If you have been following me for a while now, then you know that I am originally from New York and moved to Florida in 2020. When I lived in New York, my reselling business looked very different than it does now. Today, I thought that I would share with you some differences that I have noticed between being a reseller in New York versus being a reseller in Florida.
Life in Central New York
For those of you that don’t know, I grew up in central New York. Central New York covers a pretty broad area and for the most part is pretty rural. When I started reselling part-time, I had to get very creative in how I found inventory. At that time, there were only 3 thrift stores within an hour of my house, 1 buy-sell-trade store, and 2 discount retailers. If I wanted to have a better chance of finding inventory, I would have to drive to Syracuse which was over 1 hour away. Although I was able to make it work for many years, it wasn’t an ideal set-up for pursuing this business long-term.
Moving to Florida
When we moved to Tampa in 2020, my entire world changed. I had 10+ thrift stores within a 10 mile radius of my apartment which was unheard of back in New York. Additionally, there are a plethora of discount retailers and outlets all within a hour of me. Moving to Florida provided me with the best opportunity and chances to succeed in this business. Although living in Florida does have its’ perks, its’ not perfect and it is very different from New York.
Comparing New York to Florida
Available Sourcing Spots
In New York, I had limited availability when it came to sourcing. In order to find good inventory, you would have to travel to one of the major cities such as New York City, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, and/or Albany. Did I have my honey holes? Yes, but when comparing what I found in New York to what I find in Florida now, they just don’t compare.
In Florida, there are so many places that I can go to find inventory; Between the plethora of thrift stores, outlet malls, and discount retailers, there are so many opportunities to find inventory. As someone who struggled to find inventory for years and had to get creative with sourcing, it is nice to be in an environment where items are readily available to me. That being said, I think that people who live in bigger cities and more urban areas really don’t know what a privilege it is to have that much inventory available to them.
Pricing
Pricing in thrift stores in Central New York and Tampa are comparable. Believe it or not, my cost of goods has remained pretty consistent between states. Some locations are a little more expensive than others but in general, thrift store prices are the same.
Business Models
As someone who has lived in both a rural area and an urban area, I will say that business models vary depending on where you live and your access to inventory. When I lived in New York, my access to inventory was very limited and my business model was created around the items were readily available to me. It was very difficult to be a niche seller in this setting because the selection just wasn’t there. Living in Florida, it is a very different story. When living in an area with high access to inventory, it is a lot easier to have a more niche business model simply due to the fact that you have the selection readily available to you. Living in this setting gives a reseller more flexibility in their business model than they might not have had elsewhere.
Taxes
This is quite a big difference especially when it comes time to pay taxes throughout the year. Florida has no state income tax which means that the only taxes that I am responsible for throughout the year are to the federal government and local sales taxes. In New York, my income was much more heavily taxed and I was responsible for federal, state, and local sales taxes. As a full-time reseller, this is definitely an added perk.
Quality of Inventory
When it comes to quality of inventory, there are differences between New York and Florida. Back in Central New York, I would find many mall brands and very few luxury designer pieces when out thrifting. When I would stop in a TJ Maxx store, on the other hand, I was much more likely to find designer pieces at discounted prices. In Florida, the opposite is true; I am much more likely to find designer pieces while out thrifting but less likely to find them at discounted retailers such as TJ Maxx and Marshalls (unless I were to stop into a Runway store).
How Weather Affects the Business
Climate definitely has played as role in my reselling business over the years. In New York, the weather was very gloomy for most of the years. There were a few months of sunshine but for most of the rest of the year, it was either cold, snowy, or rainy (or all of the above). Living in less than ideal weather conditions, it would make it difficult for me at times to go to the post office and/or sourcing. The weather in New York also affected my mood and productivity; During the worst of it, I had a very difficult time staying motivated when it came to running my business. Additionally, when shipping items, I was constantly worrying out making sure that an item wasn’t affect by the elements.
Now that I live in Florida, the weather is drastically different. Most of the time here it is either sunny or raining (with the occasional hurricane or two). Even in the worst of weather conditions, I am still able to go about my daily reselling tasks without much delay. When it comes to shipping, I have to be very conscientious of where my packages are going as I know that other parts of the country are experiencing a different climate than myself.
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