New Business Adventure/Experiment

I used a half day of vacation today to pick up four pallets of return merchandise from a direct marketing company. I rented a U-Haul to pick them up in Chaska, and unloaded them in my garage, where scores of full boxes now sit. My intent is to assemble and/or check the usability of each item, then turn around and sell the merchandise individually on the various online auctions/classifieds.

My costs so far for the merchandise and delivery is just over $800. I don't expect I'll have any problems making the money back and being able to keep some of the items for personal use, gifts, etc. They include unassembled bikes, retro-style turntables, and turntable-cd burner combos, to name a few.

But will I profit? Keep watching this blog for updates on how the venture goes. I will include the accounting to show not only what net profit/loss I incur, but also a diagnosis from an economist's viewpoint (whether it was worth it in the end, opportunity cost, etc.).

I must keep reminding myself that this isn't too far from how Tom Petters got started. Things like that will scare me straight, all right.