5 Tips for Selling Hot Rollers on eBay

When you first think of hot rollers, you probably think they are outdated, and no one uses them anymore, right? Wrong! There is a huge segment of eBay buyers who buy them - and pay crazy high prices for some of them. Who are these people??

That's right. Pageant moms! That is a world that I know nothing about, so I am only speculating here, but I suspect vintage hot rollers are in high demand in the pageant world because they get hotter more quickly, and when you're rushing around backstage, you need super-hot rollers, and you need them super-fast!

Here are my top 5 tips for selling hot rollers on eBay:

1. Focus on vintage. Vintage rollers get a lot hotter than the rollers that are on the market today. They are also made better, made to last. I think a lot of today's appliances are pretty much designed to be disposable. Vintage rollers (and other vintage appliances) are high-quality.
2. Don't worry if they are incomplete or they don't work. As long as you don't pay more than a couple dollars for them, you'll still make a profit. I made almost $30 by parting a set out for replacement parts. I sold the rollers themselves in sets of 2 or 3, and I sold the clips separately.
3. Know the true gems. Always be on the lookout for Remington Tight Curls, vintage Lady Schick rollers, and Helene Curtis Unicurls.
4. Learn about wax cores. I have had several people ask me if my hot rollers have wax cores. I didn't know what that meant for the longest time. Some of these older rollers have wax cores, so once they are heated, the wax melts. I think this makes the rollers stay hotter longer. You can find out if your set has wax cores by heating them in their unit. Once they are good and hot, shake them close to your ear. If it sounds like water sloshing around, then they've got wax cores. Be sure to note this in your listing.
5. Don't list at auction. Hot rollers generally need just the right buyer. Please -- stay away from auctions and list these in your store. You'll have to be patient and wait for that perfect buyer to come along.
6. Bonus Tip: If you are in the middle of cleaning hot rollers to list them, and you're a really bad procrastinator, take a break and write a blog post about selling hot rollers. It'll make you feel productive.

If you've got more questions about selling hot rollers, feel free to leave a comment here, or come on over to our discussion board and start a new thread!