STORAGE Star hunter Jesse McClure has made it his life’s work to make money with nothing.
In an interview with The Sun, the 34-year-old shares his tips on how to cultivate a pot of cash from scratch. This is mainly done through objects gathering dust in your own home.
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Jesse McClure made a career out of making money with nothingPhoto credit: Jesse McClure
From whipping out unwanted CDs and videos to reselling apps to upcycling furniture or finding rare coins in old money, the reselling method is proof that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.
McClure, who splits his time between LA, California and Hertford in the UK, emphasizes that his method is not a quick program to get rich and that it will take time and effort to get his tips paid off.
However, some people have made hundreds or thousands of pounds by following his reselling tips that he revealed in his new book Never Go Broke.
McClure said, “If you want to make a few extra pounds, you can do it with the contents of your own home, or you can keep working and building while you study … and turn it into a full-fledged business.” .
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The 34-year-old likes to share his economical tipsPhoto credit: Jesse McClure
“I did that with one of my friends, [who] came up to me and said, “Please teach me everything you know.”
“And in the last six months he’s bought and sold over $ 10,000 (£ 7,000), which has made his life a lot better.
“He’s made a considerable amount of money just from these core concepts.”
You can make hundreds from reselling junk
Selling old books, CDs, and video games is also one of McClure’s top tips for making money fast – and it can be as easy as downloading an app.
He said, “One of the things I talk about is media and how easy it is to download some apps and scan your books, CDs and video games.
“Throw them in a box and ship them and they’ll send you a check or Paypal.
“I did this with my mother-in-law and father-in-law who had an attic full of my wife’s old video games and CDs when she was younger and they made an extra £ 150 by scanning their phone and that was it.”
He recommends “barcode” apps like Music Magpie, We Buy Books, and Ziffit.
“Every website – or app – offers different prices, so it is important that you check more than one before committing to a sale in order to maximize profits,” he added.
But one of the biggest mistakes people make is not marketing themselves properly.
He said, “Every single person you buy and sell from you should write this down in a contact book.
“There is a very good chance that you will find an item that you sold in the past and want to sell it again.”
And he warns sellers to value their time: “Don’t waste your time selling an item if it isn’t an hourly wage.”
Reselling the tier system
JESSE urges anyone who wants to resell junk to create a tier system.
Top group: These should go to auction houses, antique dealers or specialists. Find them on google. One useful website is WorthPoint.com, which lists millions of sales prices and has a 7-day free trial.
Second step: Items to list on websites that specialize in second hand resale like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, and Shpock, or for clothing, try Depop.
Stage three: Car boots are on sale. I love a car boot sale.
Lower level: Items that have a recycling value, such as B. scrap metal. Get cash for your soda cans!
This is how you make money with your change
And it’s not just rubbish that McClure resells, it’s change too.
He once spent £ 1,200 on a rare £ 5 note before selling it for £ 4,000 – but his beginner tip is lower and risk-free.
Many of us will have heard stories from people who discovered that for some collectors a coin they carried around in their pockets is actually a rare 50p that is worth a lot more.
We previously showed that the Kew Gardens 50p sells for hundreds of pounds.
McClure’s method is to take the chance out of the equation.
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Jesse will be buying coins in bulk to look for rare and valuable onesPhoto credit: Jesse McClure
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Jesse, 34, pictured with a large tub of spare moneyPhoto credit: Jesse McClure
He said, “People look at their change and say, Oh, do I have one, do I have one?
“My little secret is if you have £ 200 or £ 500 go to your local bank branch, ask for it in just 50 pence coins and take them home and go through them all.
“If it’s a normal 50p, you can put it back into your bank account so it’s completely risk free.
“I did it with £ 500 and got 50 to 52 different Olympia and Beatrix Potter designs, so I made an extra £ 32 with my own money and it was completely risk free.
“It’s such little things, there is really free money out there.”
Start small
Jesse urges people to start small and learn as they move on.
“Not every single thing will be a success, but you will gain a lot of knowledge over time,” he said.
“My bread and butter items are multimedia, vintage tools, and Converse shoes.”
He adds that the best way to protect your money is to grow a pot of money selling “junk” in your home.
“As you grow and learn by increasing your investment, your risk, in a sense, decreases. Don’t be afraid to bet on yourself.”
Think different
Storage hunter viewers will know that his methods can throw strange and wonderful objects.
McClure has been in business his entire life – his family owns one of the largest antique shops in Los Angeles – and he has spotted some strange sights over the years.
He said, “I still struggle with taxidermy and human bones, things that still scare me a little.
“At some point I bought a full-size giraffe, which I enjoyed.
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Jesse pictured with an extensive Beanie Baby collectionPhoto credit: Jesse McClure
“It’s also one of those things that make you think who would want a dead animal? But there are people who collect taxidermy and you can find these opportunities if they come and make contacts.
But often it is the more boring items that can generate the highest returns, as their value is overlooked by the less eagle-eyed bargain hunters.
McClure said, “It’s not about finding the boring thing, it’s about what people overlook and say, oh that’s nothing.”
“The amount of money I’ve made from glass bottles is probably the largest ratio of profits I’ve ever made.
“I bought a banana box full of green bottles and half of it was broken, but they were turn-of-the-century apothecary bottles. I bought the whole box for £ 10 and sold it for £ 1,000.
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“But someone overlooked it and said I won’t go through all that broken glass to get the good ones out. It has to clean dirt for over 100 years just to try to sell it.
“It is this opportunity that you want to seize.”
Never Go Broke: How To Make Money With Almost Anything, by Lee Boyce and Jesse McClure (£ 9.99, Cassell) is out now.
We previously reported how British camp hunters make thousands by cashing in junk.
We’ll also reveal the smart supermarket trick to making sure you’re on budget.
Bargain Hunter Reveals How To Get Discount Codes For “Everything” Using Facebook Ad Hack
