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We're Back, Just in Time for the Best Flipping Season of the Year
It's been a minute.
The last FlipWire hit your inbox back in June, and then summer got away from us. I traveled a lot this summer, and the newsletter sat in the garage like a dresser nobody wanted to haul. Well, I'm back, and I brought snacks (metaphorical ones).
Thanks for sticking around. Seriously. And we couldn't have picked a better time to come back.
Remember the summer prep guide? We said summer was the sourcing season that funds your best quarter: October through December. Well, that quarter is here.
Here's how to make the most of it.
Why Q4 Is Different
Three things happen at the same time this time of year:
Cold weather shows up. Even down here, the first chilly morning sends people looking for heaters, coats, and blankets.
Holiday shopping starts. Buyers are hunting for gifts, and a lot of them would rather pay a fair price locally than fight shipping deadlines.
People clean house. Before family comes in for Thanksgiving and Christmas, garages and spare rooms get cleared out. More stuff on the curb, more "just come get it" posts, more motivated sellers.
More buyers. More inventory. Your job is to stand right in the middle.
What Sells in Q4 (Small-Town Southern Edition)
You don't need a big city to move inventory this time of year. In a market like ours in West Alabama, these are the categories to watch:
Hunting and outdoor gear: tree stands, blinds, camo, boots, coolers, decoys. Season is underway and people are gearing up. Stick to gear and skip anything regulated.
Space heaters and electric blankets: the first cold snap sends people straight to Marketplace. Test everything and say so in the listing.
Coats, flannel, and work boots: Carhartt, Columbia, The North Face, and name-brand boots move fast.
Cast iron and kitchen gear: it's Thanksgiving cooking season. Cast iron, roasters, KitchenAid mixers, and vintage Pyrex for casseroles and holiday tables.
Extra seating and tables: family's coming. Folding tables, dining chairs, and dining sets sell before Thanksgiving.
Toys, kids' bikes, and game consoles: gift season. Name brands in clean condition, consoles with controllers and cords.
Christmas decor: vintage blow molds, ceramic Christmas trees, and older ornaments have a real collector following.
Team gear: Alabama and Auburn items move all season around here, especially heading into rivalry week.
Same rule as always: check eBay sold listings before you buy, and only say yes when the math works.
Where to Source Right Now
Fall yard sales and church sales: fewer than summer, but cooler mornings bring out sellers clearing space before the holidays.
Estate sales: still the best value for your time. Check EstateSales.net Thursday night and map your route, just like the summer guide.
Marketplace "free" and "must go" posts: move-outs and pre-holiday cleanouts. Save your searches and check them in the evening.
Local thrift shops and indoor yard sales: they turn over inventory all the time. I sat down with Ronda, owner of Ronda's Randoms in Gordo, for this newsletter, and her shop is still open Saturdays 9–12. Go regularly and you'll learn when the new stuff hits the floor.
Fall festivals and trade days: small towns are full of them this time of year. Check your local town and county calendars for fall trade days and festivals near you.
Cleanouts: if you ever get the chance to help with one, whether it's family, a neighbor, or a junk removal job, say yes. That's where furniture that just needs a little cleanup tends to show up.
Timing Your Listings
Now through early November: cold-weather gear, hunting gear, and tables and seating before Thanksgiving.
Early November through mid-December: Christmas decor, toys, and anything that makes a good gift. Holiday buyers shop early.
Mid-December on: watch the carriers' holiday shipping cutoffs. Once they pass, push local pickup: "pick it up today, wrap it tonight."
After Christmas: decor goes on clearance everywhere. Buy cheap, store it, and sell it next fall. Same "buy winter now" move from the summer guide, just flipped around.
List It to Move
Holiday buyers are in a hurry. Make it easy for them to say yes:
Show it working: the heater running, the mixer spinning, the console on a TV screen.
Put "tested and working" in the first line.
Lead the title with the brand, and add "great gift" where it fits. That's what people search.
Bundle the small stuff: toy lots, decor boxes, kitchen sets. One buyer, one trip, more money.
A Recent Flip
Last week a haul-away job left me with a dryer. Cost: $0. It sold the next day for $100.
The 3x Rule says resale should be at least three times what you paid. Three times zero is zero, so this one cleared the bar by about a hundred bucks. Math teachers hate this one trick. 🧺
Your Turn: Send Us Your Best Find
Hit reply and tell us the best thing you've found or flipped since June. What did you pay, and what did it sell for? We read every reply, and with your permission we may feature a few in an upcoming issue.
And if you know someone who's out at yard sales every Saturday morning, forward this email to them. They can sign up free at tims-newsletter-05993e.beehiiv.com. FlipWire grows one flipper at a time.
🧰 Gearing up for your next flip? Check out the Flipper's Toolkit, our handpicked tools, paints and shipping supplies that turn curbside castoffs into cash →
Until next week, keep your eyes open and your margins healthy.
The Flipwire Team
Blu Dot surpasses 2,000% ROAS with self-serve CTV ads
Home furniture brand Blu Dot blew up on CTV with help from Roku Ads Manager. Here’s how:
After a test campaign reached 211,000 households and achieved 1,010% ROAS, the brand went all in to promote its annual sales event. It removed age and income constraints to expand reach and shifted budget to custom audiences and retargeting, where intent was strongest.
The results speak for themselves. As Blu Dot increased their investment by 10x, ROAS jumped to 2,308% and more page-view conversions surpassed 50,000.
“For CTV campaigns, Roku has been a top performer,” said Claire Folkestad, Paid Media Strategist, Blu Dot. “Comping to our other platforms, we have seen really strong ROAS… and highly efficient CPMs, lower than any other CTV partner we've worked with.”
Using Roku Ads Manager, the campaign moved from a pilot to a permanent performance engine for the brand.
Find it. Flip it. Profit.