About a week after quitting that job I was off to Columbus, Ohio for Origins where, through 2008, Pokemon held their trading card national championship tournament here in the United States. At the convention they also have a large vendor hall. In the end, I purchased 3 or 4 100-pack lots of Neopets Trading cards from Hills Wholesale Gaming. I had researched the Neopets TCG a little bit before so it wasn't a blind/shot in the dark buy. I actually had bought about 70 packs from a local card shop the previous winter that had them on closeout and sold off the codes successfully. You see, every pack of Neopets trading cards came with 1 virtual prize code which could be entered in on neopets.com to get neopoints or an item of some sort. Most important thing for me though was that each code seemed to typically sell for more than the cost of the packs on eBay. So, wanted to try it out for myself on a bigger scale than I previously had and I sure was glad that I did!
A code card from the "Hannah and the Ice Caves" Neopets TCG Expansion (code blocked out):
In the 12 months that followed, I spent well over $25k on sealed packs of Neopets cards. Late in 2004 I had about $200 to my name so obviously I was having very good turnover on the Neopets codes. I sold lots of 10, 25, 50, and 100 codes on eBay. Everytime I made a sale I'd open enough packs to cover the order, type the codes, email them to the buyer, and, unless I made a typo or two, the transaction was complete. In the early going I was able to buy the 1st 2 sets of Neopets cards for about $0.50 per pack and I sold 100 code lots for $90-100. So...selling/typing/emailing just the codes, I was nearly doubling my money. I was never good at selling off the actual trading cards though...no joke...I think I have around 1 MILLION of the non code cards still in inventory. Would happily move them in bulk, rares holos and all, for a penny a card. Would make a lot of space and, considering I was well in the green selling just the codes, it would basically be pure profit. Been meaning to assemble and try to sell off some lots or complete sets but newer inventory always keeps me plenty busy.
My 1st 2+ years selling on eBay, Neopets cards/codes generally made up at least 75% of my total sales and at times over 90%. So...wasn't exactly 'diversified.' After Haunted Woods, the 10th set of the TCG since being introduced in September of 2003, Wizards of the Coast would not put out any additional sets and all 10 sets would not be printed any more. Thus, with myself and I'm sure many others opening up thousands of packs, the 'world supply' of sealed product began to diminish and prices of sealed packs and boxes quickly started to rise. Before long, what I was paying $0.50 for was $1, then $1.50, then near impossible to find for under $2/pack. Luckily I had a large inventory and was even able to find 1 source a year or two after prices had begun their asscent at under $2/pack. I actually still have a few hundred sealed packs in inventory. eBay changed their policy awhile ago for digital based items which, since I was emailing them, the codes were. People buying them don't typically want to wait for 'snail mail' to deliver the code cards to them which is how it would have to be done these days (will have more relating to this probably in part 3). So, when my inventory diminished I just sold the codes to my long time top repeat buyers.
Nevertheless....with the Neopets TCG out of print and sealed product soaring in price, I clearly had to find other things to sell if I wanted to continue with ecommerce. My sophmore year of college I lived in the dorms with a roommate and all my inventory fit under my bed on the highest level it could go without being lofted. 2006 would quickly become the beginning of the end of my small square footed inventory......
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