, I’ve realized how overpriced retail stores can be. Say a friend’s birthday is coming up and they’re into fantasy books, you could buy the Game of Thrones box set for $100 at Dymocks… or grab it for $15 at a thrift store.

So I guess my answer is this: if I couldn’t make money from thrifting the only reason I’d go would be to save money.

What about you?

You can vote, you can email in, submit a form on the website or even get in touch via social media with your own thoughts.

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